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ravenguy2000 · 10-01-2006, 08:45 AM

Not good news....

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...s/4227672.html

GOP leaders knew of Foley e-mail in '05

© 2006 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — GOP leaders admit their offices have known for months that a Florida Republican congressman was sending inappropriate e-mails to a boy who had worked as a page in the House of Representatives.

The office of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who earlier said he'd learned about the e-mails only last week, acknowledged that aides referred the matter to the authorities last fall. They said they were only told the messages were "over-friendly."

Rep. Thomas Reynolds, who heads the House Republican election effort, said Saturday he told Hastert months ago about concerns that a fellow Republican lawmaker, Rep. Mark Foley, had sent inappropriate messages to a teenage boy.

Reynolds, a Republican from New York, is defending himself from Democrats who say he did too little to protect the boy.

Foley quit Congress on Friday after ABC News questioned him about the e-mails to a former congressional page and about sexually suggestive instant messages to other pages.

"The improper communications between Congressman Mark Foley and former House Congressional pages is unacceptable and abhorrent. It is an obscene breach of trust," Hastert, R-Ill., Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said Saturday in a written statement.

The Republican leaders said it is their duty to ensure House pages are safe. They said they are creating a toll-free hot line for pages and their families to call to confidentially report any incidents, and will consider adopting new rules on communications between lawmakers and pages.

The boy who received the e-mails was 16 in the summer of 2005 when he worked in Congress as a page. After the boy returned to his Louisiana home, the congressman e-mailed him. The teenager thought the messages were inappropriate, particularly one in which Foley asked the teen to send a picture of himself.

__________________________________________________ __________________

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&type=politics

(10-01) 04:00 PDT Washington -- Top House Republicans knew for months about e-mail traffic between Rep. Mark Foley and a former teenage page, but kept the matter secret and allowed Foley, R-Fla., to remain head of a congressional caucus on children's issues, Republican lawmakers said Saturday.

The exchanges began with what Republicans now describe as an "over friendly" e-mail message from Foley to the unidentified teenager. But news reports about the exchanges have led to the disclosure of e-mail correspondence with other former pages in which the discussions became more and more sexually explicit. Shortly after he was confronted by ABC News on Friday about the subject, Foley, who represented a south Florida district, resigned from the House.

The revelations set off a political upheaval, with Democrats and some Republicans alike calling for a full investigation of Foley's conduct and whether House leaders did enough to look into it. Members of the Republican leadership sought Saturday to detail how they had handled the case in an effort to defuse the matter, even as it was emerging as an issue in congressional races.

The page worked for Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La. Among those who also became aware of the communication in the fall of 2005 between Foley and the 16-year-old were Rep. John Boehner, the majority leader, and Rep. Thomas Reynolds of New York, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Reynolds said in a statement Saturday that he had also personally raised the issue with Speaker Dennis Hastert earlier this year. Hastert had previously said he was not aware until last week of inappropriate behavior by Foley.

"Despite the fact that I had not seen the e-mails in question and Mr. Alexander told me that the parents didn't want the matter pursued, I told the speaker of the conversation Mr. Alexander had with me," Reynolds said.

Republican insiders said Reynolds spoke out because he was angry that Hastert appeared willing to let him take the blame for the party leadership's silence about concerns raised last year regarding Foley's interactions with the teenager.

A House GOP leadership aide, who spoke to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job, said Reynolds realizes he has taken a shot at his top leader, but it was understandable.

"This is what happens when one member tries to throw another member under a bus," the aide told the Post.

In a chronology of the incident released later Saturday, the speaker's office said Hastert did not recall any such discussion and had no previous knowledge of the matter. "While the speaker does not explicitly recall this conversation, he has no reason to dispute Congressman Reynolds' recollection that he reported to him on the problem and its resolution," a statement from Hastert's office said.

The statement said senior staff members in the speaker's office first learned of the e-mail messages from Alexander's office in the fall of 2005 and took steps to investigate.

Aides to the speaker and other congressional Republican leaders said the messages brought to their attention -- described as "over friendly" -- were much less explicit than others that came to light after ABC News disclosed the first e-mail correspondence. In those messages, Foley asked about the well-being of the boy, a Monroe, La., resident, after Hurricane Katrina and requested a photograph.

Confronted by ABC News on Friday with more graphic e-mail, Foley resigned.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers said Saturday that Congress and the public deserved a full report on Foley's dealings with the pages, who are high school students who serve as runners and perform other duties. They said there should also be an inquiry into the leadership's knowledge of his activities and its response.

Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., said any leader who had been aware of Foley's behavior and failed to take action should step down. "If they knew or should have known the extent of this problem, they should not serve in leadership," Shays said.

