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.
These people are just run over by their own power and lust for abusing it. Who knows if they are this personality type going in or what. Either way, it needs to be somehow dealt with. I can't even begin to imagine how, except at a local level during elections. It just feels so out of our control though when they are all living in fantasy land out in east coast LALA land.
No wonder Bush couldn't do much toward changing the culture out there. He'd rather spend time with a good chain saw and a tree than these evil conniving buffoons.
Along with those senators who voted against removal, you apparently do not know what a conspiracy to commit perjury consits of. He lost his license because of the Paula Jones perjury; the more serious count went over everyone's head, too busy thinking about the disgusting junk with the cigars.
" ... the more serious count went over everyone's head ..."
Which count was that?
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/
" ... you apparently do not know what a conspiracy to commit perjury consits of."
Well in the Paula Jones case, Starr gave Lewinsky immunity and Kathleen Willey testified truthfully.
Sure they can..and they will..and they've already begun. Pelosi had her yap all greased up and flapping my mid-day today....the usual "what did they know, and when did they know it" crap.
Have they came forward? And how old are these supposed other pages?
That's how Barney escaped, "It wasn't me, it was my boyfriend. How was I supposed to know?" Gee Barn, I dunno, maybe because all those little boys and old men were passing through the basement??
This is the reason Dornan was Enemy No. 1 for the Dems for so long, because he didn't let the story die, but would bring it up time and again in his Special Orders speeches. Same for Mr. Newt, they had him in the sites because of ABSCAM and his demand for expulsion of Studds and Crane. Unfortunately, he didn't remember the old axiom about absolute power his own self.
Well in this case it depends upon where the alleged incident took place.
Speaking as one of Mr. Hastert's constituents, the antics of some idiot from Florida will have no affect on my support of him this November. And, I think that is the general perspective here in his Illinois district.
Why don't you all try reading post#129 for an explanation?
To make matters worse that man who took DeLay's position first told the Washington Post that he told Hastert about it this past spring, and then called the WP back to say he couldn't remember if he did tell Hastert after all. THAT made it look like he was covering for Hastert, and was soooo obvious he was lying.
The RATS have obviously known about this for a long time too, but chose to bring it out now to throw the election their way, and it's probably going to work. I wouldn't be surprised to see more victims brought forth by the RAT Party whether it's true or not. The public will believe it.
Hastert should have demanded Foley's resignation and turned the matter over to the police. What Foley did is a crime, and he should go to prison. Hastert and the others who knew a crime had taken place but failed to report it are guilty after the fact, and because it was a child, it's just that much worse. How can we support these guys when their morals are as bad, if not worse than the RATS? We do have a party filled with corruption. They are a disgrace! I'm TOTALLY disgusted!!
All I know is what the article says. The instant messages are awful.
Think Barney Frank.
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