Foley refashioned as beau of the ballhttp://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/10/04/markfoley_narrowweb__300x468,0.jpgFormer US Representative Mark Foley, (R-FL)
By Jose Lambiet
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 02, 2008
For a couple of hours Friday night, it was as if former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley had never gotten himself into a heap of trouble.
The place: Palm Beach's Mar-a-Lago. That's where Foley once found plenty of political support, never mind that the district he represented is a few miles north.
The occasion: the charity-gala opening of Palm Beach Fashion Week. There was filet mignon and a runway show by Greek ready-to-wear king Vlassis Holevas.
The sideshow: Foley's grand return to Palm Beach society — 17 months after he resigned from the House for allegedly texting blue thoughts to at least two 16-year-old male former congressional pages.
"This is the first time I'm back at Mar-a-Lago in two years," a beaming Foley told Page Two as he pointed at the club's gilded foyer. "It feels good. People have been wonderful to me. Thank God that I worked hard for these people. I think they recognize I did so much for the community, and I'm thankful for that."
Clad in an impeccable pinstripe suit and blue shirt that highlighted his eyes, the 53-year-old shed months of self-imposed near-exile from large events to take his place at the most visible of tables alongside the runway. He was the first person any of the 400-plus who walked into the grand ballroom would see, stealing the limelight from the likes of former Creed frontman Scott Stapp and club owner Donald Trump.
Once the consummate politician with a knack for befriending millionaires, citizen Realtor Foley fell into society's open arms.
"He's the best congressman we've ever had," said John Sullivan, husband of gala organizer Dorothy Sullivan.
With chairs on both sides of Foley unoccupied, friends took turns sitting and chatting with him for a few minutes.
At times, he walked table to table, hugging former donors and kissing acquaintances.
Since the scandal that cost the Republican Party his seat, gone in 60 seconds to businessman Tim Mahoney, Foley shares time between the Palm Beach mansion of his partner, dermatologist Layne Nisenbaum, and his modest apartment in Fort Pierce. They've been spotted on rare occasions at island hotspots like Café L'Europe.
Some things are noticeably different. There's no more boozing, Foley said. When the scandal made him a household name in September 2006, he admitted to being an alcoholic — and he checked himself into rehab to take care of it.
"I'm really taking care of my health," he said, pushing both arms forward as if bench-pressing.
"I've been sober and happy."
So, why Friday's coming-out party? He didn't say, although I was told by organizers he bought himself a $350 ticket to the fiesta.
When asked about his future, Foley said only that he's trying to sell homes. He renewed his real estate license last year.
"I have a couple of offers on a place," he said. "Keeping my fingers crossed."
How about a long sit-down interview? Not a chance — until the FDLE finishes its investigation. The agency has been studying whether the messages broke state law but is stalled by U.S. House rules on access to Foley's computers.
"Everybody (including Barbara Walters) has been asking," Foley said. "I haven't granted any interviews. I'm waiting until I'm really cleared. I think I should be, but I don't want to upset anyone by talking."
Foley Resigns from US House of Representatives Over Sexually Explicit Messages to Minors, September 29, 2006
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