ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 25, 1997 TAG: 9701270031
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
He was just letting his hair down when he was taped offering to help a client appear in Playboy magazine, the lawyer who is also handling Paula Jones' sexual harassment suit against President Clinton said this week.
Gilbert Davis, who also is seeking the Republican nomination for Virginia attorney general, said he had ``a couple of drinks'' at the meeting with Ramona Hines, whom he is representing in a suit against her former employer.
``I hope we're not so uptight that we think that everybody's got to wear a shirt and a tie and drink Welch's grape juice,'' Davis said.
Last week Hines, 30, released a 1995 videotape in which Davis discussed with her a possible appearance in Playboy. She hired Davis after being fired from a Martinsville cable television station when a rival station aired a report alleging she had an affair with a co-worker.
``You want to take all of your clothes off and expose your body,'' Davis told her on the tape, which also shows Davis waving a glass and making jokes as he talks about a possible photo session for Hines with Playboy.
Hines said she released the videotape because she believed Davis' nationally televised comments about Clinton were hypocritical.
Davis, 54, an Arlington attorney, said the tape shows voters that ``they're not going to get a stuffed shirt in public office.''
``We'd had a long day, and we'd had a couple of drinks. And she brought a camera out, and I thought nothing terribly much about it,'' he said.
A Davis campaign aide and a political consultant have resigned since the tape was released, but Davis said he did nothing wrong and owes no apology to anyone.
``One of my clients fearlessly took on the president of the United States to redeem her reputation,'' Davis told the Chesterfield County GOP Committee. ``I ask that you defend my reputation to those who would sully it.''
Davis has asked the Henry County Circuit Court to release him from representing Hines. A ruling is expected next week.
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Davisby CNB