Senator recalls hiring suspect

WASHINGTON – A U.S. senator who was the intended recipient of a letter apparently laced with ricin said he had hired the suspected sender, an Elvis impersonator, to play at a wedding a decade ago.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a quiet two-term senator, said he had hired Paul Kevin Curtis and “he was quite entertaining.”

“I have indeed met the gentleman in question,” Wicker told reporters. “He’s an entertainer. He’s an Elvis impersonator. He entertained at a party that my wife and I held for a young couple that was getting married. … My impression is that since that time he’s had mental issues. He’s not as stable as he was back then.”

The senator declined to discuss earlier reports that the suspect, who allegedly also sent a letter with ricin to President Barack Obama, had corresponded frequently. But he added, “I wouldn’t say they’re inaccurate.”

McClatchy-Tribune