Posted on 12/09/2006 12:07:26 PM PST by SandRat
In testimony to the House ethics committee investigating the Mark Foley page scandal, the House's former administrator described outgoing Rep. Jim Kolbe as a "nuisance" who "spent far too much time socially interacting with the pages," according to the committee's report released Friday.
The comments from former Clerk of the House Jeff Trandahl, who oversaw the Congressional Page Program, were only part of an investigative report that found no evidence any current lawmakers or aides violated any rules, and recommended no sanctions.
In its findings and recommendations, however, the panel went on to say there were a "significant number of instances" when members of Congress or aides failed to act diligently and with oversight about inappropriate conduct and sexually explicit messages that Foley, a Republican from Florida, sent to former pages.
The report criticizes the way Kolbe handled an instant message Foley sent to one of Kolbe's former pages in 2001.
In addition to Trandahl and Kolbe, the committee interviewed numerous people including Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.
Foley was not interviewed. Although he was subpoenaed, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify. Foley resigned his seat Sept. 29 after the messages were reported in the media. He then disclosed that he was gay and entered alcoholism treatment in Tucson. Kolbe, who is also gay, has represented Southeast Arizona for 22 years and is retiring.
A former page, he was a member of the Page Board from 1995 to 2001.
In the late '90s, Trandahl notified Kolbe and several of his staff members "on multiple occasions" about Foley's overly friendly attention to pages because, Trandahl said, he was concerned about the political fallout for both men, according to the report.
"I viewed him as putting himself at risk," Trandahl said.
Also in question is a sexually explicit message Foley sent in fall 2001 to a former page Kolbe had appointed. The former page, who served during the 1999-2000 academic year, sent it to Kolbe's personal e-mail account asking him to "take care of it," the report shows.
Kolbe has stated that he never viewed the message, which the former page said made reference to penis size, according to the report.
Late Friday, Kolbe issued a statement reiterating that he had not viewed the message, which was sent as an attachment.
"As I testified before the committee, I did not review a copy of the communication Congressman Foley sent the college student and I never knew whether or not it was sexually explicit," he said. "The simple fact that Foley had made the student feel uncomfortable was enough for me to take action by, among other things, notifying the Clerk of the House."
About a week later, the former page received an apology from Foley, and the matter seemed settled.
Foley and the former page even went out to dinner sometime later.
In Kolbe's testimony to the panel, he said that it was unclear if he received the message and that by his "best recollection" his assistant Patrick Baugh notified him about the e-mail.
However, Baugh said the former page contacted Kolbe directly, according to the report.
Whatever way the message was delivered, it was Baugh who contacted Foley's office to stop the messages. The matter did not arise again until after Foley resigned, when the former page called Kolbe on his cell phone for advice in case the instant message were brought up by the ethics committee.
Kolbe told the former page not to bring it up, according to the report.
A few days later, however, the former page told the committee that Kolbe had left him a message accusing him of talking to the media because of a pending story in The Washington Post.
He also wanted to make sure the page had legal representation. In a return call, the former page said he had not been the source for the story and referred Kolbe to his attorney.
Because of a possible federal investigation into a camping trip to the Grand Canyon Kolbe took with two former pages in 1996, Kolbe was limited in his testimony to the committee.
The committee found any allegations against Kolbe to be inconclusive.
In its findings and recommendations the panel said it found no evidence, based on testimony, that any member of Congress or aide knew of the instant messages before their publication on Sept. 29.
Florida authorities have opened a criminal investigation into whether Foley broke any laws related to his communications with the teens. Federal authorities are also investigating.
The panel acknowledged that the release of the messages may have been for political reasons, as it hurt the Republican Party in this year's election.
Reps. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., and Howard Berman, D-Calif., the committee's leaders, said the report reflected the bipartisan conclusions of a four-member investigative panel.
"This is not the jury-rigged result of a series of compromises but rather the right report on this subject," Berman said at a news conference in the Capitol.
**** Contact reporter Josh Brodesky at 434-4086 or jbrodesky@azstarnet.com. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
But Foley will not be charged: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1750668/posts?page=1
Yep! DemonRATS still trying to make hay on it. DemonRATS support the "RIGHTS" of Rump Rangers unless they can attack someone outside their Socialist Party.
Just so, SRat.
I posted these links elsewhere.......
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/12/abc_exclusive_n.html
Nothing for Foley.
Nothing for Delay.
Lies/Scams and videotape in the neverending quest for totalitarian power by the Socialists. On another thread, someone mentioned Hellary and Co. may have talked Turkey out of permitting US troop landings prior to Iraq, thereby eliminating the pincer move.
The Socialists have no intention of defending this country, and in fact wish to destroy everyone who does.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1749516/posts?page=47#42
Sure am glad that the demorats are squeaky clean. Pass me a barf bag.
Given all the facts, that was probably a wise move.
Um, yeah. Don't feel like you can't be snarky about it just because you're completely wrong.
Thanks. I needed that. :)
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