Key Figure In Foley Case To Testify
Former Top Aide Says He Warned Hastert's Office About Foley As Early As 2002
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2006
CBS/AP) Investigators are questioning witnesses in the House page scandal whose information could potentially sink Republicans trying to maintain a congressional majority.
The testimony Thursday of former Rep. Mark Foley's chief of staff, Kirk Fordham, will directly question the truthfulness of Speaker Dennis Hastert's top aide.
Fordham said he can demonstrate that he warned Hastert chief of staff Scott Palmer about Foley's approaches to male pages in 2002 or 2003. Palmer denied the warning took place.
Hastert's aides said they first learned of an overly friendly Foley e-mail to a former page in the fall of 2005 — and never knew about sexually explicit messages to others until late last month when they became public.
The scandal continues to chase Hastert on the campaign trail. Democrats have suggested there's been a cover-up.
On Wednesday, President Bush gave Hastert words of support.
"I appreciated Speaker Hastert's strong declaration of his desire to get to the bottom of it," the president said at a White House news conference. "And I want to make sure we understand what Republicans knew and what Democrats knew in order to find the facts. I hope that happens sooner than later."
The FBI is also investigating, trying to determine whether any crimes were committed by Foley.
On Wednesday, agents interviewed former page Jordan Edmund, now 21.
CBS News has learned that Edmund told the FBI he had limited contact with Foley as a page in 2001 and 2002, but that after Edmund left the page program Foley began e-mailing him.
They met in person twice, including for dinner in San Diego in 2002. They went to Foley's hotel room but Edmund told agents he left after about 20 minutes and nothing untoward happened, CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
While the ethics committee will try to learn who's telling the truth, the court of public opinion appeared to be moving against the Republicans, who hold majorities in the House and Senate.
Polls show most Americans say the House Republican leadership worried more about politics than the safety of teenage pages. However, most also say Democrats would not have handled the situation better.
Several polls also show a split on whether Hastert, R-Ill., should step down, with just under half of those surveyed saying he should. More than half in several polls said Hastert tried to cover up what he knew about Foley.
Next week, the committee is to hear from Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., whose testimony also will raise questions about how GOP leaders handled the Foley problem. A former page he sponsored from Louisiana received friendly e-mails from Foley that were not sexually explicit but raised questions about Foley's motives.
The former page contacted Alexander's office about Foley in fall 2005. Foley, R-Fla., had asked the boy's age — then 16 — and his birthday. Foley also requested a photo.
There is no dispute that Alexander's chief of staff, who also will be questioned, called Hastert's office. This, according to a report by Hastert, was the initial notification that something was wrong.
Last spring, Alexander mentioned the Foley situation to House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. Alexander said Boehner referred him to Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Republican campaign organization.
Both Boehner and Reynolds said they spoke with Hastert, who says he cannot recall those conversations and raised questions about whether they occurred.
Boehner initially quoted Hastert as telling him the Louisiana page's complaint "had been taken care of."
Boehner has also been "invited" to appear before the ethics subcommittee and is "looking forward to meeting with them," Attkissson reports.
Another key figure, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., chairman of the board overseeing the page program, is to testify under oath to the ethics committee Friday, said Shimkus spokesman Steve Tomaszewski.
Foley resigned Sept. 29 after his sexually explicit instant messages to former pages became public.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/12/politics/main2084565.shtml
Hastert's office better get ahead of this thing...and FAST!! Where is Freah? Who all has been called to HIS OFFICE so far?
"Polls show most Americans say .... Democrats would not have handled the situation better. Several polls also show a split on whether Hastert, R-Ill., should step down, with just under half of those surveyed saying he should."
---- What a disappointment these numbers must be with the media. They've been driving this story and pushing for Hastert's resignation 24/7 and yet "under half" of those surveyed buy what they are pushing, and you know that that "under half" is your Democratic faithful who think Hastert should resign for the benefit of the Democratic Party not the Republican or the country as a whole.