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Foley's Former Chief of Staff Says Foley's Behavior Was No Secret to Speaker Hastert

October 04, 2006 6:35 PM

Fordham_nr_3As the FBI investigation picked up steam, with agents contacting former pages across the country, there were new allegations that Foley's suspect behavior towards pages was no secret to the Speaker of the House and his top staff for at least three years. 

Kirk Fordham, former chief of staff for Foley, told ABC News today that sometime in late 2003, he told the Speaker's chief of staff that Foley was getting too close to young male pages.

Fordham says the Speaker's aide, Scott Palmer, then met with Foley. Fordham also said the Speaker knew about the meeting.

Fordham says there had been a series of warnings from page supervisors that Foley was spending too much time with the pages in ways that were inappropriate and would not stop.

Pages themselves say they had been warned by Republican staff to be careful around Foley.

"It was a slight cautionary statement, you know, 'Don't get too wrapped up in him being too nice to you,' and all that kind of stuff. You know, 'He's a nice guy but he's a little bit odd,'" said Matthew Loraditch, a former page and now president of the U.S. Page Alumni Association.

Fordham made his allegations today on the same day he was forced to resign as the chief of staff for another Republican congressman, Tom Reynolds of New York.

In response to a reporter's question at a press conference, "But should somebody take responsibility for what seems to have been a breakdown besides Foley?"

Congressman Tom Reynolds (R-NY) answered, "I'm taking responsibility for what I did."

Reynolds said he personally told Speaker Hastert himself earlier this year that there were potential problems with Foley.

"When I found out about this whole instance for the first time in the Spring of '06, I reported it to my supervisor, like anyone would in an office circumstance. I took it to the Speaker of the House," Rep. Reynolds said.

Reynolds says it wasn't until he saw Foley's sexually explicit instant messages on ABC News that he decided tougher action was required.

"When I saw the despicable and deplorable e-mails that no child, no person should have to see, then I said he's gotta go. And can we get his resignation?" he said.

A spokesman for the Speaker's office today denied that anyone from Foley's office made contact about Foley's contacts with pages.

Fordham says he did not want to talk on camera because he plans to contact the FBI tomorrow to tell what he knows.

October 4, 2006 in Mark Foley Internet Scandal | Permalink | User Comments (73)

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lol, the plot thickens, i guess fordham is working for the dems, adding them to the list of conspirators. i saw fox reporting this story, maybe the dems got to fox too!!!!!

Posted by: mike | Oct 4, 2006 7:06:21 PM

EACH CONGRESSMEN SHOULD BE INTERVIEWED UNDER OATH AND FIND OUT WHO KNOWS WHAT. WE TRUST THEM AND THIS IS WHAT WE GET.

Posted by: charlie | Oct 4, 2006 7:33:07 PM

Does Dennis Hastert know what is going on in the halls of power?

According to page 186 of the Speakers own book, Dennis Hastert has a very low ear to the ground.

"Reading is not my strong point... I'm not comfortable with computers... I need to be focused on what's going on in the room and who's saying what to whom. I base most of my knowledge on listenting to people. I get a lot of briefings and have good people working for me. Some say I have an incredible memory or recall for exactly what happened when and who said what to whom. I do listen pretty diligently, more than a lot of people listen, and I do pick up on facts that way."


On the Foley matter, his ear must have been UNDER ground along with his head.

Posted by: Anthony | Oct 4, 2006 7:52:04 PM

OMG, give the republicans a break. Its bad enough that they are incompetent, proverts, and morons.

Posted by: ken | Oct 4, 2006 8:03:54 PM

I guess solicting young pages is a democrat conspiracy, not like any republican would do such a thing...lol...moron

Posted by: alex | Oct 4, 2006 8:04:34 PM

Is it possible for Republicans to ever tell the truth? My ballot in November will be straight Democratic, and I'm a registered Republican.

Posted by: Rod | Oct 4, 2006 8:22:19 PM

When is someone going to take personal responsibility for this crime? Heads should roll. Instead, they suspend the page program?? BRILLIANT! Blame it on the kids! Take away their opportunities. And the incompetent, negligent lawmakers get to keep their jobs!

Can't wait to vote them all out of office.

Posted by: Jean | Oct 4, 2006 8:39:47 PM

Did you read Drudge? I can't believe he is protecting Republicans. ABC - get them out of office, whatever it takes.

Posted by: Blane Schmitt | Oct 4, 2006 8:59:55 PM

Fun Time!

Posted by: ben ito | Oct 4, 2006 9:05:00 PM

And they all think they are so pure,bunch of crooks

Posted by: tina | Oct 4, 2006 9:05:35 PM

Drudge is trying desperately to spin a story that's basically unspinnable. The goo has hit the fan and there's not a Republican who hasn't got some of it all over him or her. Hastert changed his story probably more times than he's changed his underwear.

Posted by: Ted | Oct 4, 2006 9:06:53 PM

Blane -- you can't believe that Drudge is protecting Republicans? What planet are you from?

Posted by: Ted | Oct 4, 2006 9:08:15 PM

Drudge is hysterical. Only the Republicans would try to spin pedophilia.

Posted by: Lou Dabbs | Oct 4, 2006 9:18:31 PM

My ballot in November will be straight Democratic.

Posted by: Ted Deason | Oct 4, 2006 9:33:34 PM

I bet what angers Republicans most is that they can't continue their behavior. Yes, they're mad they got caught. Yes, they are ticked that the elections might be flipped as a result. But I think they are thoroughly dissapointed that they'll be watched around little kids.

I think all Republicans should be forced to register as sex offenders.

Sick, sick people those Republicans.

Posted by: addfafa | Oct 4, 2006 9:34:27 PM

Hastert out by Friday via the Friday news dump.

Posted by: i have sinned | Oct 4, 2006 9:37:41 PM

Why would this ever be a Democrat or Republican debate? That man is sick. He was using his position of power to molest children. If anybody, including the speaker, knew of this they should all be charged with aiding child molestation. This is not a party debate. This is a debate about whether a man should have been allowed to molest children. One question I have is will WE still be paying him his congressional "retirement" and medical benefits?

Posted by: Becky | Oct 4, 2006 9:42:57 PM

I love being a Dem. Nobody freaks out when someone from our party gets caught. They just can't help themselves.

Posted by: John | Oct 4, 2006 9:47:15 PM

I can't believe there are so many naive people in the world? If Foley has been a problem for 11 years, There is no way Democrats did not know about this. They and the press are doing their best job to blame the Republicans. There are lots of people who want to believe it too, amazing. The focus needs to be on protecting the kids, not who is to blame. We have a political system out of control. Our elected representatives and candidates on both sides are a desperate bunch of people. It is time to end this crazyness. While we are arguing among ourselves, there is a group of people in this world planning to kill us all and we are not paying any attention. How stupid we all are....

Posted by: Bill Brown | Oct 4, 2006 10:09:03 PM

But don't forget that Foley is a Democrat--I know because Fox told us so. Right up there on the screen t said "Mark Foley (D Fl)! And Fox is the one reliable island of truth in a lying and corrupt world!

Posted by: Jack Pyne | Oct 4, 2006 10:13:30 PM

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