CNN: Key Ex-Official Breaks Silence Over Page Scandal

[cynatnite]

CNN reports: "Jeff Trandahl, the former House clerk who oversaw the House Page Program, is expected to break his silence Tuesday on the Foley page scandal, according to a colleague familiar with the media's interest in the case."

Trandahl, who's absolutely central to the Foley scandal, has been ducking media questions for about ten days now.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com

[AlCzervik]

1. interesting, hope it happens soon.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Things are about to get

even more interesting then they already were.

Pass the popcorn.

[cynatnite]

4. Here you go...

:popcorn: :popcorn:

[maddezmom]

8. I'm loading up

Enough to share with all the DU'ers :D

[cynatnite]

9. Nobody can accuse you of being unprepared

:rofl:

[DoYouEverWonder]

17. Oh what the heck

It's time to break out the hurricane supplies we didn't have to use this year. Anyone for some tuna?

[maddezmom]

3. thanks for the link

hope he spills the beans

[truthisfreedom]

5. this should be interesting. they've had days to put a story together, and

almost anything could come out of his mouth now. Mehlman lied about Hastert telling Foley he had to leave (the timeline shows this is patently false) so i think it's time to put together an official timeline chart with links to the original stories so we can refute any further bullshit.

[KoKo]

10. Josh Marshall reported over weekend that Trandahl hired a high profile

lawyer. He was refusing to answer questions from any reporter who called him. Guess he was getting his story together with the lawyer to make sure it jives with whatever Hastert is saying.

Or, we could be in for a big surprise since Trandahl left his Clerkship so abrubtly. Was he involved in something with the pages himself? Or, was he a whitleblower who got hustled out quickly with a cushey job for the Fish and Wildlife organization that's listed as one not to give to on the Better Business's Gift Website (where they check out charities).

Should be interesting...either way.

[hvn_nbr_2]

12. You ask the same questions I'm asking.

I suspect he's the (somewhat) honest one in the crowd and got hustled out for standing up. They were still in complete coverup mode at the time so it wouldn't make sense to hustle him out for having something going on himself. Plus the fact that they didn't do the usual tribute thing when he left suggests pretty strongly that he wasn't real popular with them when they kicked him out.

I saw one place that referred to the Fish and Wildlife job as a sinecure.

We'll see soon, I guess.

[blogslut]

6. ooooh

Trandahl!

[babylonsister]

7. WHO IS JEFF TRANDAHL?

http://nomoreapples.blogspot.com/2006/10/who-is-jeff-trandahl.html

Saturday, October 7
WHO IS JEFF TRANDAHL?

We've yet to hear from House Clerk Jeff Trandahl, but he's increasingly appearing to be a key factor in the Mark Foley case:

snip//

Sources close to Fordham say Trandahl repeatedly urged the longtime aide and close family friend to confront Foley about his inappropriate advances on pages. Each time, Foley pledged to no longer socialize with the teenagers, but, weeks later, Trandahl would again alert Fordham about more contacts. Out of frustration, the sources said, Fordham contacted Palmer, hoping that an intervention from such a powerful figure in the House would persuade Foley to stop.
...
snip//

The divergent accounts have highlighted the holes in the public's understanding of Foley's undoing. And they are sure to ratchet up the pressure on Trandahl to come forward with his knowledge of events. As House clerk between January 1999 and November 2005, Trandahl had direct control over the page program.

snip//

More and more, I'm convinced that whoever finally leaked the initial e-mails to CREW and media outlets was simply desperate to get somebody, ANYBODY, to bring the Foley "advances" to teenaged House pages to light so that they would be stopped. Scott Palmer is lying. Denny Hastert is lying. Jeff Trandahl has yet to be heard from.

This story isn't dying anytime soon.

[warrens]

11. Every day this stays in the papers

The Repukes lose thousands of core voters and turn the independents more solidly Dem.

[Jackpine Radical]

14. Hang in there, Denny. Don't let them political Dems drive you out.

Keep fightin, keep letting people see how honorable you and all the other Puggies are and how everyone in the country but you and your little butt-buddies is to blame.

[npincus]

13. will he perjure himself to protect Hamstert?

'tis the question.

[quiet.american]

15. He'll probably break silence to say can't comment on ongoing investigation

[Sherman A1]

16. Yeah, It will be another "BombShell" report.

Like oh by the way did we mention that Foley is gay or that grass is green, the sky blue, etc.

[krkaufman]

18. chuckle. Capone's Vault all over. n/t