Posted on 09/28/2006 3:21:37 PM PDT by slowhand520
Sixteen-Year-Old Who Worked as Capitol Hill Page Concerned About E-mail Exchange with Congressman September 28, 2006 3:06 PM
Rhonda Schwartz and Maddy Sauer Report:
A 16-year-old male former congressional page concerned about the appropriateness of an e-mail exchange with a congressman alerted Capitol Hill staffers to the communication.
Congressman Mark Foley's office says the e-mails were entirely appropriate and that their release is part of a smear campaign by his opponent.
In the series of e-mails, obtained by ABC News, from Rep. Foley (R-FL) to the former page, Foley asks the young man how old he is, what he wants for his birthday and requests a photo of him.
THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS Congressman Ney Pleads Guilty to Accepting Lavish Gifts NY Moneyman Arrested in Teen Sex Scandal Check out the Brian Ross Webcast on Home Page The concerned young man alerted congressional staffers to the e-mails. In one e-mail, the former page writes to a staffer, "Maybe it is just me being paranoid, but seriously. This freaked me out."
Foley's office acknowledges that Foley wrote the e-mails to the young man but says they were completely innocent and that Foley is at most guilty of being "too friendly and too engaging" with young people.
The e-mails were sent from Foley's personal AOL account, and the exchange began within weeks after the page finished his program on Capitol Hill. In one, Foley writes, "did you have fun at your conference…what do you want for your birthday coming up…what stuff do you like to do."
In another Foley writes, "how are you weathering the hurricane…are you safe…send me an email pic of you as well…"
The young man forwarded that e-mail to a congressional staffer saying it was "sick sick sick sick sick."
Foley's office says it is their policy to keep pictures of former interns and anyone who may ask for a recommendation on file so they can remember them.
The Congressional page program was started in the 1800s. In its current form, juniors from high school work on Capitol Hill after school or over the summer. The young man in question did not work or intern for Foley's office.
Elizabeth Nicolson, Foley's Chief of Staff, said they believe the e-mail exchange began when the page asked Foley for a recommendation and that the subsequent exchange was totally innocent. She said Foley's office believes the e-mails were released by the opposition as part of an "ugly smear campaign."
Perhaps, you're right. I'll reserve judgement until Foley's office releases the full text of all of the emails. They should have no problem doing so since the emails were purely professional.
My question too. Where are the kids emails? Only Foley's were released to ABC News? Or is ABC news withholding them from us?
And then there are those who make excuses for anybody with a R behind their name.
The fact that only SOME text is released should be cause for suspicion of the motive(s)
Perhaps that falls under the category of "Be Careful What You Ask For."
Did this 16 year old alert the media?
Foley better have pics of everyone that ever asked for a recommendation.
He better get them out NOW......this ain't old media.
C'mon! Like I asked, do you think they "set him up" and anticipated he would ask for the boy's photo and about his birthday and how he got by during the latest bad storm? That would be "Karl Rove Brilliant" and something the DUmmies would believe about one of their pervs getting caught with his zipper down, so-to-speak.
Don't hold your breath. LOL
I looked for something that might indicate that there is reason to be concerned. I found nothing. Then I found the reason why this is even in the news. Foley is a REPUBLICAN!
I don't need to know anything more. He will be smeared over this, and years from now, the leftist-oriented media will be saying "Foley, who was under the veil of suspicion for emails that were called inapropriate.....".
I agree. I'm making NO excuses for his behavior if he is guilty. But I cannot yet bring myself to think he is guilty because there is just so much we have as of yet to know.
At 16 he most likely is legal age.
That's typical liberal bullshit. Smear someone on the other side as "gay" while claiming they support gays. It's sick and it's shows how evil the libs are.
You know, I have relatives that work on the Hill; anything I ask for, I get "connected" to the person who handles that.
What?! The point is we are dealing with a middle-aged man and an underaged boy. And, further, this is EXACTLY how on-line pervs behave with underaged boys when they start to make their move.
Just like screaming that Allen is a racist while they're smearing Michael Steele.
If he had asked "do you like Gladiator movies" I could understand.
But simple, friendly questions that just show that the person asking are just that.
God, the Left has no lower limit.
You mean your congressmen doesn't personally respond to you from his AOL account?
Bingo!
I'll go further than that. My relative that works for a senator responds to me from HIS government account.....LOL.
Why not ? Put temptation in front of him, let the kid make a few semi-suggestive comments and let the congressmen react. In any case it doesn't excuse his reaction.
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