Posted on 10/05/2006 7:06:38 AM PDT by Dane
Istook campaign employee and former page retains attorney Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY - A former U.S. House page who works on the gubernatorial campaign of Republican Rep. Ernest Istook has retained the services of the attorney who represented Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, according to a published report.
The former page, a Californian named Jordan Edmund, hired Enid lawyer Stephen Jones, who confirmed to The Oklahoman that he met the man on Wednesday but would not elaborate on why he was hired.
"I understand the FBI and the House Ethics committee have an interest in the matter ... the allegations concerning U.S. Rep. (Mark) Foley which have surfaced," Jones said.
The former Republican congressman resigned Friday after it was learned he exchanged sexually explicit e-mails with former teenage pages. The FBI is investigating.
Istook's campaign manager, Chip Englander, declined to comment on the matter, but gave the newspaper a statement that was attributed to Istook.
"The sad and sick behavior of Mark Foley was a total surprise to me when it was revealed. Law enforcement is doing its job, and I support that effort. Now we should all support and protect the victims, and they should not be hounded by the press," the statement read.
"It was a complete surprise to learn this morning that one victim may be someone I know. Each one of the victims deserves their privacy. To every reporter I request, please have the decency to avoid making things worse for the victims, and just leave them alone. This happened years ago when the victims were minors."
Reached at his home, Istook referred to the prepared statement.
Edmund's name surfaced on Internet blogs that linked him to the instant message address used in communications with Foley.
Asked why Edmund needed an attorney, Jones said, "You read the blogs. You know why he needs an attorney."
Jones, who couldn't be reached by The Associated Press late Wednesday for comment, confirmed that Edmund was a U.S. House page.
"I've been retained in the last several hours," Jones said. "I'm still reviewing matters."
Edmund had an Internet page on the popular MySpace Web site in which he identified himself as a 21-year-old and a student at the University of California at Berkeley. He also identified himself as a House page from September 2001 to June 2002, which would have made him 16 and 17 then.
He said he was going to Oklahoma to be deputy campaign manager for Istook's gubernatorial effort, according to the Web site. Edmund registered to vote in Oklahoma in March, records show.
An Oklahoman who was a page while Foley was office recalled that the congressman asked his roommate when he was going to be 18 years old.
Brad Wilson, a student at the University of Oklahoma law school, was a page during 2000 and 2001 and worked half of that time in the House cloakroom, where members go to use the phone and get messages.
Wilson, 23, told The Oklahoman that he spoke several times to Foley and that the former congressman never said anything suggestive or inappropriate to him.
However, he said, "It was like a running joke (among male pages) to look out for Foley,'"'
No one in an official position in the House or the page program ever specifically gave the pages any instruction or warning regarding Foley, Wilson said.
"We just picked it up on our own," he said.
Another former page from Oklahoma, Bryce Chitwood, said he remembered Foley always offering a handshake "or just pause for a moment for conversation with a page.
"To think that that was happening while I was there, and I had so much respect for him, really makes me sick to my stomach," Chitwood told KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City.
Chitwood, who grew up in Sulphur, now attends college in Indiana.
Wilson and Chitwood said they hoped the scandal wouldn't lead to the end of the page program.
"I'm putting in my time doing the learning part so hopefully one day I can be one of those leaders," Chitwood said.
Dang good question... When someone lawyers up this quick, it is real suspicious.
This story is going to get bigger, but the Dems will suddenly start saying "We should be talking about what really matters to the American people..." Yes, the DEMS will be saying that.
I smell ABC's version of Rathergate.
Having such a young and inexperienced staffer at a high level of his campaign does not speak well for Istook's chances in the election, in my opinion.
FYI
More information on this story which PhiKapMom posted last night.
Istook is actually running a worse campaign than Largent ran.... and I didn't think that was possible.
Not really. These days only a fool would go before the House Ethics Committee or any other investigative body during a political season feeding frenzy.
Perhaps he needs an attorney because he divulged contents of private messages between two people without the consent of the other person (Foley)?
Someone, somewhere needs to explain how ABC and the DNCC obtained these IM logs and emails. This is a violation of Mark Foley's privacy rights, even if he is a pervert. Laws were broken, and it wasn't just Foley who broke them.
What is it with these guys? They're good enough legislators, but why would they even enter the primary for Governor if they don't want to run?
One must wonder why Istook would hire a Democrat from Berkeley , California to work on his campaign. I suspect a DemocRAT operative within the Istook campaign. Oklahoma Republican voters will not like hearing this news.
My guess on this one is that, when all the dirty laundry is laid out for inspection, Foley's plump boy will turn out to be a paid political assassin with connections to highly placed DemonRATS in the Congress.
As my grandmother used to say, "The more you stir it the worse it smells."
You know.... I'm not alledging anything here.... but a lot of people have had some "wonderings" about Istook. Orientation. Now we find out he has a gay campaign manager from California. Again... I'm not alledging anything. But a lot of people are going to look twice at this.
Good point. Even so, it can't be that hard to run for governor of Oklahoma, if Keating managed it :-).
LOL
My own grandmother used to use that exact expression.
I also like another one of hers: "If you mess with --it, you're going to get some on you".
Both expressions are equally true - and probably true in this guy's case.
I think this hiding a young persons identity is a bunch of BS.
If a person is going to send me to prison in a court of law, that person needs to be profiled as much as myself.
I am glad there are some here on FR who are doing much research on this Foley story and, well deserved.
The Democrats are very shrewed at behind the seen schemes to damage the GOP. From what I am reading there is more to this story than the public will ever know and, there will be a Democrat link to this headline.
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