Global InformationMark Foley scandal information
The Mark Foley scandal, which broke in late September 2006, centers on soliciting emails and sexually suggestive instant messages sent by Mark Foley, a Republican congressman from Florida, to teenaged boys who had formerly served as congressional pages. Investigation was closed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) on September 19, 2008 citing insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges as both "Congress and Mr. Foley denied us access to critical data," said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey.[1] The scandal grew to encompass the response of Republican congressional leaders to previous complaints about Foley's contacts with the pages and inconsistencies in the leaders' public statements.[2][3][4][5][6] There were also allegations that a second Republican congressman, Jim Kolbe, had improper conduct with at least two youths, a 16-year-old page and a recently graduated page.[7][8]
The scandal led to Foley's resignation from Congress on September 29, 2006. In some quarters, the scandal is believed to have contributed to the Republican Party's loss of control over Congress in the 2006 midterm elections, as well as the end of House Speaker Dennis Hastert's leadership of the House Republicans. Kirk Fordham, chief of staff to Rep. Tom Reynolds and former chief of staff for Foley, also resigned as a result of the scandal.
Newsweek's June 7, 2010, issue's Back Story listed Foley, among others, as a prominent conservative politician who had a record of anti-gay legislation and was later caught in a gay sex scandal.[9]
The questionable conversations, which took place between 1995[10][11][12] and 2005, were investigated by the FBI for possible criminal violations. In September 2008, Florida officials investigating Foley decided not to charge him, citing a lack of evidence and the expiration of the statute of limitations.[13] The House Ethics Committee investigated the response of the House Republican leadership and their staff to earlier warnings about Foley's conduct.[14] In early October 2006, two news organizations anonymously quoted former pages who said that they had sexual liaisons with Foley after turning 18 and 21.[15][16] Foley was chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, which introduced legislation targeting sexual predators and created stricter guidelines for tracking them.
- ^ "News Release – Denied Access to Critical Data, FDLE Concludes Investigation into Former Congressman Mark Foley". Florida Department of LAW Enforcement. 19 September 2008. Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
- ^ "Shimkus approached Foley about early e-mails". St. Louis Post Dispatch. 30 September 2006. Archived from the original on 21 October 2006. Retrieved 3 October 2006.
- ^ "Suggestive emails, Congressman in rehab". 14WFIE. 5 October 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2006.
- ^ "House needs to clean up mess". Chicago Tribune. 2 October 2006. Retrieved 5 October 2006.
- ^ Calmes, Jackie (3 October 2006). "Scandal may further alienate Republican base". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 October 2006.
- ^ "Foley's Behavior No Secret on Capitol Hill". ABC News. 1 October 2006. Retrieved 5 October 2006.
- ^ Weisman, Jonathan; Grimaldi, James V. (18 October 2006). "Kolbe matter is referred to House Ethics Panel: Allegations involve contact with male former pages". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 October 2006.
- ^ "Feds probe trip that Kolbe made with pages: Congressman alleged to have been inappropriate on '96". NBC News Investigative Unit. 13 October 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2006.
- ^ Newsweek, 2010-06-07, p. 56
- ^ "We told you so ... 10 years ago". The Advocate.com. 10 October 2006. Retrieved 12 October 2006.
- ^ Grimaldi, James V.; Eilperin, Juliet; Weisman, Jonathan (4 October 2006). "Some say they felt uneasy about representative's attention". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 October 2006.
- ^ "Ex-Page Says He Got Messages From Foley". San Francisco Chronicle. 5 October 2006. Archived from the original on 26 October 2006.
- ^ Loney, Jim (19 September 2008). "Florida won't charge ex-lawmaker in sex scandal". Reuters. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
- ^ Weisman, Jonathan (12 October 2006). "Hastert aides interest Ethics Panel: Staff members' knowledge of Foley's actions with former pages in question". Washington Post. Retrieved 12 October 2006.
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