Agencies consider whether Foley should face charges

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON — A spokesman for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed late Saturday the agency is deciding whether to press charges against former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, who hastily resigned from office Friday.

"We will be discussing this matter with the FBI in an effort to determine if there are grounds for a criminal investigation and if so, who has jurisdiction," said Tom Berlinger, chief media spokesman for the FDLE.

Berlinger said the decision would be made this week. He added the FDLE had not contacted Foley about the matter.

FBI officials could not be reached for comment Saturday.

http://www1.tcpalm.com/tcp/florida_news/article/0,2820,TCP_24432_5034057,00.html

[YDogg]

1. How about HELL YES he should?!?

[babylonsister]

2. What's taken them so long? nt

[MikeNearMcChord]

3. Because he is Congressman, White, and has money.

If he was auto mechanic Mark Foley, he would be picking soap in the showers.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

4. Don't Forget The Most Important Thing...

He's a repub. They NEVER make mistakes. They NEVER do anything illegal.

He'll probably get a vicious chastising by hastert, and warned to Never Do It Again.

[NOLADEM]

14. Waiting to get the go ahead from Jeb

They are waiting to see if it is politically acceptable to charge him, or if it will do the Repubes more harm than good to prosecute him. That is the ONLY decision being made here.

As soon as they determine whether the public will demand this of the Repubes or if they will take the new Atta tape bait, they will make their decision.

[maddezmom]

5. The FBI & GOP Leadership Is Giving Foley Time To Scrub His Harddrives

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2273785

props to cryingshame

[Joanne98]

9. Yep. They sure are and that's aiding and abetting a sex offender!

Of course the FBI has been covering up all the GOP crimes. The culture of corruption is spreading..

[rainbow4321]

23. Unless his computer goes off and joins the other "stolen laptops"

that have been in the news lately.

[Hepburn]

6. Hello?

What the fuck is there to CONSIDER????? GMAFB!

The asshole broke the law ~~ so exactly WHAT IN THE HEll is it they are thinking about in deciding to file charges?

Oh, yeah, this is FLORIDA. Remind me again whose asshole brother is the governor of that state.

:mad:

[lpbk2713]

7. If he goes to jail he should have lots of rethuglican company.

Link: http://www.wonkette.com/politics/brian-doyle/protecting-the-homeland--with-his-dick-201740.php


They must have some sort of secret requirement, that in order to be a rethug one has to be perverted.



Hmmm? Smirky was in a secret society when he was at Yale wasn't he? Is that one of the requirements?

[hughee99]

8. What law did he actually break?

I think that's what they're looking into.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

10. If it were you or me we'd be sitting in a cell

while they make that determination.

AND they'd take their sweet time about it...

[hughee99]

13. No doubt...

but while all this stuff looks very bad (politically) it looks like the "child" he sent the emails to was at least the age of consent, which throws out all the pedophilia stuff.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

15. Not really...

From all I'm reading, the kid is 16 NOW. How old was he when the hits began??????

[uppityperson]

17. That depends. Some states have laws not only age of consent, but

looking at the age differential and power differential. It is not just the age, but the power.

[Sgent]

20. Yes...

But DC, LA, and the feds (federal land) all have "hard 16" ages -- a 16 yo is always legal regardless of the other's age.

FL is 18 if the perp is over 24.

All of the above are for statuatory rape (the act) not neccissarily for soliciting the same.

In addition, there is a new federal law that banned soliciting over the internet if either party is under 18 (and that includes a 17 yo and 19 yo). Presumably, that would apply -- but it wasn't in force when this activity took place.

As to the victim, you must be 16 to serve as a house page.

[kestrel91316]

24. Probably LOTS of them. I suspect we don't know the half of it.

[katsy]

11. Considering...

hell yes consider charges, at gitmo, 20 amps to the testicles with a hood over his head. Isn't that bushco's favorite torture?

Why bother with the fbi, they have enough to be bothered with. Just disappear foley. What? Is foley so special he is above bushco's new laws?

[Lugnut]

12. They're considering what?

What's to consider? :wtf:

[maddezmom]

16. according to this post he's guilty of a felony

Foley Guilty of Felony, so is Hastert, Others, PELOSI SMACKDOWN VIDEO!!
Edited on Sat Sep-30-06 05:29 PM by Dems Will Win
This has got to be the most emabarassing and humiliating set of blunders in Congressional history. First they pass a bill on child predators and the Internet, then one of them breaks the law--which is a felony--and his GOP peers allow him to stay on the job, in the bathrooms and in the hallways and on the Web. One real question is, DID FOLEY PREY ON ANY OTHER YOUNG MALE PAGES?

But mainly, dear friends, the Republican leadership all committed felonies according to the strict letter of the law called


the "Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006," which the President signed into law (with Mark Foley standing behind him). By definition, then, they consider the acts in which Foley apparently engaged to be criminal. They even enhanced the penalties for this conduct. For those purposes, it doesn't really matter what states have designated as the age of consent because House Republicans have declared it to be a federal crime to solicit or discuss sexual acts with someone under the age of 18.

http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2006/09/gop-house-le...




