In the midst of an emerging scandal, Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) abruptly resigned from the House of Representatives on Friday. News leaked out this week that Foley had been sending suggestive emails and engaging in sexual online chat sessions with underage congressional pages. The story was made public by one of the former pages on an anti-Republican headhunter website CREW. It was then picked up and investigated by ABC News.
The story actually goes back almost a year, when the GOP leadership became aware that Foley had sent some pages inappropriate emails and took steps to limit his contact with pages. It's also likely that GOP leaders had been aware of Foley's sexual orientation for much longer. The pages involved were all male and, while they were under the age of majority (pages are normally high-school juniors and seniors), they were and are above the age of consent in DC. Transcripts of Foley's online chats with the former page who made the original complaint pretty clearly show that the sexual discussion was mutual and consensual. An ethics investigation has been initiated, but at this time there has been no suggestion that Foley's offenses went beyond inappropriate emails and sexual online chat. It's particularly ironic that Foley was chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children.
Like most gay Republicans, Foley kept his sexual orientation firmly under wraps. He flirted with honesty, but never committed. He attended the Log Cabin Republican convention, but at the same time commented that it's "revolting and unforgivable" for people to speculate he might be gay. Of course, it also would have been correct. Party insiders were almost certainly aware he was gay, but to all appearances he was a good Catholic and a champion of family values. He even voted for the Defense of Marriage Act. His exposure and resignation are reminiscent of the sudden outing and resignation of New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey in 2004. As with McGreevey, Foley's offenses went beyond just being in the closet to include potential ethics violations and perhaps minor criminal activity.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - John Bambenek
Perhaps, if people want gay and proud spokesmen in the Republican Party, the might not want on who chases young boys. Or do we want the NAMBLA stereotype enforced in the minds of society?
Just a thought...
2 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Wow, I agree with Mr. Bambenek.
Had the object of Rep. Foley's "affection" been over the age of 18, he may have been able to come out of the closet to stand as a proud, gay Republican, but the vast majority of Americans think that all pedophiles are scum, regardless of their orientations.
Rep. Foley would have been just as gone -- maybe even a little more so -- if the page in question was a 16 year-old girl.
3 - Dave Nalle
Except that the interchange was consensual, took place after the page was no longer working there, and did not involve anything but discussion - so where is the crime? But wait, there's more. The legal age of consent in DC is 16. So even if he were having orgies with pages it would still be legal.
There's no crime here. Even if he had actually done anything he wouldn't legally be a pedophile. End of story.
Dave
4 - Craig
For how long has Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) been openly gay? Since about 1996, I think. Is it true that David Dreier (R-CA) is gay? What was the name of the gay Republican congressman from the Midwest back in the early 90s?
The point is, gay Republicans don't have a big problem getting elected (or, at least, re-elected). To the extent that they do, it is a district-by-district issue, not a nationwide one. Yes, some districts are filled with the types of social conservatives who won't vote for a gay man. In other districts it doesn't matter.
5 - Dave Nalle
Kolbe and Dreier were both at the Log Cabin Republican convention which Foley spoke at, along with a number of others - some of whom I know are not gay, but sympathetic.
I doubt that he would have had much trouble getting elected in Florida. The old folks there may be fiscally conservative but a lot of them come from the northeast originally and are more socially open-minded.
Dave
6 - RogerMDillon
While you might feel that Repub gays should come out of the closet, the leadership obviously doesn't agree with you, which either reflects their own views or that of their base.
"if he handled it with the honesty of Barney Frank - whose offenses were as bad or worse - he could easily have survived and remained in office."
What is this opinion based on? Is there some poll of likely voters that showed the majority would overlook Foley's indiscretion and potential pedophilia? He's lucky he didn't end up on Dateline. The complete story never breaks immediately. Foley knew what he wrote and what he did, and along with party officials knew he could no longer win.
I'm not sure how you compare male prostitution between consenting adults to an adult pursuing a minor. Also, the article you cite says Frank's boyfriend ran the ring. It makes no mention that he was directly involved, although he certainly abused his powers.
