The Idaho senator said Saturday he will leave the Senate at the end of September.

Bennett, an extended member of Senate minority leadership who has served with Craig for about 14 years, said he and his wife, Joyce, were saddened that Craig and his family had to go through this "trying time."

"This was no doubt a difficult decision for Sen. Craig, but an important one as he assessed the situation and came to the conclusion that he could no longer effectively represent the people of Idaho," Bennett said in a statement.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, praised Craig as a hard-working, effective senator for Idaho.

"I am certain the decision he made today was made in the best interest of his family," Hatch said in a statement. "I wish him and his family well."

Former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, now head of the U.S. Interior Department, said he and his wife, Patricia, still count Craig and his family as friends.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with them on this difficult day - a day in which we should also remember Larry's 27 years of dedicated public service to Idaho and to the nation."

tburr@sltrib.com