Best Friend Of Gore Sex Accuser Backs Up Her Story
Jun. 25 2010, Published 3:26 p.m. ET
The best friend of the Oregon massage therapist who’s accusing ex-Vice President Al Gore of sexual abusing her four years ago said the therapist vaguely told her about the alleged run-in shortly after the incident occurred, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Donna Burleigh, who runs S&D Exotic Bird Rescue out of her Keizer, Oregon home, told The Oregonian newspaper that her pal -- a 54-year-old Portland, Oregon native - told her about what had allegedly happened without identifying Gore as her attacker, but "someone in the higher ups.”
The story was first reported by The National Enquirer.
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When Gore was due back in town on a different visit, Burleigh told the paper her friend “freaked and split. She said her predator was back and coming to town. She up and left.”
Burleigh said her friend kept saying things are going to “come to a head," and was concerned there'd be "all kinds of media coverage" over the incident.
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"She said she was meeting with a rape crisis unit, stuff like that," Burleigh told the paper. "She said it was a high-authority person who has a lot of power. She was scared of him.
"When she got violated, she has not been the same since," Burleigh told the paper. "She was talking about how she wanted to go to the hospital because she was having panic attacks, then it started getting worse."
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Burleigh told the paper that the therapist, a fellow bird enthusiast, “is big-hearted person.”
In a report filed by Northwest authorities, police indicated Gore had been accused of initiating "unwanted sexual contact" at "a local, upscale hotel" with the woman, and classified the alleged incident as a Sex Abuse III crime, which experts said could indicate when a person subjects another person to sexual contact without consent, or if the victim is under 18.
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Gore has not publicly commented on the allegations.