On Saturday night, the House Republican leadership issued a joint statement that characterized the communications between Foley, 52, and the former page as "unacceptable and abhorrent."

"His immediate resignation must now be followed by the full weight of the criminal justice system," said the statement from Hastert, Boehner and the majority whip, Roy Blunt.

According to lawmakers and the speaker's office, the page who received the e-mail messages forwarded the one in which Foley asked for his picture, to a colleague in Alexander's office, repeatedly calling it "sick" and saying it "freaked me out."

Alexander called the boy's parents, who, he said Saturday, told him they did not want to pursue the matter but wanted Foley to stop.

Alexander's office also contacted staff members in Hastert's office for guidance on what to do. According to the speaker's account, his aides put Alexander's staff in contact with the clerk of the House, who oversees the page program. The clerk, who at the time was Jeff Trandahl, referred the matter to Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., chairman of the House Page Board, in late 2005, a spokesman for Shimkus said.

Trandahl and Shimkus confronted Foley, who assured them nothing inappropriate had occurred.

"Congressman Shimkus and the clerk made it clear that to avoid even the appearance of impropriety and at the request of the parents, Congressman Foley was to immediately cease any communication with the young man," the speaker's statement said.

On Saturday, Shimkus' spokesman, Steve Tomaszewski, said, "Obviously Foley lied about the other e-mails."

Carl Forti, a spokesman for Reynolds, said the congressman became aware of contact between Foley and the young page this past spring, when Alexander brought it to his attention. Forti said that Alexander had told Reynolds of an e-mail exchange between Foley and the page, but that he did not show Reynolds the e-mail messages and their contents.

Strategists for both parties said it was too early to tell what impact the furor might have on congressional elections now five weeks away but said at a minimum it could lower the already dismal public view of incumbents and discourage conservative voters.

It directly affected the race for Foley's seat. Tim Mahoney, the Democrat who had been running an uphill race against Foley, accused the Republican leadership of covering up for him.

"It's now clear from all the reports coming in from across the country that the Republican leadership team has been well aware of this problem with the pages for well over a year," Mahoney said. "It looks to me that it was more important to hold onto a seat and to hold onto power than to take care of our children."

At the Justice Department, an official said that there was no investigation under way but that the agency had "real interest" in examining the circumstances to see if any crimes were committed.

The Washington Post contributed to this report.

