BREAKING CNN: House speaker asks Justice Dept. to probe Foley case

[heyholetsgogrant]

SOURCE: CNN

House speaker asks Justice Dept. to probe Foley case

POSTED: 7:26 p.m. EDT, October 1, 2006

Story Highlights

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert has asked the Justice Department to investigate how lawmakers handled allegations that a Florida congressman exchanged sexually explicit messages with a 16-year-old former congressional page, the speaker's office said.

Democratic leaders in the House and Senate had called for a swift inquiry earlier Sunday, questioning whether the GOP leadership in the House had improperly squelched concerns about former Rep. Mark Foley's contacts with pages.

The Florida Republican resigned Friday amid scrutiny of his e-mail and instant-message contacts with pages. The six-term Florida congressman was co-chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus and a prominent backer of legislation to crack down on online predators and criminalize child pornography on the Internet. (Watch how politics inspired Foley at age 6 -- 2:44 Video)

The House voted to launch an investigation of his dealings with pages. But in a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Hastert urged the Justice Department to look into who knew about the content of any sexually explicit messages involving Foley "and what actions such individuals took, if any, to provide them to law enforcement."

"I request that the scope of your investigation include any and all individuals who may have been aware of this matter -- be they members of Congress, employees of the House of Representatives or anyone outside the Congress," Hastert wrote.

The Illinois Republican also asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Foley violated federal law in his contacts with pages.

Earlier Sunday, White House Counselor Dan Bartlett said he expected a criminal investigation. The administration was unaware of the Foley allegations until last week, he said.

"The White House and the president were just as shocked as everyone else," Bartlett said on CNN's "Late Edition."

Top House Republicans have said they were aware months ago of e-mail contact between Foley and a teenage male page, but that they had no knowledge of sexually explicit messages that have subsequently come to light.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said the case should not be handled by the Republican-led Congress.

"Under laws that Congressman Foley helped write, soliciting sex from a minor online is a federal crime," the Nevada Democrat said. "The alleged crimes here are far outside the scope of any congressional committee, and the attorney general should open a full-scale investigation immediately."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/01/foley.quits/index.html

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Would ya believe it?, Republicans asking for a investigation???? , I thought the Dems were asking for too many of them?

-Grant

[Larry]

"But don't you folks try to use any of those 'warrant' thingies on Capitol Hill, y'hear?"

-----

Possible reason for requesting an investigation: From now 'till election day, The Party Line will be "Well, it's not appropriate to comment about an ongoing investigation, and anybody who does talk about it is undermining Law Enforcement for political purposes."

[Fred Jones]

This is just more talk by the Repub's. Give it a couple of weeks when the public turns to other things and this investigation will have been quietly put to rest.

[Joe Sick]

Shouldn't they wait until a year from now to do the investigation?

I mean, it took a year for him to resign after the initial allegations arose, right??

Hastert knew about this a year ago, too.

[Sarge]

You know, I thought Dems were the party of tolerance?

The party of homosexual rights and all that?

Guess that only applies if you're a Dem

[Chief skin]

It is a DISGRACE, if after this scandal you are not fed up and sick and tired of the nonsense on Capitol Hill then you don't have a soul. Hey Sarge when the pervert was living a couple doors down from you what did you do?? wait a year or 2 to deal with it?

[Sarge]

It is a DISGRACE, if after this scandal you are not fed up and sick and tired of the nonsense on Capitol Hill then you don't have a soul. Hey Sarge when the pervert was living a couple doors down from you what did you do?? wait a year or 2 to deal with it?

Awww, what's wrong? You have Barney Frank in the party, who is still in Congress after being caught with young boys, and yet the Dems want to pile on to this dude?

Talk about hypocracy

[chomerics]

Awww, what's wrong? You have Barney Frank in the party, who is still in Congress after being caught with young boys, and yet the Dems want to pile on to this dude?

Talk about hypocracy

What a frigging joke.

Sarge, show me where Barney Frank was caught with "young boys". Or where Clinton was caught with underage people.

I NEVER thought in my life Sarge would be sticking up for a peodophile, the ones he rally's against. The ones he POSTED ON THIS FORUM that he tried to get thrown out of his neighbourhood.

