AP News Break: No charges expected against Foley

[bobthedrummer]

Source: AP via Guardian

Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley isn't expected to face charges after a lengthy investigation into his lurid messages to underage congressional pages, two federal law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/7809551

---

"lurid messages..."
:puke: :argh:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

1. "...lurid messages to underage congressional pages..."

OK, so Congress now approves lurid messages to underage congressional pages. Wasn't President George W. "Bullhorn on Ground Zero" Bush supposed to protect us from this kind of thing?

[bobthedrummer]

12. I suppose that means one could send John Lee's "Big Legs, Tight Skirt"-nevermind, I don't want to go

OT as a result of that pic you've got.

Btw, what SOTU was it where he went into trafficking children???

"money trumps peace..."

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

2. At least

his career is ruined, the stupid fucking hypocrite ass clown.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. And his seat is now in Democratic hands

[davidinalameda]

18. a conservative Democrat

who's not much better on the issue than some repugs

[Freddie Stubbs]

20. He has voted with the Democrats 92% of the time:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/house/party-voters

Which specific Republicans is he "not much better on the issues" than? Which Republicans in the House come anywhere near to voting with the Democrats 92% of the time?

[davidinalameda]

27. that's not my understanding of him

everything I've seen shows that he's conservative and how many of those 1700 votes were procedural issues

[Freddie Stubbs]

28. Obviously you need to do more research on this

[bobthedrummer]

3. Mark Foley page scandal, a "page" from Source Watch

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mark_Foley_page_scandal

[bobthedrummer]

5. Mark Foley was the Chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children,

Mark Foley was also the sponsor of HR 5749-which, among other things, was intended to prevent electronic predation of minors by adults.

We had a lot of discussions here as the scandal was breaking. As a result of some questions from some of those threads I started a thread that was disturbing (still is) when we learned the identities of a group of people entrusted with recovering and protecting children. It is posted below.

"The Center for Missing and Exploited Children Board of Directors" (started October 1, 2006)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2280827

Media Matters has an interesting group of audio and video clips as well as articles indexed to the Mark Foley scandal.
http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/mark_foley_scandal

Mark Foley kept campaign funds for his own use after resigning.
And, if this report given to AP is correct, yet another GOP criminal is not held accountable for his behavior.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. that's like putting Ted Bundy in charge of security at a co-ed mixer.

[bobthedrummer]

8. Quite an analogy there dixiegrrrrl-an apt one!

[roody]

7. Disgusting. Thanks for being on top of it.

[bobthedrummer]

14. Armchairsubversive tracks GOP predators, roody

http://armchairsubversive.org/

[boilinmad]

9. What?....

...and break the repugs vast and perfect record of 'No Accountability'. Excellent.

[badgervan]

10. This is What Happens....

.... when all the Justice Departments are stacked with bush loyalists and Dem haters.

[bobthedrummer]

13. Yep, like the Gestapo or Politburo--btw, did you get to the Resch Center badgervan?

Good turnout, local media coverage-no problems that I could see.

on edit: several of us were wondering aloud what had happened with the Donald Fleischman case (former Brown County Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman and Treasurer resigned after arrest for sex acts with runaway adjudicated boy that was found on one of his properties, the case was sandbagged by Republican DA for 10 months)

"Wisconsin GOP chair faces charges in enticement of teenage boy" (10-14-2007 Raw Story)
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Wisconsin_GOP_chair_faces_charges_in_1014.html

[badgervan]

17. Nope

I have no desire to see mcsame and palin, who were there a few hours ago. Fleischman - I read something a week ago to the effect that charges were either not filed or dropped. Pretty sure he skated. Our rethug DA reminds me a lot of Palin, in style and beliefs.

[saigon68]

29. Yes, Johnny Z. has covered the monied interests well

Amazing how long he has received a free pass by the local Dems

[bobthedrummer]

30. Brown County was "privatized" long ago saigon68-I know you know that but outsiders don't realize it.

Bob

[Joe Bacon]

11. IOKIYAR strikes again

Once again, Republicans are above the law

[crossroads]

15. Why am I not surprised at this 'news'? nt

[bobthedrummer]

16. OK, but what other emotions and thoughts do you have about it?

[crossroads]

21. Disgust!

Too long have these people in power not been held accountable for their actions... Republicans seem to feel they are 'above the law' and act accordingly! Look at the double standard the Repukes held for 'good old boy' David Vitter (Louisina's Republican senator as apposed to their moral outrage over Clintons so called 'sin'!

CR

[Ian David]

19. NAMBLA has too many Republican members of Congress in their ranks. n/t

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

22. Ha, another Repugnant makes news. Where is Larry Craig today?

Did anyone ever really expect to see formal charges? LOL

Denny Hastert (before leaving in shame) saw to that clean-up job.

How is Larry Craig doing these days with his newest attempt to get his signed guilty-plea overturned?

Both of those guys need advice from Todd Palin. Just ignore the law and it will go away.

[struggle4progress]

26. Larry has recently decided to collect donations to offset his legal fees:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3500237&mesg_id=3500237

[struggle4progress]

23. FDLE finds insufficient evidence to charge Mark Foley over explicit messages to pages

By MICHELE DARGAN
Daily News Staff Writer
Friday, September 19, 2008

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced Friday that there is insufficient evidence to charge former Congressman Mark Foley in connection with sexually explicit correspondence with underage House pages because Congress and Foley denied investigators access to critical data.

FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey left the door open by saying the investigation could resume if additional information arises ...

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/content/news/2008/09/19/webfoley0919.html

[struggle4progress]

24. Florida officials cite lack of evidence in declining to charge Foley in cybersex case

By DARA KAM
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, September 19, 2008

... Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner blamed Foley's refusal to hand over his government computers and data files to investigators for the failure to press charges ...

Last year, the general counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives refused to release Foley's government-issued computers without Foley's permission.

Foley's lawyer, David Roth, refused.

"Roth advised that it was not in Foley's best interest to comply" with the request, the report reads ...

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2008/09/19/0919foley.html

[struggle4progress]

25. Fla. authorities say they can't prove Foley case

... Florida law enforcement had been investigating alleged electronic communication between Foley and an underage page sent in February 2003 from Pensacola. However, the agency could not obtain authentic records of the instant message chats.

Authorities were investigating whether Foley broke the law by sending lewd or seductive messages to minors, or whether he tried to arrange a meeting for sex with a minor.

Florida authorities were also hampered in their investigation because neither Foley nor the House would let investigators examine his congressional computers. The House counsel noted the computer and its contents were protected as privileged material and that only Foley could release them. He refused.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gx_YBjEgezrJCzsUbNGtTn09FUsQD939U0TO0