Posted on 10/06/2006 5:48:26 AM PDT by JustaCowgirl
A former congressional page is willing to talk to the FBI and the U.S. House Ethics Committee about former Rep. Mark Foley, his attorney said Thursday.
He will answer fully and truthfully any questions put to him,” attorney Stephen Jones said.
Jordan Edmund, 21, has been working on Republican Rep. Ernest Istook’s gubernatorial campaign. Istook, of Warr Acres, admitted Thursday at a hastily called news conference the scandal has affected his campaign.
“Things are a distraction, but it doesn’t stop the momentum that we’ve been gaining,” Istook said.
Foley, a Florida Republican, resigned from Congress last week after it was learned he had exchanged lurid messages over the Internet with former male pages. Foley later admitted through his attorney he had made the exchanges and blamed alcohol.
Foley also revealed publicly for the first time he is gay but denied being a pedophile. He specifically denied through his attorney any sexual contact with minors.
ABC News first reported the story and posted on its Web site excerpts of the Internet exchanges.
Edmund’s name became public after an Oklahoma-based blogger identified him after discovering his screen name on ABC News’ Web site. ABC News admitted Thursday it had made a mistake.
A former congressional page is willing to talk to the FBI and the U.S. House Ethics Committee about former Rep. Mark Foley, his attorney said Thursday.
In an excerpt attributed by the blogger as sent to Edmund, Foley allegedly said “strip down and get relaxed.”
Istook criticized the media Thursday for naming the campaign aide. Istook did not directly confirm the aide “may have been a victim of the wrongful behavior” of Foley.
However, Istook said he urged the man “to cooperate fully with law enforcement and the House Ethics Committee.”
He also said, “This is a young man who is bright and hardworking. He does not deserve the public embarrassment that he now faces. ... What he needs and deserves is Christian compassion.”
Istook said the aide’s status with the campaign “will be determined as we go along.”
Jones said Edmund has done nothing wrong.
“Jordan was a minor when the alleged events described in the media occurred,” Jones said. “He retained me ... to guide and assist him through a difficult investigative and media onslaught because he thought I might be able to help him.
“Jordan has authorized me to say that if he has any relevant information on the matters involving Congressman Foley, he will voluntarily present it to any appropriate official authority.”
Jones has experience with high-profile cases. He defended Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.
Jones confirmed he has been in contact with the FBI and that Edmund has left Oklahoma. Jones, a $5,000 contributor to Istook, said he is not being paid by the Istook campaign.
ABC News reported Foley had Internet sex with the former page before a vote. In one exchange, Foley wrote, “I miss you lots since san diego.” Edmund is from the San Diego area.
Also, ABC News reported some exchanges were in April 2003, when Edmund would have been 18.
Jones said he could not yet discuss the Internet messages. He also would not say whether Foley and Edmund ever met outside Congress.
Jones said, “He was a page in the House of Representatives his junior year in high school at the same time Mr. Foley was a member of Congress. So he met most, if not all, of the Republican members of the House. And I’m sure he met quite a few Democrats. That’s how they would know each other.”
He declined to make Edmund available for interviews. “He’s not going to appear on any television talk show, interview, radio,” Jones said.
The attorney disputed as “a piece of fiction” a report on a widely viewed Internet site, The Drudge Report, that Edmund’s exchanges with Foley were a prank by the page.
Jones said, “There is not any aspect of this matter that is a practical joke nor should anyone treat it that way.”
Edmund described himself on the popular MySpace.com Internet site as the deputy campaign manager for Istook and a political science major at the University of California at Berkeley.
“Politics is my passion. I love the game,” he wrote.
He also described himself as a U.S. House page from September 2001 to June 2002. He said he is straight.
His father is a retired doctor while his mother is a schoolteacher, a friend said.
“He’s a really neat guy,” said friend Jessee Harwell, 21, of Fullerton, Calif. “He told me that he was in Washington and that he enjoyed it a lot and that he learned a lot. ... He’s, like, diehard into politics.”
Edmund worked two summers during high school at an ice cream shop in Carlsbad, Calif., the shop’s manager said.
“He’s a good kid,” manager Ruth Hall said. “He’s quiet.”
Istook, who is leaving Congress after 14 years, repeated Thursday he was unaware of Foley’s “sad and sick behavior” until last week.
“How would I have known, how would I have intercepted somebody’s private communications?” Istook asked.
Istook said he first learned Wednesday one of Foley’s victims may be someone that he knew.
“My reaction was to try to find out what’s going on,” Istook said. “I have no personal knowledge of what the House leadership knew or didn’t know. I’m glad that we’re looking into that.
“I realize we live in an era when people want an instant answer,” he said. “They want everything to be resolved immediately. We should not have the press or anybody else trying to pressure people to jump to conclusions.”
Istook dismissed as “nonsense” a question that presidential adviser Karl Rove, who will appear Monday night in Oklahoma City to raise money for Istook’s campaign, recommended he hire Edmund.
Chris Wilson of Wilson Research Strategies said Thursday he recommended last year that Istook hire Chip Englander, a Californian, as campaign manager.
Wilson, whose company serves as consultant to Istook’s campaign, said the campaign manager usually hires his staff.
Democratic Gov. Brad Henry was campaigning Thursday afternoon in El Reno and Yukon. He declined to comment, said Paul Sund, a Henry spokesman.
Lisa has her marching orders on this one, it's pretty clear.
What they say
Democrats
Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairman Lisa Pryor said Thursday a former U.S. House page who may be part of the scandal involving a former Florida congressman is “an unfortunate victim of predatory behavior that’s been covered up by the (U.S. House) Republican leadership.”
“My heart goes out to him. He’s the victim. He’s not the story,” Pryor said of the former page who is working in the campaign of U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Warr Acres.
“This is about corruption. It’s about a cover-up almost as egregious as the initial behavior,” Pryor said
There's confirmation of the Chris Wilson connection, as rumored yesterday.
And implication that Englander is the one who hire Edmund (as speculated).
And we learn Istook's campaign isn't paying Edmund's legal bill.
And apparently Drudge's "prank gone bad" angle is coming from persons other than Edmund and Jones (his attorney).
Wow. Interesting relevation, that. More background on the "innocent pages."
Interesting, no doubt ABC will be all over this /sarc
One thing that seems clear is that Edmund could have put a stop to this at any time by failing to respond. I have seen no evidence that indicates that Foley was in a position to force his attentions on this kid at any time.
Why didn't Edmund stop it? He's going to have to come up with an explanation beyond 'I was a victim.' If it wasn't a prank, then it was something else.
So he is admitting he gave or let Dems see the IM's to dems??
Perhaps the high-power legal help was to negotiate "turning state's evidence."
Hmmmm.
I don't read that quote as admitting that he gave the IMs to Dems. They're just laying down cover.
What it DOES acknowledge though is that Foley and Edmund had no special contact while Edmund was in Washington. This whole thing is apparently about long-distance exchanges via the internet.
Exactly my question. Methinks the day will come when this man is going to have to explain himself.
This has to be the biggest lie of the week!
Hmmmm indeed. We shall see.
Isn't that the truth. Maybe it's momentum heading toward the cliff.
Except for the bit about San Diego.....
Good point. Is there evidence they actually met physically in San Diego?
'Met physically' Ewwwwww.
Did you note how he loves "the game"? That's what it is to him, a game. How much of all of this is a "game"?
CHRIS WILSON ALERT.....Istoook has been TAKEN!!!
Good question. I have a feeling it's all been a 'game' up until now. He may get the feeling soon of what can happen when you think your 'game' is ready for the big stage.
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