I guess hypocrisy has no bounds huh Sarge. Sticking up for a peodophile, I bet you are one proud man who doesn't mind boy lovers. . . what a freakin joke!!!

[Larry]

You know, I thought Dems were the party of tolerance?

The party of homosexual rights and all that?

Guess that only applies if you're a Dem

You're right, Sarge. I think he should "come out" and run.

In fact, I'd bet that if he was still running, that a lot of D's would cross party lines to vote for him. In the primaries.

[Sarge]

What a frigging joke.

Sarge, show me where Barney Frank was caught with "young boys". Or where Clinton was caught with underage people.

I NEVER thought in my life Sarge would be sticking up for a peodophile, the ones he rally's against. The ones he POSTED ON THIS FORUM that he tried to get thrown out of his neighbourhood.

I guess hypocrisy has no bounds huh Sarge. Sticking up for a peodophile, I bet you are one proud man who doesn't mind boy lovers. . . what a freakin joke!!!

Oh no , no, no.

Don't get me wrong, I think the guy is a deviant pervert.

But let's read about Barney Frank and see who should be calling for investigations

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/tours/scandal/gobie2.htm

Prostitute and pimp Stephen L. Gobie settled in with his "girls" in his Georgetown town house one evening in late 1987 to watch "The Mayflower Madam" on television. As Candice Bergen portrayed upscale madam Sydney Biddle Barrows, Gobie's companions had an idea.

"The girls turned to me and said, 'You're just like her,' " Gobie recalled in an interview yesterday. "That's when I realized that I was in the middle of a developing story that could be worth something someday. I told them, 'One day, don't be surprised if you see me on TV.' "

Gobie's dream has come true. His accusation that Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) knew that Gobie had operated a prostitution service out of Frank's Capitol Hill apartment became national news after it was first reported Friday by the Washington Times.

Frank, one of two openly gay members of Congress, confirmed Friday that he paid Gobie for sex, hired him with personal funds as an aide and wrote letters on congressional stationery on his behalf to Virginia probation officials, but Frank said he fired Gobie when he learned that clients were visiting the apartment.

Frank, a leading House liberal, likened himself to Henry Higgins, who in "Pygmalion" tries to transform a ****ney waif into a member of English society. Gobie dismissed that as "garbage." "This is not the case of the poor waif who is being sheltered," Gobie said. "This was the first time he felt good in a relationship. Here's a guy who didn't have a social life until he was 45."

[chomerics]

Oh no , no, no.

Don't get me wrong, I think the guy is a deviant pervert.

Then why are you trying to minimize what he did by lying about Frank and making it look like Frank has done the same thing, he hasn't!!!

But let's read about Barney Frank and see who should be calling for investigations

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/tours/scandal/gobie2.htm

Prostitute and pimp Stephen L. Gobie settled in with his "girls" in his Georgetown town house one evening in late 1987 to watch "The Mayflower Madam" on television. As Candice Bergen portrayed upscale madam Sydney Biddle Barrows, Gobie's companions had an idea.

"The girls turned to me and said, 'You're just like her,' " Gobie recalled in an interview yesterday. "That's when I realized that I was in the middle of a developing story that could be worth something someday. I told them, 'One day, don't be surprised if you see me on TV.' "

Gobie's dream has come true. His accusation that Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) knew that Gobie had operated a prostitution service out of Frank's Capitol Hill apartment became national news after it was first reported Friday by the Washington Times.

Frank, one of two openly gay members of Congress, confirmed Friday that he paid Gobie for sex, hired him with personal funds as an aide and wrote letters on congressional stationery on his behalf to Virginia probation officials, but Frank said he fired Gobie when he learned that clients were visiting the apartment.

Frank, a leading House liberal, likened himself to Henry Higgins, who in "Pygmalion" tries to transform a ****ney waif into a member of English society. Gobie dismissed that as "garbage." "This is not the case of the poor waif who is being sheltered," Gobie said. "This was the first time he felt good in a relationship. Here's a guy who didn't have a social life until he was 45."

Sarge, the man was operating a prostitution operation out of Frank's house, and when Frank found out about it he was fired.

