bruut geweld
2 oktober 2006, 17:39
As sex e-mail allegations swirl, Foley enters rehab
POSTED: 1536 GMT (2336 HKT), October 2, 2006
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• NEW: Foley enters alcoholism treatment center
• Florida state law enforcement launches investigation of Foley
• FBI spokesman says bureau is looking into the Foley case
• House speaker asks Justice Department to probe messages, response
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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Former Rep. Mark Foley is in an alcoholism treatment center three days after resigning from Congress amid allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to teenage pages, Foley's attorney confirmed Monday.
The FBI and Florida state law enforcement officials were beginning investigations into the case concerning allegations that e-mails and instant messages between Foley, a Florida Republican, and pages contained sexually suggestive material.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, has also asked the Justice Department to look into the congressman's electronic correspondence and the response of congressional Republican when the allegations were first raised. (Watch how and when House leaders found out about alleged e-mails -- 2:05 (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/02/koppel.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/09');))
Foley resigned Friday after his alleged e-mail and instant-message contacts with pages were reported by the media.
Foley, a six-term 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 (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/candiotti.foley.background.cnn','2006/10/08');))
In a letter faxed by Foley to WPBF-TV in West Palm Beach, the former congressmen talked about why he entered an alcohol treatment facility.
"Painfully, the events that led to my resignation have crystallized recognition of my longstanding significant alcohol and emotional difficulties," Foley wrote. "I strongly believe that I am an alcoholic and have accepted the need for immediate treatment for alcoholism and related behavioral problems."
Foley said he deeply regrets and accepts "full responsibility for the harm that I have caused."
He said in the letter that "with the loving support of my family and friends," he made arrangements on Saturday to enter "a renowned in-patient facility to address my disease and related issues."
David Roth, Foley's attorney, confirmed the letter's authenticity on Monday.
The fax was apparently sent from Clearwater, Florida, but Roth would not say if that's where Foley is being treated.
Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Monday it was launching an investigation into the sexually suggestive e-mail allegations.
FDLE spokesman Tom Berlinger said the agency on Sunday contacted the FBI -- which is looking into whether any federal laws were broken in the matter -- to inform federal authorities of the Florida probe.
The state agency will be trying to determine whether any of Foley's alleged communications originated in Florida.
Justice Department considering investigation
The Justice Department also is considering an investigation of how lawmakers handled the allegations against Foley.
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." (Watch why the speaker wants an investigation -- 2:34 (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/nurenberg.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/08');) http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/main/icon_video.gif (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/nurenberg.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/08');))
The rare move by Hastert followed calls by Democratic leaders in the House and Senate for a swift inquiry, questioning whether the GOP leadership in the House had improperly squelched concerns about Foley's contacts with pages.
Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the department will review "whether we can conduct an investigation."
Hastert also asked the Justice Department and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to investigate whether the former lawmaker violated federal or state law.
White House Counselor Dan Bartlett said he expected a criminal investigation. The administration was unaware of the Foley allegations until last week, he said.
Replacing Foley on ballot
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.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said House Republican leaders knew of the Foley allegations and "chose to cover it up rather than to protect these children."
In a letter to the leaders of the Ethics Committee, the California Democrat said that GOP leaders should be questioned under oath immediately and that a preliminary report should be issued within 10 days.
After Hastert's request for an investigation, she said the Ethics Committee still needs to look into the actions of the GOP leadership. "Congress must not pass the buck on investigating this cover-up," she said.
In a brief resignation statement, Foley apologized to his own family and constituents but did not mention the allegations.
After the e-mails were publicized, ABC News released instant text messages allegedly sent by the congressman to other teenage male pages in 2003. (More details (http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/29/congressman.e.mails/index.html/))
The scandal comes just weeks before the November 7 midterm elections. Republicans are hurriedly trying to find someone to replace Foley. (Watch how the handling of the scandal puts the GOP on the defensive -- 2:40 (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/bash.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/08');) http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/main/icon_video.gif (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/bash.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/08');))
Foley had been favored to defeat Democratic candidate Tim Mahoney and win re-election to a seventh term.
