Key Witnesses Testify In Page Probe

Ex-House Clerk And Majority Leader Could Shed Light On What GOP Leaders Knew About Ex-Rep. Foley

(CBS/AP)  House Majority Leader John Boehner testified before the House Ethics Committee on Thursday, indicating afterward that he repeated his statements that he had told Speaker Dennis Hastert of Rep. Mark Foley's overly friendly e-mails to a former male page.

Boehner, R-Ohio, would not say what he specifically told the committee behind closed doors, but has publicly quoted Hastert as telling him the complaint "had been taken care of."

"I made myself clear on the record for the last three weeks, and I told the ethics committee today the same thing that I've told many of you," Boehner said.

He appeared after the former clerk of the House testified about his actions regarding Foley's inappropriate conduct with male pages.

Hastert has said he doesn't recall the conversation with Boehner.

Boehner also issued a written statement, saying, "The despicable conduct from Mark Foley outraged all members who have great respect for this institution. Had anyone known about it, we would have moved to expel him from our ranks immediately."

Former House Clerk Jeff Trandahl did not answer reporters' questions as he left the panel's offices after several hours of testimony. His appearance was central to the case, though, since he shouldered day-to-day responsibility for the page program and had confronted Foley last fall about inappropriate e-mails.

"Jeff Trandahl has cooperated fully with the investigation being conducted by the FBI and the ... Committee on Standards. He answered every question asked of him, and stands ready to render additional assistance if needed," Trandahl's attorney, Como Namorato, said in a statement.

Namorato said that Trandahl would not comment while the investigation in ongoing.

At issue in the ethics committee investigation is how the office of Hastert, R-Ill., dealt with the knowledge that Foley, a Florida Republican, was sending inappropriate e-mails to teenage congressional pages. The answers could affect not just Hastert but the prospects for control of the House when voters cast ballots in the Nov. 7 midterm elections.

Sources tell CBS News that Trandahl was expected to say that he kept the speaker's counsel in the loop on all problems relating to pages, reports CBS News correspondent Gloria Borger.

Trandhal sent red flags over the years to Foley’s staff, saying he was "spending too much time doting on the pages." Each time the congressman was told to stop, he denied any inappropriate behavior.

One former aide says: "We always thought it was Mark being Mark. We never thought it would go to the next step. We never thought he would be stupid enough to contact them off campus."

In an internal report released by Hastert, his aides contend that they first learned about Foley's conduct in the fall of 2005, when they became aware of overly friendly e-mails to a former Louisiana page. However, Foley's former top aide said he told Hastert's chief of staff about Foley's conduct in 2002 or 2003.

The speaker's statements conflict with those of Kirk Fordham, Foley's former chief of staff, who said he told Hastert chief of staff Scott Palmer about Foley in 2002 or 2003. Palmer disputed Fordham's version of events.

Trandahl was the official who likely would have known about any problems involving the page program, including improper conduct by pages or improper approaches from lawmakers or House employees. He supervised the program and was on its controlling group, the House Page Board, which consists of three lawmakers, the House clerk and the sergeant at arms.

Foley resigned his seat Sept. 29 after he was confronted with sexually explicit instant messages he sent former male pages, messages far more damaging than those sent the Louisiana page. In that case, Foley asked what the 16-year-old wanted for his birthday and requested a picture.

Foley, 52, has said through his attorney that he is alcoholic, gay and had been molested as a boy by a "clergyman."

Meanwhile, a priest acknowledged he was naked in saunas with Foley decades ago when the former congressman was a boy in Florida, but denied that the two had sex.

The Rev. Anthony Mercieca, 69, speaking from his home on the Maltese island of Gozo, said a report in a Florida newspaper about their encounters was “exaggerated.”

"We were friends and trusted each other as brothers and loved each other as brothers," Mercieca said. Asked if their association was sexual, the priest replied: "It wasn't."

Mercieca's comments came after the Sarasota Herald-Tribune published a story describing several encounters in the 1960s that the priest said Foley might perceive as sexually inappropriate. Those included massaging the boy in the nude, skinny-dipping together at a secluded lake in Lake Worth and being nude in the same room on overnight trips.