10-01-2006, 08:45 AM	#12
ravenguy2000 NO FATS Location: NO FEMS Posts: 29,003	Not good news.... http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...s/4227672.html GOP leaders knew of Foley e-mail in '05 © 2006 The Associated Press WASHINGTON — GOP leaders admit their offices have known for months that a Florida Republican congressman was sending inappropriate e-mails to a boy who had worked as a page in the House of Representatives. The office of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who earlier said he'd learned about the e-mails only last week, acknowledged that aides referred the matter to the authorities last fall. They said they were only told the messages were "over-friendly." Rep. Thomas Reynolds, who heads the House Republican election effort, said Saturday he told Hastert months ago about concerns that a fellow Republican lawmaker, Rep. Mark Foley, had sent inappropriate messages to a teenage boy. Reynolds, a Republican from New York, is defending himself from Democrats who say he did too little to protect the boy. Foley quit Congress on Friday after ABC News questioned him about the e-mails to a former congressional page and about sexually suggestive instant messages to other pages. "The improper communications between Congressman Mark Foley and former House Congressional pages is unacceptable and abhorrent. It is an obscene breach of trust," Hastert, R-Ill., Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said Saturday in a written statement. The Republican leaders said it is their duty to ensure House pages are safe. They said they are creating a toll-free hot line for pages and their families to call to confidentially report any incidents, and will consider adopting new rules on communications between lawmakers and pages. The boy who received the e-mails was 16 in the summer of 2005 when he worked in Congress as a page. After the boy returned to his Louisiana home, the congressman e-mailed him. The teenager thought the messages were inappropriate, particularly one in which Foley asked the teen to send a picture of himself. __________________________________________________ __________________ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&type=politics (10-01) 04:00 PDT Washington -- Top House Republicans knew for months about e-mail traffic between Rep. Mark Foley and a former teenage page, but kept the matter secret and allowed Foley, R-Fla., to remain head of a congressional caucus on children's issues, Republican lawmakers said Saturday. The exchanges began with what Republicans now describe as an "over friendly" e-mail message from Foley to the unidentified teenager. But news reports about the exchanges have led to the disclosure of e-mail correspondence with other former pages in which the discussions became more and more sexually explicit. Shortly after he was confronted by ABC News on Friday about the subject, Foley, who represented a south Florida district, resigned from the House. The revelations set off a political upheaval, with Democrats and some Republicans alike calling for a full investigation of Foley's conduct and whether House leaders did enough to look into it. Members of the Republican leadership sought Saturday to detail how they had handled the case in an effort to defuse the matter, even as it was emerging as an issue in congressional races. The page worked for Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La. Among those who also became aware of the communication in the fall of 2005 between Foley and the 16-year-old were Rep. John Boehner, the majority leader, and Rep. Thomas Reynolds of New York, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Reynolds said in a statement Saturday that he had also personally raised the issue with Speaker Dennis Hastert earlier this year. Hastert had previously said he was not aware until last week of inappropriate behavior by Foley. "Despite the fact that I had not seen the e-mails in question and Mr. Alexander told me that the parents didn't want the matter pursued, I told the speaker of the conversation Mr. Alexander had with me," Reynolds said. Republican insiders said Reynolds spoke out because he was angry that Hastert appeared willing to let him take the blame for the party leadership's silence about concerns raised last year regarding Foley's interactions with the teenager. A House GOP leadership aide, who spoke to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job, said Reynolds realizes he has taken a shot at his top leader, but it was understandable. "This is what happens when one member tries to throw another member under a bus," the aide told the Post. In a chronology of the incident released later Saturday, the speaker's office said Hastert did not recall any such discussion and had no previous knowledge of the matter. "While the speaker does not explicitly recall this conversation, he has no reason to dispute Congressman Reynolds' recollection that he reported to him on the problem and its resolution," a statement from Hastert's office said. The statement said senior staff members in the speaker's office first learned of the e-mail messages from Alexander's office in the fall of 2005 and took steps to investigate. Aides to the speaker and other congressional Republican leaders said the messages brought to their attention -- described as "over friendly" -- were much less explicit than others that came to light after ABC News disclosed the first e-mail correspondence. In those messages, Foley asked about the well-being of the boy, a Monroe, La., resident, after Hurricane Katrina and requested a photograph. Confronted by ABC News on Friday with more graphic e-mail, Foley resigned. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers said Saturday that Congress and the public deserved a full report on Foley's dealings with the pages, who are high school students who serve as runners and perform other duties. They said there should also be an inquiry into the leadership's knowledge of his activities and its response. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., said any leader who had been aware of Foley's behavior and failed to take action should step down. "If they knew or should have known the extent of this problem, they should not serve in leadership," Shays said. On Saturday night, the House Republican leadership issued a joint statement that characterized the communications between Foley, 52, and the former page as "unacceptable and abhorrent." "His immediate resignation must now be followed by the full weight of the criminal justice system," said the statement from Hastert, Boehner and the majority whip, Roy Blunt. According to lawmakers and the speaker's office, the page who received the e-mail messages forwarded the one in which Foley asked for his picture, to a colleague in Alexander's office, repeatedly calling it "sick" and saying it "freaked me out." Alexander called the boy's parents, who, he said Saturday, told him they did not want to pursue the matter but wanted Foley to stop. Alexander's office also contacted staff members in Hastert's office for guidance on what to do. According to the speaker's account, his aides put Alexander's staff in contact with the clerk of the House, who oversees the page program. The clerk, who at the time was Jeff Trandahl, referred the matter to Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., chairman of the House Page Board, in late 2005, a spokesman for Shimkus said. Trandahl and Shimkus confronted Foley, who assured them nothing inappropriate had occurred. "Congressman Shimkus and the clerk made it clear that to avoid even the appearance of impropriety and at the request of the parents, Congressman Foley was to immediately cease any communication with the young man," the speaker's statement said. On Saturday, Shimkus' spokesman, Steve Tomaszewski, said, "Obviously Foley lied about the other e-mails." Carl Forti, a spokesman for Reynolds, said the congressman became aware of contact between Foley and the young page this past spring, when Alexander brought it to his attention. Forti said that Alexander had told Reynolds of an e-mail exchange between Foley and the page, but that he did not show Reynolds the e-mail messages and their contents. Strategists for both parties said it was too early to tell what impact the furor might have on congressional elections now five weeks away but said at a minimum it could lower the already dismal public view of incumbents and discourage conservative voters. It directly affected the race for Foley's seat. Tim Mahoney, the Democrat who had been running an uphill race against Foley, accused the Republican leadership of covering up for him. "It's now clear from all the reports coming in from across the country that the Republican leadership team has been well aware of this problem with the pages for well over a year," Mahoney said. "It looks to me that it was more important to hold onto a seat and to hold onto power than to take care of our children." At the Justice Department, an official said that there was no investigation under way but that the agency had "real interest" in examining the circumstances to see if any crimes were committed. The Washington Post contributed to this report.