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The 2006 Mark Foley sex scandal allegedly involves Republican congressman Mark Foley sending sexually explicit instant messages and suggestive emails to underage boys, who were congressional pages. Foley also allegedly sent sexually explicit electronic messages to another page. The Washington Post has reported that members of the Republican congressional leadership were privately aware of the first allegation for many months without taking any formal action. Foley was chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, which handled sexual predator laws.
2006
Allegations
On September 28, 2006, ABC News reported that in 2005 Foley had sent email messages, from his personal AOL account, to a then-16-year-old former Congressional page, asking the page to send a photo of himself to Foley, among other things. Foley submitted a letter of resignation from Congress on September 29, 2006 in the wake of news reports about the communications. Foley issued a statement, saying "I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent."
According to the Associated Press, "Rodney Alexander, R-La., who sponsored the page from his district, told reporters that he learned of the e-mails from a reporter some months ago and passed on the information to Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Republican campaign organization. Carl Forti, a spokesman for the GOP campaign organization, said Reynolds learned from Alexander that the parents did not want to pursue the matter.
Accordint to ABC News Foley also engaged in a series of sexually explicit instant messages with another teenage male page. Foley allegedly wrote to one page: "Do I make you a little horny?" In another message, "You in your boxers, too? ... Well, strip down and get relaxed." The messages reportedly included references to sexual organs and acts.
Republican leadership response
Republican Leader John Boehner told the Washington Post that he knew of the inappropriate "contact" in the spring. Boehner initially said that he informed Speaker Dennis Hastert, and that Hastert assured him "we're taking care of it." After Hastert denied knowledge to the press, Boehner retracted, stating that he could not recall the conversation. NRCC chairman Tom Reynolds issued a statement that he had spoken with Hastert about the matter that spring; Hastert did not "explicitly recall" that conversation but said he did not dispute it. According to Roll Call, a senior aide to Hastert was aware of the situation. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi criticized Republican leaders, who she said, "have known of the egregious behavior of Congressman Mark Foley, yet were prepared to adjourn tonight without an Ethics Committee investigation."
Page Committee chairman John Shimkus said "that in late 2005 he learned — through information passed along by Alexander's office — about an e-mail exchange in which Foley asked about the youngster's well-being after Hurricane Katrina, and requested a photograph." Foley was ordered to cease all contact with the former page and assured Shimkus he would do so. Shimkus did not inform the only Democrat on the 3 person page committee of the issue.
Investigation
Late on September 29, 2006, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) offered a resolution to investigate Foley, which was blocked by the Republican leadership. Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) offered a subsequent resolution that differed from Pelosi's in that it would not investigate the GOP leadership's response to the situation, while still sending the Foley matter to the House Ethics Committee for futher investigation. The vote for Boehner's resolution was 409-0.
References
- "Sixteen-Year-Old Who Worked as Capitol Hill Page Concerned About E-mail Exchange with Congressman". ABC News. September 28, 2006.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|retrieved=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - Ferrechio, Susan (September 29, 2006). "Republican Rep. Foley Resigns, Drops Re-election Bid in Fla. 16". St Petersburg Times.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|retrieved=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Sixteen-Year-Old Who Worked as Capitol Hill Page Concerned About E-mail Exchange with Congressman". Associated Press . September 29, 2006.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|retrieved=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - House to prove resigning Congressman's notes to teen, CNN, September 30, 2006
See also
External links
- Foley Interviewed About Page Last Year; Democrats Not Told from Roll Call September 29, 2006
- Re. Foley Quits in page Scandal from Washington Post September 30, 2006