ABC NEWS: 3 more pages come forward, Drudge report dismissed

Thorgrim · 10-05-2006, 07:25 PM

Three more former congressional pages have come forward to reveal what they call "sexual approaches" over the Internet from former Congressman Mark Foley.

The pages served in the classes of 1998, 2000 and 2002. They independently approached ABC News after the Foley resignation through the Brian Ross & the Investigative Team's tip line on ABCNews.com. None wanted their names used because of the sensitive nature of the communications.

"I was seventeen years old and just returned to [my home state] when Foley began to e-mail me, asking if I had ever seen my page roommates naked and how big their penises were," said the page in the 2002 class.

The former page also said Foley told him that if he happened to be in Washington, D.C., he could stay at Foley's home if he "would engage in oral sex" with Foley.

The page told ABC News he was interviewed this week by FBI agents who had a six-page list of questions about Foley and the exchanges.

The second page who talked with ABC News, a graduate of the 2000 page class, says Foley actually visited the old page dorm and offered rides to events in his BMW.

"His e-mails developed into sexually explicit conversations, and he asked me for photographs of my erect penis," the former page said.
The page said Foley maintained e-mail contact with him even after he started college and arranged a sexual liaison after the page had turned 18.

The third page interviewed by ABC News, a graduate of the 1998 page class, said Foley's instant messages began while he was a senior in high school.

"Foley would say he was sitting in his boxers and ask what I was wearing," the page said.

"It became more weird, and I stopped responding," the page said.

All three pages described similar instant message and e-mail patterns, with remarkably similar escalations of provocative questions.
"He didn't want to talk about politics," the page said. "He wanted to talk about sex or my penis," the page said.

The three new verbal accounts are in addition to two sets of sexually explicit instant messages provided to ABC News by former pages.

An online story on the Drudge Report Thursday claimed one set of the sexually explicit instant messages obtained by ABC News was part of a "prank" on the part of the former page, who reportedly says he goaded the congressman into writing the messages.

"This was no prank," said one of the three former pages who talked to ABC News today about his experience with the congressman.

The Blotter

I think its sad and disgusting that the extreme right wing blog media had to destroy a REPUBLICAN kids life who was working in Oklahoma to elect a REPUBLICAN, and they were wrong anyway, it wasn't just some prank, this is so much more

How do these people sleep at night?

RMNIXON · 10-05-2006, 07:36 PM

I think it is disgusting that someone held on to this story since 2003 for politcal purposes when Foley should have been outed back then to protect children.

And yes the bloggers are wrong to use kids for politcal purposes. So what is the media doing with all these endless IM details now that Foley is out?

ballz2wallz · 10-05-2006, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

and they were wrong anyway, it wasn't just some prank, this is so much more

How do these people sleep at night?

Actually, if you read Drudge, he states that it's a claim. Any news outlet would publish a claim like this.

CLAIM: FILTHY FOLEY ONLINE MESSAGES WERE PAGE PRANK GONE AWRY

Exactly how can Drudge be 'wrong' in stating that this person claimed this, if in fact they did claim it?

ballz2wallz · 10-05-2006, 07:41 PM

Also, I agree, they should not have outed the kid's name, but who was it that seemed to let the kid's name slip to the public? That's right, that beloved ABC whom you continue to link in these posts.

Fear not, however, not all conservative bloggers are willing to partake in the name-letting:

For the past two days, a conservative blogger has ginned up publicity for his work outing a 21-year-old young man--a former congressional page and current deputy campaign manager for a heartland Republican congressman--who received sexually explicit instant messages from disgraced Florida GOP Rep. Mark Foley when he was 17 and 18 years old. I have received several e-mails from the blogger and readers flogging the post.

I refused to link to the blogger then and even though the Drudge Report has plastered screaming headlines about the blogger's scoop, I refuse to link to it now. There was absolutely no good reason to expose the former congressional page's name and identity. Seizing on ABC News' redaction failure and reporting errors (more on that in a moment) to play gotcha in a feeble attempt to avenge Foley is not a sufficient reason to obliterate the young man's privacy. The young man was the prey, not the predator.

Michelle Malkin: The conservative outing mob

Thorgrim · 10-05-2006, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

Actually, if you read Drudge, he states that it's a claim. Any news outlet would publish a claim like this.

CLAIM: FILTHY FOLEY ONLINE MESSAGES WERE PAGE PRANK GONE AWRY

Exactly how can Drudge be 'wrong' in stating that this person claimed this, if in fact they did claim it?

Because he claims to be a journalist...

how would you like if someone wrote a headline that all your friends read:

CLAIM: BALLS2WALLZ LIKES ANIMAL PORN

I mean, someone you knew once told someone else, so they should be able to run with it right?

its called ethics, you can't just put "CLAIM:" infront of something and then say whatever you want

lets interview some wackos, than put on USAToday's headline "CLAIM: BUSH HIRED BIN LADEN TO CARRY OUT 9/11 ATTACKS"

cmon, get real