Chairman Tom Davis Statement on Mark Foley Matter

October 03, 2006

I am shocked and disgusted by former Rep. Mark Foley's e-mail exchanges. It goes without saying that law enforcement should quickly and thoroughly investigate Mr. Foley to determine whether criminal activity occurred.

While I had no previous knowledge of Mr. Foley's conduct, other Members and staff apparently did know of an e-mail exchange between Mr. Foley and a page that has been described as "overly friendly." While the content of this message was not explicitly sexual, it contained enough innuendo to suggest something other than a mentor-student relationship was being sought by Mr. Foley. This message constituted a warning that the safety and wellbeing of pages were at risk. More aggressive action should have been taken to determine the extent and propriety of Mr. Foley's conduct.

We now need an independent, quick, and thorough investigation, and I fully support the Speaker's call for one. There is much we do not yet know, including who knew what, and when. There can be no accountability until these questions are answered.

I was a Senate page for four years. During that time I was witness to history and had the opportunity to interact with numerous political icons. Countless young men and women continue to come to Washington through the page program to share similar experiences; this should continue. It's unimaginable to think their experiences could be sullied by sexual advances from a Member of Congress. It is our responsibility to ensure this does not occur.

If any Members of Congress, leadership or rank and file, were involved in covering up knowledge of Mr. Foley s sexually explicit messages, they should step down immediately.