The chief congressional overseer of House pages, who says he tried to stop ex-Rep. Mark Foley from e-mailing a Louisiana page in late 2005, is ready to explain his actions to House investigators.
Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., scheduled for questioning Friday before the House ethics committee, says he kept the two other House members overseeing the pages in the dark as he confronted Foley last fall. Shimkus, chairman of the House Page Board, said he was following the wishes of the boy’s parents by not telling the other members.
A four-member ethics investigating panel, operating in closed session, is hearing key witnesses with knowledge of how Republicans handled several alarms raised about Foley’s conduct over the past five years. The Florida Republican resigned Sept. 29 after he was confronted with sexually explicit instant messages sent to former male pages.
Former Foley aide testifies
Foley’s one-time chief of staff testified before the investigative panel for nearly five hours Thursday. Kirk Fordham has said publicly that he raised alarms with House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s top aide nearly three years ago.
Fordham would not comment on his testimony. His extensive knowledge of Foley’s actions include the Florida Republican’s attempt to enter the page dorm while drunk several years ago, one of the events that triggered several alarms raised by Fordham with House officials, according to a source familiar with Fordham’s actions and knowledge.
Hastert, R-Ill., has said he learned of inappropriate approaches by Foley in late September and his aides found out in the fall of 2005. Hastert’s chief of staff, Scott Palmer, has denied that Fordham contacted him at least three years ago, contradicting Fordham and creating one of the major conflicts the committee must resolve.
Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean said after Fordham’s testimony: “The ethics committee is investigating this matter and we are confident in its ability to determine the real facts. The speaker has said that any person who is found guilty of improper conduct involving sexual contact or communication with a page should immediately resign, be fired, or be subjected to a vote of expulsion.”
Fordham has made several public statements on his actions and has been questioned by the FBI.
'Acted in an expedited manner'
The Page Board consists of three lawmakers and two House officers who set policy for the program that brings teenagers to Congress to attend school and perform errands in the chamber during sessions. The board does not, however, provide daily supervision of the pages, leaving that to House staff members.
Shimkus’ office said that he and then-House clerk Jeff Trandahl — who also was on the board — confronted Foley in his office last fall after hearing from Hastert’s aides about the overly friendly e-mail to the former Louisiana page. Shimkus said he told Foley to cease all contact with the teenager.
The uninformed members of the page board were Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich., and Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
“I think Congressman Shimkus acted in an expedited manner to find out what happened,” while respecting the wishes of the family, Hastert said in support of Shimkus’ decision to keep the two other lawmakers out of the loop.
