Rasmussen first stood for Parliament in 1985, contesting the seat of Penrhyn after Tangaroa Tangaroa resigned to become Queen's Representative.[3] He ran again as a candidate for the Democratic Alliance in the 1999 election, but was unsuccessful.[4] In 2002 he resigned as High Commissioner to New Zealand to contest the 2002 Penrhyn by-election as Cook Islands Party candidate, and was elected.[5]
Early in his political career he challenged the eligibility of two Government MPs to sit, on the grounds that they worked as paid consultants and were therefore public servants.[6] The challenge was ultimately unsuccessful.[7]
In December 2008 he agitated for both Prime Minister Jim Marurai and his deputy Terepai Maoate to step down.[13] On 28 July 2009 he was sacked for "disloyalty" by Marurai,[14] and subsequently expelled from Cook Islands Democratic Party on 25 August 2009.[15] He was reappointed to Cabinet as Minister of Finance & Economic Management and Attorney-General in the December 2009 reshuffle following the sacking of Terepai Maoate and resignation of Democratic party cabinet ministers.[16][17] A Democratic Party conference in June 2010 restored his membership and appointed him deputy leader.[18]
He was re-elected at the 2010 election. He became Leader of the Opposition in February 2012 after Democratic party leader Robert Wigmore was granted medical leave from Parliament.[19] Following Wigmore's death in April 2012 he became acting leader of the Democratic Party.[20] His position as party leader was confirmed in August 2012.[21]
Rasmussen was defeated at the 2014 election, and stepped down as Democratic Party leader in April 2015.[22]
Post-retirement
Following his retirement from politics Rasmussen worked as a lawyer. On 11 June 2021 he was convicted of two counts of indecent assault[23] and one of perverting the course of justice.[24] In August 2021 he was fined $7000.[25] He was later disbarred as a lawyer.[24]
^Jonassen, Jon Tikivanotau M (2007). "Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events: Cook Islands". The Contemporary Pacific. 20: 216–222. doi:10.1353/cp.2008.0015. hdl:10125/22327.