Trandahl is known to have confronted Foley at least once. The chairman of the Page Board, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., has said publicly that he and Trandahl spoke with Foley in the fall of 2005 after learning — from Hastert's aides — about the e-mails to the former Louisiana page. The boy's parents wanted the contact ended, and Foley promised to comply, Shimkus said.

[bluestardad]

Put on your Knee pads America the Republicans are going to Probe us again.

[gramto7]

11. Threaten anyone who breathes wrong with imprisonment and 'enemy combatant' status.

[cofmanaaron]

10: Take credit away from hard-working cops and on the ground troops for the protection of America and take it all for yourselves when all you do it dole out money to Halliburton while our troops go without. And then say the democrats are in with the terrorists every time they bring up that useless Constitution.

[cofmanaaron]

Hey Janem, at least Dems don't have the kind of morally bankrupt public policy that prevails in the majority party today (a sad thing really). But I have to commend you about the Foley thing. 5 years! That might be your longest running cover-up yet. (Or discovered so far). On your list, I don't think I see any notion of such a disgusting cover-up as you guys pulled off. Even got him on the explioted children caucus! Wow, that takes some skill.

[frankly6]

Here's one from the HOW TO BE A GOOD REPUBLICAN.
Chapter 4 WHAT TO DO WHEN THE **** HITS THE FAN:
1. Blame Clinton
2. Blame and smear the victims
3. Blame Democrats bring up anything remotely similar that a Democrat did in the last 50 years if you have to
4. Blame the source of the information (see # 3) then smear them.
5. Blame the "vast liberal conspiracy"
6. Blame the "liberal media" and change the channel to Fox
7. Blame Clinton some more.
8. When all else fails, blame eachother but never never and in no circumstance take "personal responsibility" or look in the mirror. You'll sleep better at night.

I know I'm missing a few here maybe I can get some help?

[frankly6]

Had enough? Vote for change.

[meboard]

janem4 cry your eyes out Nov 8 girl! Change Course Nov 7 America!

[frankly6]

Had enough? Vote for change.

[cofmanaaron]

See the Channel 7 archive video about the file removal by congresswoman Wilson at www.washingtonwilsonwatch.com under 'highly inappropriate'.

[bluestardad]

Remember to Vote Republican and get a free gift, Mr. Foley%u2019s Page Probe %u201CSoap on a Rope%u201D guaranteed to help you achieve Mission Accomplished, especially made for those of you who are having trouble Staying the Course.

Special Note: This product will be discretely delivered in plain brown paper wrapping complete with plausible deniability and I do not recall disclaimer instructions.

[cofmanaaron]

Correction: congresswoman Wilson R-NM served on the page board from 2001-2004.

[cofmanaaron]

Here's some more fuel for the fire: Representative Heather Wilson R-NM, sat on the page board for three years I believe from 2003-2005. She claims she knew nothing about Foley. However, in 1995, when she was the state secretary of the Children,Youth, and Families Department, the local abcnews affiliate did an invesigative report on how a file concerning her husband and an underage babysitter was apparently removed from the department at her order. When Larry Barker, the investigative correspondent confronted her about the documents they had obtained concerning the order, she relied that "the document was not correct" and "this is none of your buisiness". Only later when the news channel 7 reported the story did she acknowledge the action. The file still hasn't been replaced. If she lied then, and we also know she's been lying about Iraq intelligence, isn't it possible she knew about Foley too?

[mjv2944]

husker

All you have to do is look at the last 10 years and see what repub and dems have done to this country, sorry, but I blame both, and ourselves for electing such a group of losers. I voted dem for years but I am now partyless as I do not think that either is good for America.

[huskerarmy]

mjv,

Stop hiding behind that cloak of pragmatism. Someimtes one has to take risks. I am not by any means married to the Democratic party but, I do understand that there are many differences. Primarily, why run as a por-corporate Dem when pro-corporate Repubs have such clear and distinct advantages?

[bluestardad]

Remember to Vote Republican and get a free gift, Mr. Foley%u2019s special %u201CSoap on a Rope%u201D guaranteed to help you achieve Mission Accomplished, especially made for those of you who are having trouble Staying the Course.

[mjv2944]

frankly6

You are right repubs and dems alike, there isn't a nickles worth of difference, neither are for whats good for America, only whats good for themselves and big business and special interests. Vote them all out.

[frankly6]

Had enough? Vote for change.

[xccoach]

and the beat goes on.......