Duke rape suspect is son of rich & powerful (Lobbyist linked to Bush)

The latest Duke University lacrosse player accused of raping a stripper is the product of the rarefied air of Washington power and privilege.

Suspect David Evans is the son of Rae Evans, 50, a prominent lobbyist who boasts topnotch links to the Bush family, and David Evans, a partner at one of the capital's most prominent law firms.

Evans' preppie-looking parents stood stiffly behind him Monday as he forcefully rejected the explosive rape case that has ensnared the once top-ranked Duke lacrosse team.

David Evans, 23, grew up in the tony suburb of Bethesda, Md., and graduated from Duke a day before he was indicted.

Rae Evans is a prolific campaign donor, stuffing a whopping $31,420 into mostly Republican coffers since 1994 and campaigning for President Bush's reelection in 2004 with the W Stands for Women committee.