"The Republican leadership knew this was going on, and they had to make a choice," Mahoney said. "They decided to try to hold on to a seat."
Reynolds informed Hastert
Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-New York, said during the weekend that he told Hastert about the initial complaint -- that Foley had been e-mailing a 16-year-old Louisiana boy who had served as a page, asking for a picture of the teen and asking what he wanted for his birthday.
Reynolds chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is the election campaign arm for House Republicans.
Reynolds said that when Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Louisiana, told him about the e-mails, he said the teen's parents didn't want the matter pursued. Alexander was the boy's sponsor.
After an initial denial, Hastert's office said Reynolds brought up the issue of the e-mails in a meeting with the speaker earlier this year.
Reynolds told Hastert in that meeting that an investigation had been done by Rep. John Shimkus and the clerk of the House, who manages the work-study program for youths under 18. Shimkus is an Illinois Republican and chairman of the House Page Board.
Rep. Dale Kildee, the only Democratic member of the House Page Board, insisted Saturday the board did not investigate Foley.
Shimkus said Foley told him he was only mentoring the teen in the first complaint and was concerned about his fate after Hurricane Katrina.
Shimkus said he warned Foley "to cease all contact with this former House page" -- and he said Foley assured him the e-mails would stop.
Approximately 100 youths age 16 and older serve as congressional pages at any one time. Both boys and girls may serve, usually for a semester or two or a summer session, according to congressional documents. (Read about the page program (http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/98-758.pdf)http://i.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.3/misc/icon.offsite.gif)
CNN's Susan Candiotti, Dana Bash, Ted Barrett and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.
Nu eerlijk gezegd of het een republikein is of niet , doet minder terzake
Maar het zijn wel steeds zij die het hoogste van de toren blazen over verloedering...Nu hebben ze het nog willen in de doofpot steken ook !:oops:
POSTED: 1536 GMT (2336 HKT), October 2, 2006
var clickExpire = "-1";Story Highlights
• NEW: Foley enters alcoholism treatment center
• Florida state law enforcement launches investigation of Foley
• FBI spokesman says bureau is looking into the Foley case
• House speaker asks Justice Department to probe messages, response
Adjust font size:
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gifhttp://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gifhttp://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Former Rep. Mark Foley is in an alcoholism treatment center three days after resigning from Congress amid allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to teenage pages, Foley's attorney confirmed Monday.
The FBI and Florida state law enforcement officials were beginning investigations into the case concerning allegations that e-mails and instant messages between Foley, a Florida Republican, and pages contained sexually suggestive material.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, has also asked the Justice Department to look into the congressman's electronic correspondence and the response of congressional Republican when the allegations were first raised. (Watch how and when House leaders found out about alleged e-mails -- 2:05 (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/02/koppel.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/09');))
Foley resigned Friday after his alleged e-mail and instant-message contacts with pages were reported by the media.
Foley, a six-term 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 (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/candiotti.foley.background.cnn','2006/10/08');))
In a letter faxed by Foley to WPBF-TV in West Palm Beach, the former congressmen talked about why he entered an alcohol treatment facility.
"Painfully, the events that led to my resignation have crystallized recognition of my longstanding significant alcohol and emotional difficulties," Foley wrote. "I strongly believe that I am an alcoholic and have accepted the need for immediate treatment for alcoholism and related behavioral problems."
Foley said he deeply regrets and accepts "full responsibility for the harm that I have caused."
He said in the letter that "with the loving support of my family and friends," he made arrangements on Saturday to enter "a renowned in-patient facility to address my disease and related issues."
David Roth, Foley's attorney, confirmed the letter's authenticity on Monday.
The fax was apparently sent from Clearwater, Florida, but Roth would not say if that's where Foley is being treated.
Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Monday it was launching an investigation into the sexually suggestive e-mail allegations.