"Remaining closeted made [Foley] vulnerable,"
Not in this insatnce. Pursuing a minor did. If Foley had been a straight male pursuing an underage girl, he would have received the same treatment.
7 - Dave Nalle
While you might feel that Repub gays should come out of the closet, the leadership obviously doesn't agree with you, which either reflects their own views or that of their base.
A good portion of the leadership IS gay from what I can tell. As for their base, if the base is leading the party off track maybe they need a different base. And the truth is that there is no one base in the GOP, just a whole bunch of different interest gorups.
if he handled it with the honesty of Barney Frank - whose offenses were as bad or worse - he could easily have survived and remained in office."
What is this opinion based on? Is there some poll of likely voters that showed the majority would overlook Foley's indiscretion and potential pedophilia? He's lucky he didn't end up on Dateline. The complete story never breaks immediately. Foley knew what he wrote and what he did, and along with party officials knew he could no longer win.
You think he had less chance of winning than some guy they throw on the ticket with one month to go? Doesn't seem realistic.
I'm not sure how you compare male prostitution between consenting adults to an adult pursuing a minor. Also, the article you cite says Frank's boyfriend ran the ring. It makes no mention that he was directly involved, although he certainly abused his powers.
There's a lot of stuff about the Frank case which didn't get full exposure precisely because he came out and dealt with it.
Dave
8 - Margaret Romao Toigo
The fact that there was no actual crime is irrelevant to the politics of such a scandal.
Perception being reality, even if Rep. Foley is never indicted for it in a court of law, he's already been convicted of pedophilia in the court of public opinion, thereby negating the far lesser "offense" of being homosexual.
I do understand and agree with your most astute points about why gay Republicans' should work on growing some guts, especially because, "being in the closet makes you vulnerable, and forces you underground into an environment where repression makes excess attractive and exposure can turn pecadillos into a career-ending scandal."
The unique angle you took simply doesn't apply to this particular situation. But that assertion could change, depending upon what's still clinging to the sides after the spin cycle slows.
9 - Jet In Columbus
VERY good reporting Dave. I just saw a report on CNN where the republican house leadership has known about these e-mails for over a year now and covered them up to avoid a scandal.
I've always admired Barney Frank. By coming out as he did, he serves his constituents well by not worrying about scandal, and as a result his constituents keep repeatedly reelecting him.
I commend you for your fair reporting of this subject.
I couldn't have done it better myself
In fact, after reading this I've just deleted the article I was writing on it.
kudos my friend...
10 - John Bambenek
Whether what Foley did was illegal or not isn't the problem. Maybe the age of consent is 16, but the idea that some 50 year old guys are talking about beating off 16 years olds is "normal"... well, I'm not sure what to say to that.
And it's rather irrelevant. We want our politicians to be held to a higher standard than committing no crimes. McGreevy got shitcanned because he landed his gay lover a job as heading the NJ Dept. of Homeland Security, despite no qualifications. In a very odd picture, after his resignation and coming out he leaves the governor's mansion all smiles, HOLDING HIS WIFE'S HAND. Something is wrong with people who engage in that kind of image-making.
And your damn right the leadership covered it up, for similar reasons as Dave mentioned as to why he should stand up and be proud instead. He did nothing wrong, the Republicans told him to knock it off because it was bad PR, and the Democrats would run on the "Culture of Pedophilia". All accounts indicate that this was "handled" by the leadership when it broke a year ago (about when these messages were sent).
Lastly, I simply do not subscribe to the idea that being closeted or "repressed" leads to pedophilia, gay or otherwise. Those attractions would be there regardless because those individuals are psychologically malformed.
11 - Scott
"I doubt that he would have had much trouble getting elected in Florida. The old folks there may be fiscally conservative but a lot of them come from the northeast originally and are more socially open-minded"
That's probably why Charlie Crist will win governor, as rumors abound that he's gay as well.
