Governor Ted Kulongoski says a complaint filed with the Oregon State Bar claiming he knew about former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt sexually abusing a teenage girl has no merit.

"None," Kulongoski said emphatically during a brief news conference Thursday.

The governor also apologized for walking away from a news conference earlier this week when KGW asked about the ethics complaint filed by Portland talk radio show host Lars Larson.

The complaint alleges that Kulongoski was told as early as 1994 about Goldschmidt sexually abusing the girl in the 1970s when Goldschmidt was mayor of Portland.

Meanwhile, a second ethics complaint about the same issue was filed against the governor Thursday. The complainant wrote that he has been informed through "various sources of attorney Ted Kulongoski's possible misconduct while he was a practicing attorney."

Goldschmidt's rape of a 14-year-old girl was made public in 2004 as he was preparing to lead the sale of Portland General Electric to a Texas company offering to buy the utility from bankrupt Enron Corp. The sale eventually collapsed and Goldschmidt retired from public life.

More: Former Gov. Goldschmidt admits having sex with 14-year-old girl

Larson alleges in the complaint that Kulongoski was told about the abuse by a former Goldschmidt speechwriter, Fred Leonhardt, who in turned learned about it from Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto.

Kulongoski has said he knew nothing of the abuse until it was made public three years ago. However, Leonhardt says he told Kulongoski about the abuse in the early 1990s, when Kulongoski was preparing to run for Attorney General. Leonhardt said he's taken and passed a polygraph test proving he is telling the truth.

 Read: Letter from speech writer paints ugly picture

Goldschmidt was governor in the late 1980s, when Giusto was an Oregon State Police officer who served as a bodyguard and driver.

Giusto is under investigation by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to determine whether he ever lied publicly about his knowledge of the abuse.

Also: State threatens to strip Sheriff Giusto of certification over Goldschmidt scandal

The infamous "walk-off"

When asked about the bar complaint Tuesday, Kulongoski walked away from a news conference on TOPOFF, the national terrorism exercise under way this week in Portland.

Blog: KGW reporter Pat Dooris confronts Kulongoski

Video: Watch Kulongoski walk away from KGW question on Tues.

More: "Walk-off" derided, defended

Share/Read comments: What do you think of Gov. initially walking away?

On Thursday, just before a similar news conference on TOPOFF, Kulongoski drew reporters aside and apologized but said he could not comment on the bar complaint -- saying only that it had no merit.

"I think it's inappropriate for me to talk about that process as long as they're reviewing it," Kulongoski said, adding that "I'm going to cooperate in any way they want."

He also said that, "as you can well imagine, it's a difficult time both for me and my family."

The state bar investigates every complaint it receives but there are several stages to determine whether a complaint has any merit, said bar spokeswoman Kateri Walsh.

The first step is an initial review. If there is enough to warrant a more thorough investigation, the complaint will be referred to the bar's disciplinary counsel. If the counsel forwards the complaint, the next stage would include the State Professional Responsibility Board, which has the power to authorize a formal prosecution, Walsh said.