Because Hastert and the others covered it up, did nothing and let him continue to work with and near the pages, they too would come under the same laws and increased penalties. Rep. Alexander did NOT report it to the proper authorities but rather to Tom Reynolds of the political RNCC! Because his staffer used to be a Foley staffer.

THIS IS HOW THE GOP KEPT THIS UNDER RAPS! Reynolds, Alexander, Hastert and Boehner are all guilty of NEVER REPORTING THIS TO THE PROPER AUTHORITIES. AND THEY ARE REQUIRED BY THE HOUSE RULES TO REPORT ANY CORRUPTION.

BONUS: Here is Nancy Pelosi's SMACKDOWN on Friday night! Winning her rcorded vote 410-0, after Boner Boehner tries to waylay it forever to the Ethics Committee! lOOK AT THE LOOK ON HER FACE WHEN SHE GETS UP TO DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE--SHE KNOWS SHE HAS THE REPUBLICANS BY THE BALLS--AND SHE IS DETERMINED TO PIN THEM TO THE WALL!

What a resolution that is--you have to see this:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/09/30/boehner-blocks... /

PLEASE RECOMMEND AND SHOW THIS VIDEO TO ONE AND ALL!

UPDATE: The media is reporting that Boehner's resolution passed 409-0 and the Ethics Committee gets it. Does anyone know what the truth is?

Now REynolds says he told Hastert about the e-mails in early 2006 and Hastert says he "doesn't recall"!


National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds (N.Y.) issued a statement Saturday in which he said that he had informed Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) of allegations of improper contacts between then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) and at least one former male page, contradicting earlier statements from Hastert.

GOP sources said Reynolds told Hastert earlier in 2006, shortly after the February GOP leadership elections. Hastert's response to Reynolds' warning remains unclear.

Hastert's staff insisted Friday night that he was not told of the Foley allegations and are scrambling to respond to Reynolds' statement.

KOS: Dana Bash reporting Hastert has issued a statement and "doesn't recall" being told about this matter. The spin is they didn't know about the IM's so it didn't seem so serious. Of course, CNN is absorbing that spin seamlessly, instead of saying Republican leadership didn't investigate.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2269103

[kestrel91316]

26. IMPORTANT QUESTION:

"Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006"

This law was signed this year. WHEN does/did it go into effect??????

There is typically a delay of up to a year, I think.

[maddezmom]

28. good question, I don't know the answer...hopefully a knowledgeable

DU does. :shrug:

[rodeodance]

18. ..members of Congress were more concerned with covering.......

...... "Rodney Alexander brought to my attention the existence of e-mails between Mark Foley and a former page of Mr. Alexander's," Reynolds said in a 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.

"Mr. Alexander also said he took the matter to the Clerk of the House," Reynolds said. "An investigation was then conducted by the Clerk and John Shimkus, (R-IL) on behalf of the House Page Board."

Reynolds said Foley "betrayed the integrity of this institution, as well as the trust of his colleagues and constituents.

"There is no excuse, and he needs to be held accountable," the Republican chair continued.

But Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said, "It is horrifying to learn that members of Congress were more concerned with covering up a potentially embarrassing situation than with protecting the teenage pages."

[rodeodance]

19. REC

[rainbow4321]

21. Translation: "We are waiting to hear from Karl Rove"

"and chimp's brother, **our governor**, before we decide anything".

[NVMojo]

22. Absolutely!! Just like the perps on that tv show!!! He's no different ...

if not even worse ...

[maddezmom]

25. Why isn't Jeb Bush calling for an investigation?

I already know the answer, but wanted to kick the thread. :hi:

[oldboy101]

27. Let us not be vindictive.

Mark Foley will bear this disgrace for the rest of his life. By all means let there be an investigation and if it is found that he had any actual improper physical contact with any of these young men then let him be charged with that.

However if there is nothing more than some improper emails, and if they were all prior to the new law passed this year, then I suggest we let it go. Our victory will be in winning his House seat for the Democrats!

[maddezmom]

29. you can let it go, I want to know why the GOP leadership

covered up their knowledge of the emails, hid it from the democratic leadership, did nothing to investigate it and perhaps put other pages in the same position of dealing with this slimeball. :hi:

[oldboy101]

30. Yes, I agree with you,

We do need to have a full investigation of the Republican leaders and their cover-up.

[daleo]

31. I wonder if he could be prosecuted under child pornography laws?

After all, the male in question was 16, and the text exchange was pornographic (e.g. "one eyed snake"), so the instant messaging conversation itself is a sort of recorded pornographic narrative.

If this were a political enemy, I think the authorities might easily try this tactic. However, he is Republican and so is the government of Florida.