Defense attorneys Thursday tried to discredit the story of a woman who said she was sexually assaulted in 2012 by two men who are well-known members of Portland’s African American community.

On the second day of Charles McGee and Aubre Lamont Dickson’s trial, one of their attorneys asked the woman why in the hours before the alleged assault had she met the men for drinks in downtown Portland and told them that a threesome was on her “bucket list.”

Defense attorney Christine Mascal noted that the woman, Erica Naito-Campbell, had previously said she considered Dickson a friend but didn’t know McGee well.

“You don’t bring up threesomes with someone you just met, or is that who you are?” Mascal asked.

Naito-Campbell said she talks about sex casually with many people, that talking about a threesome didn’t mean she had any desire to have sex with the men and that she made that clear to them by later pulling McGee’s hand off her knee repeatedly and rejecting his advances.

Naito-Campbell also repeatedly said she felt safe because her friend, Dickson, would protect her from anything bad happening that evening.

The allegations came to light last year when Naito-Campbell told her story to Willamette Week. McGee, now 33, was running for Multnomah County commissioner and working as CEO of the Black Parent Initiative at the time. Dickson, 44, was a chairman of the Oregon Housing Stability Council and a vice president at KeyBank.

They were indicted three months later on accusations of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and other crimes. The men resigned or lost their jobs.

Erica Naito-Campbell (left) underwent about 2.5 hours of cross-examination by defense attorney Christine Mascal (right) and then defense attorney Stephen Houze on Thursday, March 14, 2019.

McGee has hired Mascal, a former deputy district attorney with Multnomah County who has years of experience prosecuting defendants accused of some of the area’s most heinous sex crimes. Dickson has hired Stephen Houze and Jacob Houze, a father-son attorney team who have gained a reputation for representing some of Portland’s most prominent community members in legal trouble.

McGee and Dickson’s trial began Wednesday with Naito-Campbell, 38, taking the stand and giving a harrowing account of the night of May 10, 2012.

During cross-examination Thursday, Mascal also asked Naito-Campbell how loudly she told the men “no” after they arrived at McGee’s Southeast Portland house and the two men allegedly started to assault her.

“You did not raise your voice? Mascal asked.

“No,” Naito-Campbell responded.

“You did not scream out for help?” Mascal asked.

“No,” Naito-Campbell said.

“You didn’t say, ‘Get the hell off me?’” Mascal asked.

“I said, ‘Don’t do this. Please don’t do this,'” Naito-Campbell said.

“‘Because you’re cheating, right?’” Mascal asked.

“‘Because you’re cheating,’” Naito-Campbell said, referring to both men being married. “I was trying to appeal to his better nature because I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” Mascal asked.

“That it would escalate, that they would hurt me,” Naito-Campbell said.

“Has he (McGee) ever threatened to hurt you prior to this?” Mascal asked.

“They were both so much bigger than me and I didn’t know where I was,” Naito-Campbell said.

“Has he ever threatened to hurt you prior to this?” Mascal asked again.

“No,” Naito-Campbell said.

20 Trial of Charles McGee and Aubre Dickson

Mascal also questioned Naito-Campbell on how it was that she says she was able to clamp her hand over her vagina to prevent the men, who were far stronger, from raping her. Naito-Campbell stood by her story that that’s what had happened.

Naito-Campbell spent about 2 ½ hours under cross-examination, sometimes crying or gasping at the questions. Mascal’s questioning was followed by cross-examination from Stephen Houze.

Houze asked why Naito-Campbell didn’t take photos of bruises that she said formed on her arms, wrists and legs after the alleged assault. Naito-Campbell had said she told friends about the alleged assault within days, and Houze asked why then wouldn’t she send photos of those bruises to them.

“My friends didn’t need corroboration, and they certainly didn’t need to see the horror of bruises on my body,” Naito-Campbell said.

“They believe you?” Houze asked.

“Because I’m a truthful person,” Naito-Campbell said.

The trial is scheduled to continue Friday, with Houze continuing his cross-examination of Naito-Campbell.

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.