Monroe Boy Linked to Foley Scandal

KARD TV ^ | October 3, 2006 | Joseph Pleasant

[kms61]

When a Monroe teenager first contacted a member of Rodney Alexander's staff about email messages from former Florida Congressman Mark Foley the young man asked the staff member not to say anything. But once a reporter contacted Representative Alexander, the congressman said he had to report the incident.

The young man in question says he wants all the media attention to just go away. "He's in school and trying to understand whats going on," U.S Congress Rep. Rodney Alexander said. "He is upset, needless to say, and his parents are concerned."

Out of Washington and in his Monroe office, Representative Rodney Alexander is one of the few people talking to a Monroe teenager pulled into the latest political scandal. It's a scandal that has some making threats on the young man's life. "There are some people out there that think this young man is responsible for bringing down a member of Congress," said Alexander, "but we know that is not the case."

Once a champion for protecting children from online predators, Foley's email to a Monroe teenager asking for a picture, eventually lead to not only his resignation from Congress but the discovery of alleged sexual messages with other teenage boys. "There are emails and messages out there with severe implications," Alexander said. "Sexual implications that this young man did not receive."

Alexander says his main goal is to protect the young man's well being. One way he is doing that is by asking the media to shift the focus from one teenager. "There are other pages sponsored by other members of Congress," Alexander said. "No one is saying what did they do? What did they know? How did they try to stop this?"

Hopefully questions that will be answered as the pieces of this political puzzle continue to fall into place. Representative Alexander says the young man's parents are very concerned and upset by the attention on their son. Some wondered if Rep. Alexander will face a political backlash during his re-election bid for turning over the email that set these events in motion. He said, simply, he could.

(Written by Joseph Pleasant, © NBC10 News, All rights reserved.)

[kms61]

Transcript of a story on the local news tonight, in which Rodney Alexander was interviewed. As far as I know this is the only time he's spoken at length about the situation.

Despite what he said at the end, I don't see this causing him any trouble this time around. He has an opponent, but it's in name only. He (or she, I don't even know which it is) has not been campaigning. Alexander has some signs up, but hasn't bothered to run any TV ads, at least none that I've seen.

[FlingWingFlyer]

An unintended consequence of this "scandal" is already showing up in the congressional cafeteria on Capitol Hill. Male members of the House and Senate have been observed eating bananas as though they were corn on the cob.

[VictoryGal]

This poor kid has had death threats?

Who the h*ll would do such an abominable thing?

[Paul8148]

Is this guy a Republican or Dem.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Foley should be tried. If found guilty, he should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. If guilty, he is beyond any redemption.

[kms61]

Alexander is a Republican.

[Shermy]

Local story:

Alexander: Someone sent page threats

How did the e-mails get to the media?

[Screamname]

Once a champion for protecting children from online predators....

Check out this video, and with John Walsh no less.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6BKR4cTmAg

[oceanview]

and how did the second page, the one with the IMs - know to log them, hold them for years, and then get "plugged in" to the DNC and ABC?

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

Joseph Pleasant joined the KTVE/KARD news team as a general assignment reporter in May 2005. Joseph is a native of Midland, Texas. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas A&M University in August 2002 with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Journalism. In August 2004 Joseph completed is Masters of Broadcast Journalism Degree at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill. During the Summer of 2004, Joseph covered Washington D.C. as a Capitol Hill reporter for KMID-TV in Midland, Texas. Before coming to KTVE/KARD, Joseph worked as a tape editor at KBTX-TV in Bryan, Texas. He also worked as a freelance writer for the Midland Reporter-Telegram in Midland, Texas. While in college Joseph interned at various places within the news industry including at MTV Daily News in New York and with the Tribune Company at the 2004 Republican National Convention. In his free time Joseph enjoys cooking, working out, reading and spending time with friends and family. If you see Joseph out on a story or out around town feel free to say hello. If you have story ideas for Joseph, email him at jpleasant@nbc10news.net.

[Dianna]

How did the e-mails get to the media?

Mort claimed on Special Report yesterday that the e-mails came from Alexander staffers (possibly former staffers from when he was a Dem).

[ClaireSolt]

This is so bogus!

[OKIEDOC]

Yep...homosexual Congressmen wouldn't do something such as Foley did...oops Foley is a closet homosexual.

Good nuff reason not to teach sexual diversity in our schools.

[Shermy]

#8

Great video.

Check out the end where he says "Hell if I were one of these sickos I would be nervous with America's Most Wanted on my...trail"

He was thinking about saying "tail" but hesitated. LOL - what's on his mind.

[jennyjenny]

Didn't he use to be a dem?

[blake6900]

Out of Washington and in his Monroe office, Representative Rodney Alexander is one of the few people talking to a Monroe teenager pulled into the latest political scandal. It's a scandal that has some making threats on the young man's life.

How did anyone find out the boy's name so they could make death threats? Hmmm? This story stinks of opportunism.

[catholicfreeper]

I agree with you Rodney will have no problem. He has a woman from Alexandria running against him(should be no problem) and a Libertarian guy. Rodney is well liked there and I think folks think he did the right thing

[Warriormom]

Michelle Malkin at Hot Air has a video from O'Reilly tonight of a guy named Tyson Vivyan who was a Page from Tennessee in 1997. He said that Foley IM'd him. Did we have IM's in 1997? The guy claimed that he didn't initally know who he was getting the messages from because there's just so much of that out there.

His interview seemed fishy to me. I wonder if he worked for a dem or a republican?

[art_rocks]

Have you heard what Foley's max punishment could be. I don't think it is much.

[catholicfreeper]

The story is true. Everyone knows around monroe and of course the school he goes too is a real small. I mean his myspace page has been all over the net. Including a thread on FR