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The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., resigned from Congress on Friday, effective immediately, in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote a former male page.
“I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent,” he said in a statement issued by his office.
The two-sentence statement did not refer to the e-mails and gave no reason for Foley’s decision to abruptly abandon a flourishing career in Congress.
Foley, 52, had been a shoo-in for a new term until the e-mail correspondence surfaced in recent days.
Campaign aides had previously acknowledged that the Republican congressman e-mailed the former Capitol page five times, but had said there was nothing inappropriate about the exchange. The page was 16 at the time of the e-mail correspondence.
It was not clear what prompted Foley to abruptly decide to give up a successful career in the House.
Foley, who represents an area around Palm Beach County, e-mailed the page in August 2005. The page had worked for Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., and Foley asked him how he was doing after Hurricane Katrina and what he wanted for his birthday. The congressman also asked the boy to send a photo of himself, according to excerpts of the e-mails that were originally released by ABC News.
Foley’s aides initially blamed Democratic rival Tim Mahoney and Democrats with attempting to smear the congressman about five weeks before the election.
The e-mails were posted Friday on Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’s Web site after ABC News reported their existence. The group asked the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to investigate the exchange Foley had with the boy, who served as a page for Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La.
“The House of Representatives has an obligation to protect the teenagers who come to Congress to learn about the legislative process,” the group wrote, adding that the committee, “must investigate any allegation that a page has been subjected to sexual advances by members of the House.”
Gotta love those Republican family values!
WEll WEll.
Isn’t that nice. One post was surprised that it was a repuplican? This party has been all over the news lately. For corruption, abuse of power, and general imorality. We certainly cannot tollerate this kind of buggery in our goverment or anywhere else. Nothing like a 52 year old man wanting to buy a 16 year old boy, who is not a family member, birthday presents. HOW SWEET!! YUCK!! Creepy son of a @#$%#%%#!!! Lets all remember these things at the ballot box. 
Who resigns a federal office without knowing that they are guilty already in an election year? So much for the Republican “right”, as this is really wrong. How long before we find Charlie Crist is really gay (As if we didn’t already know it) and Rhonda Storms supports him and his cause because he is Republican? Come out of the closet already Charlie.... and announce Rosie O’Donnel and Toni Jennings as your lesbean running mates.
Our state has become a complete laughingstock due to the behavior of “moral crusaders” like Foley and Katherine Harris. If you are one of the sheep looking for moral guidance from these two nutjobs, it may be time to research a new mentor--like a teacher. Oh, I forgot, we are also the state that brought the nation Debra Lafave. No wonder you’ins folks are now rightly considerin’ the notion of “Congresswoman Ronda Storms”. What in tarnation?
Good Riddance. I am a Republican, but I have no sympathy for Foley or the REp. party on this one. We don’t need child molesters in govt.
See drudge or ABC for the contents of the IM’s. They are clearly explicit.
Foley should donate his campaign funds to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
If these emails were sent in 2005. Why wait till 5 weeks before the election to expose them? This sounds really strange. Who found the emails and revealed them? Are the boy’s parent’s pressing charges against Congressman Foley? Were the emails sexually explicit? I think these questions a few more need to be answered before everyone crucifies Congressman Foley.The one person sure to gain by all this is his Democrat challenger. Very fishy!!
Why on earth would you report that the “emails were posted online,” and NOT provide a link to the appropriate website? That’s just silly.
I didn’t know ANY Republican could do anything this bad!!!!
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Posted by Mike Munro, Bradenton, Florida on 10/01 at 12:05 AM
Only a die hard Republican would completely be oblivious to with solid foundation the documented sexual chat and e-mail via computer with a Washington page boy in mention. If he were a common man, he would immediately be arrested and charged. But the Republicans will sweep this under the rug.