USA: Congressman and advocate for child protection legislation under investigation for exchanging explicit emails with teenager

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assessing whether former Florida Congressman Mark Foley broke any federal laws, following allegations that he exchanged inappropriate e-mails with young boys, who worked as congressional pages. Foley, 52, a six-term Florida Republican, resigned on Friday after ABC News reported he sent messages containing references to sexual organs and acts to current and former congressional pages. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said House Republican leaders should be questioned under oath on how much they knew of Foley's e-mails to male pages, the teen-agers who answer telephones, deliver documents and run other errands for members of Congress. The scandal, breaking just weeks before the November 7 election to determine control of Congress, has shaken Republicans who often accuse the Democrats of being weak on moral issues. Foley was chairman of the House caucus on missing and exploited children, and the author of the key sexual predator provisions of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which President George W. Bush signed in July. Reid in a statement said the allegations against Foley were "repugnant, but equally as bad is the possibility that Republican leaders in the House knew there was a problem and ignored it to preserve a congressional seat this election year." The scandal has gathered steam, with officials in the administration weighing in. Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, said; "Just like most people, we were very shocked by this revelation." Word had spread throughout Foley's district of Stuart, Florida, and the rest of Foley's district that the long-term congressmen, who was very well-liked here, is now embroiled in scandal. Much of the reaction was harsh. One woman said; "I have two boys. If something like that ever happened to them, if I wasn't on a rampage, my husband would be. Jerry Moore, a Republican, who works in an ice cream shop, says he's most upset by the details of the accusations. "To present himself as someone who's fighting for the kids, and to turn around and be engaging in the type of behavior that he is, I'm very disappointed." Mark Foley has not been seen publicly since his sudden resignation Friday, and is believed to have checked into an alcohol rehabilitation facility in West Palm Beach over the weekend. Political analysts say Foley's Democratic opponent, businessman Tim Mahoney, now has a strong chance to win the seat.

ITN Source | October 3, 2006

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