This is a VASTLY different story then saying Frank "was caught with young boys"

Frank has NEVER been caught with an underage boy, like you stated. The mere fact that you would even try to equate the two exposes either a deep internal conflict with your own sexuality, or unbiased hatred towards anyone not like you. (I think the latter, but transference is a common psychological ploy used to mask internal feelings of guilt and shame, especially in sexuality. . . read Freud and Jung)

Furthermore to equate a person being gay to a peodophile in a manner as to brush aside the behavior of a peodophile is quite astonishing, especially coming from you.

[Sarge]

Then why are you trying to minimize what he did by lying about Frank and making it look like Frank has done the same thing, he hasn't!!!

Sarge, the man was operating a prostitution operation out of Frank's house, and when Frank found out about it he was fired.

This is a VASTLY different story then saying Frank "was caught with young boys"

Frank has NEVER been caught with an underage boy, like you stated. The mere fact that you would even try to equate the two exposes either a deep internal conflict with your own sexuality, or unbiased hatred towards anyone not like you. (I think the latter, but transference is a common psychological ploy used to mask internal feelings of guilt and shame, especially in sexuality. . . read Freud and Jung)

Furthermore to equate a person being gay to a peodophile in a manner as to brush aside the behavior of a peodophile is quite astonishing, especially coming from you.

Frank, one of two openly gay members of Congress, confirmed Friday that he paid Gobie for sex, hired him with personal funds as an aide and wrote letters on congressional stationery on his behalf to Virginia probation officials

Let's just call them both perverts then.

And I submit that had the Dems investigated Franks instead of covering his ass, there'd be a little more out there on his behavior

[chomerics]

Let's just call them both perverts then.

And I submit that had the Dems investigated Franks instead of covering his ass, there'd be a little more out there on his behavior

No, I call one a peodophile, and the other gay. Just because you are gay does not mean you are a peodophile, as you tried to surmise earlier.

You can say Frank solicited sex, yes he did. If you want to call him a pervert, for being gay, that is your perrogative. . . But that is not the same thing as picking up a 15 year old boy online, it is not pedophelia.

Furthermor, Franks in not on a commission to crack down on cyber predators when he himself is a cyber predator. . .

[Redskins Diehard]

Did this guy actually sleep with the page?

[SkinInsite]

Did this guy actually sleep with the page?

Did any of the people on NBC's to catch a predator actually sleep with minors?

[Midnight Judges]

So they are going to probe Foley as some sort of punishment? Hell, he's probably going to enjoy it!

[Predicto]

Sarge derails yet another thread.

Good job Sarge :applause:

[Sarge]

Sarge derails yet another thread.

Good job Sarge :applause:

Just pointing out the hypocracy

[Predicto]

Just pointing out the hypocracy

Which isn't there.

You know the difference between underaged people and people of legal age.

Foley did not resign because he is gay, nor should he have. He resigned because he was caught trying to exploit his position with an UNDERAGED Capital page.

You are trying to muddy the waters, and doing it even less adroitly than usual.

[Sarge]

Which isn't there.

You know the difference between underaged people and people of legal age.

Foley did not resign because he is gay, nor should he have. He resigned because he was caught trying to exploit his position with an UNDERAGED Capital page.

You are trying to muddy the waters, and doing it even less adroitly than usual.

You know there was testimony about Frank and underage boys, right?

I believe the Dems refused to call hearings and/or investigate

[Larry]

Which isn't there.

You know the difference between underaged people and people of legal age.

Foley did not resign because he is gay, nor should he have. He resigned because he was caught trying to exploit his position with an UNDERAGED Capital page.

You are trying to muddy the waters, and doing it even less adroitly than usual.

Um, I think somebody pointed out that, at least in DC, 16 is the age of consent. (Florida, being "southern", may well be higher.)

If the kid was old enough to consent, and if, as has been pointed out, he did not once proposition a page untill after their employment ended (therefore avoiding the "boss/subordinate" thing), then it's still disgusting, (and, given his stated position on the subject, dishonest, to say the least), but it might not be illegal.

[ntotoro]

Will NAMBLA or the ACLU come after Foley to protect his right to love whomever he wants? :paranoid:

[Monte51Coleman]

The party of homosexual rights and all that?

As they apply to adults and minors?

That's a rediculous statement even for you, Sarge.

[Larry]

I could see NAMBLA offering legal help to Foley, and the GOP leadership, just for yucks.

[Sarge]

Yeah, where is the ACLU

Seems like he's being persecuted to me