Pelosi Letter to Ethics Committee on Cover Up of the Foley Matter

[maddezmom]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 01, 2006
CONTACT:
Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider
202-226-7616



Pelosi Letter to Ethics Committee on Cover Up of the Foley Matter
Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following letter sent today to House Ethics Committee Chairman Doc Hastings and Ranking Member Howard L. Berman about the Foley matter. The text of the letter follows:

October 1, 2006

Chairman Doc Hastings
Ranking Member Howard L. Berman
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Berman:

On Friday, I offered and the House unanimously passed a resolution directing the Ethics Committee to begin an immediate investigation and provide the House with a preliminary report in 10 days concerning allegations about Congressman Mark Foley's highly inappropriate and explicit communications with a former underage Page. The resolution called for an investigation of "when the Republican leadership was notified, and what corrective action was taken once officials learned of any improper activity."

Since that resolution unanimously passed, Republican Leaders have admitted to knowing about Mr. Foley's outrageous behavior for six months to a year, and they chose to cover it up rather than to protect these children.

As the author of the resolution that the House unanimously passed, I am writing to insist that the Ethics Committee act as directed and immediately form the investigative Subcommittee and begin work on the preliminary report in 10 days. Central to the investigation is immediately questioning, under oath, the House Republican Leadership.

It is a nightmare for every child, parent and grandparent to learn that a child is being stalked on the internet by an adult in a position of authority. The fact that Mr. Foley was engaging in this behavior with underage children, that the Republican Leadership knew about it for six months to a year and has characterized the inappropriate behavior as "overly friendly" and "acting as a mentor" and that apparently no action was taken to protect these underage children is abhorrent.

more:http://democraticleader.house.gov/press/releases.cfm?pressReleaseID=1845

[Janice325]

1. Go, Nancy!

Thanks, maddezmom, for posting this.
k&r

[allisonthegreat]

4. Thanks Nancy...

I wish you were in my district!

[Monkeyman]

2. K&R

[KittyWampus]

3. overly friendly?

:puke:

[cal04]

5. K&R

Thanks for posting maddezmom
:kick:

[Zorro]

6. What other similar cases have also been swept under the rug?

That's the question that the Dems should be asking Hastert and Reynolds -- are there other reported incidents involving members of Congress that haven't been fully investigated?

If they answer yes, then that just adds more fuel to the fire. If they say no and it's later discovered that they lied, then it also reinforces the notion among voters that the Republican Party is thoroughly corrupt.

[gordianot]

7. No one else has authority to investigate this but the House, correct?

It sounds to me this probably goes beyond ethics to criminal behavior. Who has the eventual jurisdiction to a crime committed on Federal premises?

[maddezmom]

8. FBI or FDLE?

:shrug: see this thread:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2538833

[gordianot]

11. I did channel surf this morning and saw Murtha.

He gave the impression that House ethics should take of this. It did not answer who would take action. Thanks for the link as much as they want this to go away it will not.

[mom cat]

9. Go get um Nancy!

[truthisfreedom]

10. unanimous. wow. way to go Nancy! i seriously hope she's at the helm in

the fall. these thugs have to go down.

[Tellurian]

12. The Pubbies are right...The Dems are afraid to use POWER!

We will surly fail if Pelosi doesn't start using words like:

CRIMINAL-CORRUPT-PROSECUTE-COVER UP-UNFIT TO SERVE-LIES

RESIGNATION-STEP DOWN-IMMORAL-CORRUPT FAMILY VALUES-SCANDAL

If she allows this power to evaporate out of her hands, like so many
other missed opportunitys before; then she herself should step aside.