12 - MCH
"Except that the interchange was consensual, took place after the page was no longer working there, and did not involve anything but discussion - so where is the crime?"
- Dave Nalle
Wow, that about tops any criticism I could have of Dave Nalle. Fucking unbelievable.
13 - Matthew T. Sussman
He'll have plenty of time talking to little boys when you're living in a VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!
14 - Clavos
Dave,
My local FOX (Network, not News) outlet just alleged that the kid's parents were advised of the situation a year ago, when the Republican leadership found out, and that they (the parents) asked that the matter be dropped.
In your research for the article, did you come across any information to that effect?
15 - Clavos
That's probably why Charlie Crist will win governor, as rumors abound that he's gay as well.
Plus, he's by far the better candidate, though he's no Jeb, unfortunately.
16 - Peter J
I don't believe the fact that Congressman Foley's sexual orientation should even be a factor here, nor should anyone elses.
Any persons sexual orientation or behavior (unless, of course a law is broken) should not be a factor under any circumstances, even if that person is engaging in sexual communication or acts while holding a political position.
What if a person in office were to be found to have engaged in a heterosexual act with a consenting adult under otherwise the same circumstances? Should that person be castigated and harrassed to the point of distraction?
No, obviously not. That would be unjustly delving into that persons personal and private life.
I sure hope we never see such a pathetic act of political rape in our great country.
17 - Dave Nalle
My local FOX (Network, not News) outlet just alleged that the kid's parents were advised of the situation a year ago, when the Republican leadership found out, and that they (the parents) asked that the matter be dropped.
In your research for the article, did you come across any information to that effect?
I hadn't heard that Clavos, but I actually wrote the article yesterday afternoon and the sotry literally broke in the MSM yesterday morning, so it clearly wasn't fully exposed yet when I read up on the facts.
One thing I tried to address in the article, but really didn't manage to get into fully is the fact that to a large extent it is the effort to keep gay legislators in the closet which creates problems like this. They can't go out to gay bars for fear of being identified and they can't have an openly gay domestic situation, so they look for whatever outlet they can find - which is likely to be at work. If they weren't in the closet the whole problem would be much less severe.
Dave
18 - Matthew T. Sussman
"What if a person in office were to be found to have engaged in a heterosexual act with a consenting adult under otherwise the same circumstances?"
So if I'm in Washington DC and I fuck my 16-year-old female assistant, everything's cool, right?
...Oh, it is?
(Note to self: Request transfer to the east coast.)
19 - Clavos
No question about it.
A gay who is in the closet and presenting a straight face to the world, whatever his occupation, is vulnerable to blackmail, and all manner of unpleasant things.
I imagine that, with the religious right having the attitudes they do towrds homosexuality, it's particularly difficult for Republican politicians to come out--more so than for Democrats, I would think.
20 - Clavos
BTW, Dave, I watched the three network stations' news programs tonight also. None of them mentioned the parents--I think the FOX station may have had that part of the story wrong.
21 - RJ Elliott
If you think a closeted gay Republican man in a conservative congressional district in the Red state of Florida could be re-elected in the wake of highly-publicized perverted online exchanges with a teenage boy (who himself called the exchanges "creepy"), while chairing the "House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children," you are outta yer fucking mind...
22 - Dave Nalle
RJ, while I admit the Foley probably wouldn't win - though there's no guaging the stupidity of Florida voters - you're missing the larger point that if he'd been upfront about his sexuality from the start this problem likely could have been avoided alltogether.
Dave
23 - RJ Elliott
For the record, Foley doesn't appear to be a "pedophile." It looks like he is a "hebephile" instead...and yes, this is an important distinction to make...
24 - Dave Nalle
He wants to have sex with the kitchen help?
Dave
25 - RJ Elliott
"What if a person in office were to be found to have engaged in a heterosexual act with a consenting adult under otherwise the same circumstances?"
So if I'm in Washington DC and I fuck my 16-year-old female assistant, everything's cool, right?
...Oh, it is?
(Note to self: Request transfer to the east coast.)
LOL!