Sex assault charges against former congressional aide headed for trialMan testifies Timothy Smith molested him four years ago in home outside Reading.November 21, 2013|By Peter Hall, Of The Morning CallEXETER TOWNSHIP, Berks County Eyes cast down and speaking softly, Jordan Krause testified he woke up as Timothy Smith,Ray Ban Large Aviator, an aide to former U.S. Rep Tim Holden, climbed into bed with him after a night of drinking at Smith's home in 2009.By the light of a fixture over the basement bar in the Muhlenberg Township home, Krause, then 21, said he could see the man behind him on the pullout bed was Smith. Krause testified Smith slipped his hands inside Krause's boxer shorts and sexually assaulted him.The testimony Thursday in a courtroom in Exeter Township, outside Reading, was enough for a district judge to rule Smith must face trial in Berks County Court on indecent assault charges. The ruling was made by retired Carbon County District Judge Paul Hadzick, who was specially assigned to the case.Smith, 53, was Holden's top district aide for years, putting him in contact with judges and other officials across the congressional district, which included parts of Berks and all of Schuylkill County. Holden is from Schuylkill.After the hearing, Smith's attorney said his client looks forward to a trial where he can raise questions about his accuser's credibility. Attorney Jay Nigiri said Krause's allegations were fabricated by someone with a personal vendetta against Smith to embarrass him.Krause, who has given The Morning Call permission to use his name, pursued his claims against Smith for four years. Although police recommended charges, Berks County District Attorney John Adams declined to charge Smith, citing insufficient evidence, but referred the allegations to the state attorney general's office.After Krause testified before a grand jury in Harrisburg, the attorney general's office in September filed charges against Smith.Under questioning Thursday by Deputy Attorney General Clarke Madder, Krause testified that he went to a party at Smith's house in September 2009 with his father, Lewis Krause, and his stepmother, Connie. After several drinks, he decided not to drive home and accepted Smith's invitation to sleep on a bed in the basement.After sleeping for about half an hour, Krause said, he was awakened by someone getting into bed with him and quickly realized it was Smith.Smith slipped his left hand in Krause's boxer shorts and fondled his penis, Krause said. He said Smith's right hand was behind him, also inside his shorts."He put his fingers in my behind," Krause testified.During his cross-examination, Nigiri asked questions in an effort to discredit Krause.Krause testified that he was certain that he didn't drink before arriving at the party because he drove there, and he never drives after drinking. He drank a few beers at the party, but was not intoxicated, he said.According to court documents, Krause got out of bed after the alleged assault and went to a basement bathroom, where he waited until Smith left the room, and then fled, leaving his shoes and car keys behind.He called a friend's mother to pick him up, and made a police report early the following morning.Holden, a Democrat, lost his congressional seat in the 2012 primary. Democrat Matt Cartwright now represents that reconfigured district, which includes parts of Northampton County.Smith served as Holden's district coordinator from 1993 until his retirement when Holden lost his seat. He earned $101,131 in 2012 and received $10,000 in other compensation the day Holden left office.Before working for Holden, Smith spent five years as a youth counselor at the Berks County Youth Center, according to his LinkedIn profile.Krause's allegations have been dismissed as an effort at revenge by a former political operative and colleague of Smith.Holden and Adams have both said the accusations were pushed by Elwood Broad, a former congressional aide who served 18 months in federal prison for embezzling $60,000 from the late U.S. Rep. Gus Yatron's campaign funds.Broad and Smith were Yatron staff members at the same time in the 1980s. Broad is also a close family friend of Krause, who was living with Broad at the time of the alleged assault."As far as I can tell, these [allegations] are the actions of a disgruntled employee," Holden told The Morning Call in an interview last year.Krause in earlier interviews said he faxed an anonymous letter to Holden's office after making his report to police saying that Smith was under investigation for sexual assault.He said that a day later, a man arrived at the home where he lived with Broad and said "the fax was not appreciated." He said the man then handed over a tape with incriminating video of Broad from 20 years earlier.Muhlenberg Township police recommended charges of witness intimidation against the man who delivered the videotape, according to a 2010 police report Krause provided to The Morning Call, but no charges have been filed.Smith is free on $50,000 unsecured bail.610-820-6581Featured ArticlesMore: