New Revelation In Foley Case

(CBS/AP)  Former Rep. Mark Foley's attorney said Tuesday that his client was molested between the ages 13 and 15 by a clergyman.

Foley had represented the West Palm Beach district for 12 years and was seeking re-election until his sudden resignation last week after the disclosure of lurid online communications with teenage congressional pages.

"This is part of his recovery," David Roth said, declining to identify the clergyman or the church.

Roth also announced for the first time that Foley is gay. He insisted Foley never had sexual contact with a minor.

While Foley's career ended last Friday, the one in jeopardy belongs to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, reported CBS News correspondent Gloria Borger.

Hastert, R-Ill., on Tuesday rejected a call from the conservative Washington Times for him to resign over his handling of the scandal.

Majority Leader John Boehner, in a letter to the newspaper, also rejects the call for Hastert to step down.

"No one in the leadership, including Speaker Hastert, had any knowledge of the warped and sexually explicit instant messages" Foley allegedly sent to a teenage page.

Boehner also says Hastert had assured him months ago that the matter had been taken care of. "It's in his corner, it's his responsibility," Boehner, R-Ohio, said in an interview on WLW Radio in Cincinnati.

On the road Tuesday in Stockton, Calif., President Bush added his voice to the chorus reacting to the allegations.

"I was dismayed and shocked to learn about Cong. Foley's unacceptable behavior," said Mr. Bush, who is in the West on a trip to support the campaigns of GOP candidates. "I was disgusted by the revelations and disappointed that he would violate the trust of the citizens who placed him in office... Families have the right to expect that when they send their children to be a congressional page in Washington, that these children will be safe."

The president also said he supports Hastert's call for a full investigation.

Mr. Bush expressed confidence in the speaker's ability to resolve the matter, calling him a "father, teacher, coach."

"I know that he wants all the facts to come out and he wants to ensure that these children up there on Capitol Hill are protected," the president said. "I'm confident he will provide whatever leadership he can to law enforcement in this investigation."

One senior House Republican tells CBS News that there's a lot of anger at what he describes as "a network of gay staffers and gay members who protect each other and did the Speaker a disservice."

Foley resigned abruptly on Friday and has since checked himself into an alcohol rehabilitation program at an undisclosed location.

To speak to former pages like Blake Yocum, Foley's interest in the young students was practically legendary, reported CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson, but this story has been a surprise.

"I feel my close friends who were pages suspected that Congressman Foley was homosexual. But we never suspected pedophilia out of the congressman," said Yocum.

Foley's attorney, David Roth, said Monday that Foley was "absolutely, positively not a pedophile" and had never had inappropriate sexual contact with a minor.

Foley's departure leaves a trail of questions concerning the e-mails and instant messages he allegedly sent pages over an unknown period of time. Beyond the details of his actions, Republican leaders fear the impact on the Nov. 7 elections, and the possible loss of their House majority.

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[oddjob123]

yeh seriously this should be on SNL ahah now FOX is saying foley isnt a republican. The republicans real stance on *** marraige... i bet every GOP congressman knew bout this.

[janemcgreeve]

Gerry Studds for President, Robert Byrd for Vice President. Gosh, an ideal Dem choice, pervert and bigot, isn't it.

Not to your liking? Then how about Jim McGreevey for President and Nancy Pelosi for Grand 'Ho? Oh, no little girl with plastic surgeries? Then McGreevey for Prez and Murtha for trash collector.

[janemcgreeve]

Skipper,

So glad I'm not on the ship you're sailing. It would have been lost with all hands or flying the white flag even before you left harbor. That's the legacy you want, isn't it?

[goodrepub]

This is one big Democratic produced pseudo-scandal right before election time.

If this had really been going on for some years our GOP Leaders would have taken action - we are the Grand Old Party of Family Values.

Wisely, but sadly, Foley resigned rather than allow the cut'n'run Democrats to use this silly, frivolous tempest-in-a-teapot against the Glo rious Leader and the party of Family Values.

The liberal, tax'n'spend Dems will not fool the majority of Republicans who know "this too shall pass."

[msclips]

We as citizens have the right to vote, in the upcoming election! I for one will not vote for any incumbant rep or dem. It is time to break up the power mongers. Replace them all! The citizens of this country need to invoke term limits with our power of the vote. This constant above the law attitude of both parties needs to end and the goverment of the people needs to begin. This constant finger pointing and posturing by our ELECTED officials is wasted time & energy. At the very least this is sexual harrassment at it's worst it is pedophillia, in the real world it cause for losing ones job and incarceration! Time for the citizens of the country to start fresh and vote against coruption!

[skipper37919]

I wish I wish I wish I could use a line here which Chevy Chase made famous from SNL, "Jane, you XXXXXXXX XXXX."

Jane did make one rational statement: "You have a mess, you clean it up." Unfortunately, we'll be spending decades cleaning up the messes our current administration has created globally, nationally, environmentally -- you name it. It's downright scary... almost as scary as someone who believes the WORST mess of all -- Iraq -- is due to "standing firm against Islamofascist terrorism."

[boston1954]

To: JaneMcgreeve,

The voters in Massachusetts have not had the chance to decide. We are still waiting.......

[vipaka]

My question is: Where are the congressional hearings right now to protect all of the children in America and not just the children pages on Capitol Hill? Innocent children are being shot in crazed rampages at our schools? I want to know how many children in America are murdered everyday and why? I don't want my tax dollars spent on prattles of lust. That should be discussed after hours on their own time, and not on our time. During the day they should be discussing how to eliminate the crime, drugs, and insanity from this society. And staying in session until they come up with an answer. The rest of our children are full of life pages waiting to be filled, too.

[janemcgreeve]

Grumpy,

You are a typical Democrat. Full of excuses and hot air. No substance whatsoever.

You have a mess, you clean it up. You don't sit back and applaud it. But everytime a Dem is asked to show accountibility they choose to behave like petulant children, waving fingers at cameras, ranting and raving, shrieking. You want us to "cut and run" from standing firm against Islamofascist terrorism, yet you will stand firm when one of your own behaves like a pervert or lies in the face of facts.

As usual you bring up a litany of nonsense. But here's a fact for you. Your party embraces and panders Illegals at the expense of Americans. It would be different if these Illegals spoke or wish to speak English, wished to be Americans. They don't. Ever spend 6 hours in an emergency room waiting for your 80 year dad to get treatment, only that the rooms are clogged with Illegals? Ask your hero Teddy Kennedy about that.

Stick to reality, grumpy.

[grumpas]

Jane McGreeve is the typical Republican! Excuses! Excuses and still more Excuses! Who have the misguided notion that dragging someone else down in the gutter with them will make their crimes palatable! She has missed the point completely! This bunch of self-righteous hypocrite's caters to the "Religious Right"! They take everyone else to task for moral lapses and see themselves as the guardian's of American's moral's! While they lie, cheat, steal, corruption becomes rampant, it is a major scandal every week, the poor is robbed blind to make the rich richer, Bush tries to rob the elderly out of their SS and etc. The list is to long to go into here! And growing longer by the day! Would Jane like to tell me what the above list is? The last time I was in church they were considered sins and severe offenses in the eyes of Christian's! I often wonder how people get to the point she is where they are so thoughly blinded by their politic's they no longer know right from wrong! As far as I can see the whole scandal couldn't happen to a nicer group of folks!!! Most of us are laughing our heads off!