Former House Page Tells His Story

(CBS/AP)  As the House ethics committee began its investigation into the burgeoning Mark Foley sex scandal and allegations of a cover-up on Capitol Hill, a former House page came forward and said that he was on the receiving end of sexually suggestive messages from then-Rep. Mark Foley.

It happened in 1997, says Tyson Vivyan, 26, who says the first instant messages from Foley came a few months after finishing his service as a page.

Vivyan's account appears to show the earliest exchange of suggestive messages reported so far between Foley and teens who had served in the Congressional page program.

Previous accounts placed the earliest contacts in 2003; Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, in a news conference Thursday, rebuffed calls for his own resignation and insisted that last week was the first time he'd heard allegations of Foley sending lurid e-mails to former pages.

The scandal is potentially costly for the GOP; a new AP-Ipsos poll of likely voters in the midterm elections found that about half said disclosures of scandal and corruption in Congress will be "very" or "extremely" important when they enter the voting booths.

Vivyan, speaking to an Associated Press reporter Thursday, said he never met Foley personally during his stint as a page, other than brief greetings while working in the cloakroom beside the House chamber where members take breaks.

Vivyan says after leaving Capitol Hill, he started getting instant messages via computer from a person with the screen name MAF54, which has been linked in news reports to Foley. He said he wasn't sure who it was, but the person knew his name and physical description. He said the person asked personal questions, such as his sexual orientation.

Vivyan said he figured the person had to be on Capitol Hill, and began looking up initials in a congressional guide. He said that when he found Foley's initials - MAF, born in 1954 - he realized who it was.

"It was almost surreal. Not only was I conversing with a congressman in a personal manner, I was conversing in a sexual manner," Vivyan said.

Vivyan said that after he guessed it was Foley, the person continued to contact him. Vivyan said he tried to turn the conversation to politics. Foley, said Vivyan, would often stop talking and contact him a week later with suggestive messages.

Vivyan also said he was invited to Foley's brownstone in Washington. Vivyan said he didn't want to go alone, so brought a fellow page with him. He said they had pizza and soft drinks, and nothing sexual happened.

David Roth, attorney for the Florida Republican former congressman, declined to comment on the allegations.

Foley, 52, resigned Friday. He has since entered an alcohol rehabilitation facility at an undisclosed location. Through his lawyer, he has said he is gay but denied any sexual contact with minors.

Vivyan said he was nominated as a page by Rep. John. J. Duncan, R-Tenn. Don Walker, Duncan's deputy chief of staff, confirmed Thursday to the AP that Vivyan was a page from Duncan's district.

"We did not get any complaints from him while he was a page or after he was a page or anytime thereafter until Monday," Walker said. "As soon as we learned of it we turned it over to the authorities."

Vivyan said he was interviewed this week by the FBI. FBI spokesman Stephen Emmett in Atlanta declined comment.

[rondumsfeld]

I love how the Republicans want to forget this Foley/Page/ButLove scandal and get to the "real issues," when this is THE issue. They can not and MUST not stand back and try to let this blow over.

[leozbatfish]

In my opinion, the Republicans have multiple problems in front of them: 1) A sexual predator in their midst, chairing the very committee which is supposed to protect children from sexual predators. 2) When the leadership was first informed there might be a problem, they did not contact legal authorities or the Ethics Committee. Instead they informed the chairman of their Congressional re-election committee. They did not see this as a legal/ethical matter, but a political one. 3) Once the scandal became public, their first instinct was to cover it up. Blame the Democrats, blame the press, blame liberal activists. 4) They are showing themselves to be hypocrites. Republicans present themselves as the party of moral values and have beaten up their opponents for years with this issue. But the reality is they didn't care what Congressman Foley did so long as he spouted the party line, made large financial contributions to the party, and helped perpetuate their power.

I suspect this is going to get bigger before it blows over.

[chadi7]

I think grumpas' point is that the christian fundamentalist touted the republican party as the "party of morals". We're now seeing that this isn't true (I've seen it for a while). I'm not saying all republicans are immoral (or that all dems are moral) but its obvious that republicans are not all "moral" according to christian standards. You can't place a broad label on a party and expect it to stick. The problem with our govt now is there are no checks and balances. With one party in control, scandals can easily errupt because nobody wants to harm the party or harm an ally. This is the problem Hastert is having now. The question is what did he know and what should have been done about that. Too much has been done without anyone there to make sure nothing is done wrong. America was founded on this principle and our govt has done away with that system as of late.

[grumpas]

Beckyajw: I did think before I spoke! How about you?????? I can't help it if it is the truth! If they are the best example Christian's can come up with the religion is in deep trouble!

[beacheshuman]

Well, at least the Folley / Hastert news will take some of the mystique out of the Catholic priests proclivities. All do-gooders do bad things sometimes

[beckajw]

What you all seem to be forgetting is the number of scandals that rocked the democratic party when they were the majority. Everyone was unhappy with the state of our nation while democrats were in charge. It was clear that they were spending our tax money on themselves. Now, republicans are the majority and the same thing is happening. To blame it on a party is clearly ridiculous. Obviously politicians in general are the problem and if you believe that putting democrats in charge is going to change anything, you are delusional.

[beckajw]

Grumpas think before you speak

[Geneius]

janem4: You are trying to shift the focus from the message to the messenger by trying to impugn the integrity of the messenger.
Actually I am always civil although some people think it is uncivil if you disagree with them.
I wish I had not responded to your posts because I do not want to turn this "comment" forum into a discussion.

[grumpas]

The point everyone here has missed here. Republican's have choosen to protray themselves as ultra-regligious conservatives better than everyone else Christian's! People who are above everyone else in this country! People who are above such lowly perversions! They have looked down on all of us who weren't ultra religious and condemned us! They have used the issued for their own political gains for twenty years now! In fact, they have harped on it to the point of becoming obnoxious! Now it's come back to haunt them in spades! It always does better than thou people in the end! It couldn't happen to a nicer group of folks! A lot of us are laughing our heads off!

[talkingham]

Perhaps we should reinstate Foley since Hastert knew nothing. Condi didn't hear or see anything of value before 911 either - she doesn't remember crucial meetings- the entire Repugnent party leadership including the president get the Hogans Heroes Sargent Schultz Award for knowing nothing about anything. The republicans stole millions from native Americans- it was a way of life and a business for them (about 20 to 1 repubs to demos in this scandal), Jefferson a small-time player in comparison was caught in a setup sting. The repubs and Fox will say anthing to divert attention from the billions stolen in Iraq Asleep at the switch before 911 and on Foley, they have failed all of us yet blame everyone but themselves - while claiming not to play the blame game. They are liers pure and simple. The far right has gutted CBS news and I believe to this day the setup played on Rather was a Karl Rove exercise. Bush has become the terrorist recruiting poster child.