Grand Old Police Blotter: We Don't Know Dick Edition

Dick Dasen's fellow Montana Republicans are distancing themselves from the fundie philanthropist/pervert:

The list of potential witnesses on behalf of Kalispell businessman Dick Dasen Sr. is down by at least one....

State Rep. Verdell Jackson, R-Kalispell, didn't know he was on the list until his wife read Jackson's name in a newspaper story about it Saturday....

While he could testify in a limited way about Dasen's community deeds, Jackson said "it would be counterproductive" to Dasen's defense if Jackson was cross-examined about what he thinks of the accusations against Dasen.

Dasen, 62, has pleaded innocent to promotion of prostitution, aggravated promotion of prostitution, sexual intercourse without consent and sexual abuse of children.

Meanwhile, Dick's attorney gives us a preview of his client's exculpatory evidence:

The depositions were filed Friday in District Court by George Best, Dasen's defense attorney....

Sworn statements of Cari Halama and Valerie Hondius, however, describe Dasen as a man who gave them thousands of dollars to keep them off the streets with no expectation that he would ever be repaid.

...

Hondius said she called Dasen from a motel room, where she had an 18-year-old friend. Dasen went to the room and, after minimal introductions, engaged in sex with Hondius' friend.

Later, the three met at Dasen's house, where he took pornographic pictures of the teenagers and performed a sex act on the other woman. After both occasions when all three met, Dasen wrote Hondius a check for $2,000, she said.

"At any time, did Mr. Dasen say that he wanted to pay you for this or that you were -- did you ever say that we'll do this if you give us money?" Best asked Hondius.

"It was expected," she said.

However, she told Best that Dasen never tried to touch her or made her feel intimidated or threatened.

"What was your impression of him?" Best asked.

"That he was a really nice guy," Hondius said....

She went to Dasen to ask for a loan to get into a house with her three children. The friend had told her that Dasen "was known to help people" and had bailed him out of jail once without ever asking for repayment....

According to her deposition, it was about three or four months after she met Dasen when she had sex with him at his home....

Halama's world was populated by women that Dasen helped, including her best friend Marshall and women who had breast enlargements courtesy of Dasen.

Eventually, Halama slashed a woman's tires because she owed Halama money for drugs. Dasen paid to replace the tires, but ended his relationship with Halama. He stopped taking her calls and they haven't spoken since, she said.

"What are your feelings as we speak today about him?" Best asked Halama.

"I care about him a lot," she said....

I was hungry, and you had sex with my 18-year-old friend; I was naked and you took pornographic pictures of me; I was a stranger, and you got me breast implants.

That's quite a novel defense: Here's some other women I didn't pay for sex, and these other teenagers I was involved with weren't underage, either. Things aren't looking too good for ol' Dick.