Probe Faults FBI In Foley Investigation

Justice Department Report Says Bureau Mishandled Receipt Of Ex-Congressman's Improper E-mails

(CBS)  By CBS News Justice Department reporter Stephanie Lambidakis

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The Justice Department's Inspector General's internal investigation into how the FBI's Washington field office handled e-mails sent to pages by former Rep. Mark Foley has concluded that the agency handled the events poorly.

The Foley e-mails were sent to the FBI in July 2006 by Citizens for Responsibility in Ethics (CREW); the scandal broke in September 2006.

However, the investigation concludes that the FBI supervisors did not engage in "misconduct."

The report reveals that the e-mails "provided enough troubling indications" that the FBI supervisor who reviewed them should have, at a minimum, interviewed the former page. If the agents didn't think such an interview was warranted, they should have gone to House authorities in charge of the page program about concerns that were expressed. Finally, the FBI should have notified CREW that the FBI decided not to investigate since CREW thought an investigation was already under way.

After Foley resigned from office in September, the Office of the Inspector General also concluded that the FBI made "inaccurate statements to the media" about the e-mails forward by CREW. The FBI claimed the e-mails were heavily redacted, and thus useless to investigators. But in fact, the e-mails were not heavily redacted, "and the evidence showed that the FBI did not seek additional information from CREW."

The Justice Department was faulted for disseminating inaccuracies to the news media as well.

The whole report can be found here.

[pakaal]

After all that FBI trash-talking about Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, look what happens. In the end the FBI and the DOJ are BOTH faulted for lying to the public and trying to put blame on others for their own mistakes.

Instead of spending the time trying to cover their own butts, maybe they could have concentrated their efforts on, I don't know, maybe prosecuting criminals? Just a thought.

[prcdr]

The age of consent is 16 in the District of Columbia so Foley's conduct was not illegal...It may be morally reprehensible, but it is not a crime in DC.

[bluestardad]

We should all write NBC and force this issue on their Investigators to put Foley in Jail!

[e-mail], [e-mail]


Lets Rock!

[bluestardad]

macusweil; that is so funny. Thank you! Sad but True!

[dreamslug]

Whatt???!!

"the Inspector General also concluded that the FBI made "inaccurate statements to the media" about the e-mails forward by CREW." ... "However, the investigation concludes that the FBI supervisors did not engage in "misconduct."

um so all they did was lie then?!
Try it saying it with me?
Liars!
Liars!
Liars!
Liars!
Liars!
Liars!
Liars!
Liars!
Liars!
Liars!

[exusmcsgt]

This is the same FBI that needs spy privileges against American citizens but they can't even deal effectively with what's handed to them on a platter.

[macusweil]

"Like Mark Foley my resignation came amid allegation of inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature. The hardest part was to leave my brother's behind." -The Rev. Ted Haggard

[creeper00]

"Now let me see, pedophilia is OK, lying to the country is OK, what else should we be teaching our kids?"

How about it's okay to blame a federal agency even though the Republican Congress knew and could have done something? The FBI sure makes a handy scapegoat.

[stevex47]

Willsonnier
"what else should we be teaching our kids?"
Oh there's lots more to learn. Outing CIA agents. The Foley cover-up. Cheney shooting his "friends". Haphazardly starting wars. Bullying anyone and everyone that doesn't agree with the Kings clothes. How to take a surplus and turn that into a deficit in record time. All lessons to hopefully be learned. The old-dog nut jobs will never learn, but hopefully their children have a chance to.

[processor2]

I'll bet Barney Frank (Dem) ith pith-thed.

......