Posted on 09/30/2006 3:06:00 PM PDT by wjersey
Rep. Thomas Reynolds, head of the House Republican election effort, said he told Speaker Dennis Hastert after learning a fellow GOP lawmaker sent inappropriate messages to a teenage boy.
Reynolds, R-N.Y., was told months ago about e-mails sent by Rep. Mark Foley and is now defending himself from Democratic accusations that he did too little. Foley, R-Fla., resigned 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 boy who received the e-mails was 16 in summer 2005 when he worked in Congress as a page. After the boy returned to his Louisiana home, the congressman e-mailed him, and the teenager thought the messages were inappropriate, particularly one in which Foley asked the teen to send a picture of himself.
The teen's family contacted their congressman, Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., who then discussed it with Reynolds sometime this spring.
"Rodney Alexander brought to my attention the existence of e-mails between Mark Foley and a former page of Mr. Alexander's," Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a written statement Saturday.
"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.
Reynolds added that Alexander also discussed it with the clerk of the House, and the congressman who oversees the page program, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill.
Shimkus has said he learned about the e-mail exchange in late 2005 and took immediate action to investigate.
Shimkus said Foley told him it was an innocent exchange. Shimkus said he warned Foley not to have any more contact with the teenager and to respect other pages.
Democrats charged Reynolds did far too little and said more digging should be done.
"Congressman Reynolds' inaction in the face of such a serious situation is very troubling, and raises important questions about whether there was an attempt to cover up criminal activity involving a minor to keep it from coming to light before election day," said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Karen Finney.
New York Democrats hoping to unseat Reynolds blasted the congressman, saying they call into question the Republican's values.
"Mr. Reynolds knew about these allegedly inappropriate emails from a fellow congressman to a minor for months and didn't lift a finger," said Blake Zeff, a spokesman for the state Democrats.
Especially since Hastert had his staff put out a statement last night that he knew nothing about it.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
paging gerry studs and barney fag, er frank.
How come its ok for queer dems?
This is rich. The party that circled the wagons around President Clinton are now attacking Hastert for not exposing Foley.
If Hastert loses the house. It will be his fault.
do these guys not understand the double standard they must face in the press? especially with an impending election season, how exactly did they come to the conclusion that foley's boy lust should just be ignored?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Wonder if the parents will now be singing a different song.
Why are they getting so upset about this but nothing is done about Barney Frank and Gerry Studds and the rest of the out-of-the-closet sickos who also have access to the pages?
I hate to say it, but this is the Republicans fault.
This is a perfect opportunity to pound as an example, of why the Boy Scouts exclude gays.
Dems are very conflicted about this. They want to pound Republicans, but realize how closely Foley could in fact appear to be a fellow traveler of theirs.
I'm no fan of Bubba, but this isn't the same thing. Pedophilia is a far cry from diddling a chubby intern on the side. Foley should get what he deserves and so should any of his colleagues who knew about this and did nothing. This is not a party issue.
No, what it demonstrates is that Hastert did not have any knowledge of the actual content of the emails, and was not in a position to comment, as I read it - the family of the former page in question contacted their Congressman, who in turn took their concerns to Congressman Reynolds, who brought it to the attention of the Speaker.
It would be safe to say that there are so many allegations that fly around the House of improper conduct each and every day that it cannot be expected for the Speaker to have detailed knowledge of each and every one. That is why he designates and delegates other members to look into things like this.
The fact is, Foley betrayed his trust, to the Nation, to the House, to his fellow (former) Members, and to his Constituents. He should be investigated and if he appears to have broken federal and/or state laws, should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, with the maximum sentence possible, because as someone who cozied up with John Walsh of "America's Most Wanted" in past efforts to allegedly protect America's children, this is a horrible example of hypocrisy and if found guilty, Foley needs to be made an example of.
I'm curious to see what comment (if any) Walsh has to make tonight on his program.
Actually, I'm not arguing for foley in the least, he's a pedophile that needs to be dealt with.
As is typical, we on the right have no problem taking down our own, yet we cower in the face of the democrat perverts who get mild censures in house, with nods of encouragement from their own. Hence the two fags mentioned.
The St Pete Times had the emails in August 2005 , too, and did nothing presumably for the same reason no oneon the Hill did--the emails are a bit creepy but not illegal and the biy's[arents wanted nothing done about it.
OTOH the IM's are over the line. Those were released by CREW, the "public interest" group fronting Wilson/Plame's laughable civil suit against Cheney et al. When did they get them? Did they share them with anyone? Why did they wait until now to make them public?
Don't let yourself be played yet again by these masters of deceit.
"Why the GOP didn't force Foley out when they learned of it is a mystery."
That's what I want to know.
That's right, but let's wait and see exactly what Hastert knew before we throw him under the bus.
http://tinyurl.com/rrtuu
They can't easily go witch-hunting now.
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