FDLE spokesman Tom Berlinger said the agency on Sunday contacted the FBI -- which is looking into whether any federal laws were broken in the matter -- to inform federal authorities of the Florida probe.
The state agency will be trying to determine whether any of Foley's alleged communications originated in Florida.
Justice Department considering investigation
The Justice Department also is considering an investigation of how lawmakers handled the allegations against Foley.
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." (Watch why the speaker wants an investigation -- 2:34 (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/nurenberg.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/08');) http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/main/icon_video.gif (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/nurenberg.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/08');))
The rare move by Hastert followed calls by Democratic leaders in the House and Senate for a swift inquiry, questioning whether the GOP leadership in the House had improperly squelched concerns about Foley's contacts with pages.
Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the department will review "whether we can conduct an investigation."
Hastert also asked the Justice Department and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to investigate whether the former lawmaker violated federal or state law.
White House Counselor Dan Bartlett said he expected a criminal investigation. The administration was unaware of the Foley allegations until last week, he said.
Replacing Foley on ballot
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.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said House Republican leaders knew of the Foley allegations and "chose to cover it up rather than to protect these children."
In a letter to the leaders of the Ethics Committee, the California Democrat said that GOP leaders should be questioned under oath immediately and that a preliminary report should be issued within 10 days.
After Hastert's request for an investigation, she said the Ethics Committee still needs to look into the actions of the GOP leadership. "Congress must not pass the buck on investigating this cover-up," she said.
In a brief resignation statement, Foley apologized to his own family and constituents but did not mention the allegations.
After the e-mails were publicized, ABC News released instant text messages allegedly sent by the congressman to other teenage male pages in 2003. (More details (http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/29/congressman.e.mails/index.html/))
The scandal comes just weeks before the November 7 midterm elections. Republicans are hurriedly trying to find someone to replace Foley. (Watch how the handling of the scandal puts the GOP on the defensive -- 2:40 (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/bash.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/08');) http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/main/icon_video.gif (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/politics/2006/10/01/bash.foley.fallout.cnn','2006/10/08');))
Foley had been favored to defeat Democratic candidate Tim Mahoney and win re-election to a seventh term.
"The Republican leadership knew this was going on, and they had to make a choice," Mahoney said. "They decided to try to hold on to a seat."
Reynolds informed Hastert
Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-New York, said during the weekend that he told Hastert about the initial complaint -- that Foley had been e-mailing a 16-year-old Louisiana boy who had served as a page, asking for a picture of the teen and asking what he wanted for his birthday.
Reynolds chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is the election campaign arm for House Republicans.
Reynolds said that when Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Louisiana, told him about the e-mails, he said the teen's parents didn't want the matter pursued. Alexander was the boy's sponsor.
After an initial denial, Hastert's office said Reynolds brought up the issue of the e-mails in a meeting with the speaker earlier this year.
Reynolds told Hastert in that meeting that an investigation had been done by Rep. John Shimkus and the clerk of the House, who manages the work-study program for youths under 18. Shimkus is an Illinois Republican and chairman of the House Page Board.
Rep. Dale Kildee, the only Democratic member of the House Page Board, insisted Saturday the board did not investigate Foley.
Shimkus said Foley told him he was only mentoring the teen in the first complaint and was concerned about his fate after Hurricane Katrina.
Shimkus said he warned Foley "to cease all contact with this former House page" -- and he said Foley assured him the e-mails would stop.
Approximately 100 youths age 16 and older serve as congressional pages at any one time. Both boys and girls may serve, usually for a semester or two or a summer session, according to congressional documents. (Read about the page program (http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/98-758.pdf)http://i.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.3/misc/icon.offsite.gif)
CNN's Susan Candiotti, Dana Bash, Ted Barrett and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.
Nu eerlijk gezegd of het een republikein is of niet , doet minder terzake
Maar het zijn wel steeds zij die het hoogste van de toren blazen over verloedering...Nu hebben ze het nog willen in de doofpot steken ook !:oops: