Fresh claims fuel US e-mail row

The US Republican Party is struggling to contain the scandal surrounding former Congressman Mark Foley’s e-mails to young men amid new allegations.

US media revealed a possible romantic link with a young congressional worker and that warnings about Mr Foley’s conduct went as far back as 1995.

Republican House leader Dennis Hastert has refused to bow to calls for him to resign over his failure to act sooner.

Mr Foley denied ever having sexual contact with a minor, his lawyer said.

President George W Bush said he had been disgusted by Mr Foley’s actions.

But Mr Bush also defended Mr Hastert in a scandal correspondents say is dominating politics as mid-term polls approach.

A new opinion poll on Wednesday showed the Democrats within reach of retaking the House of Representatives, leading in 11 of 15 vital Republican-held seats.

Sexual contact denied

Mr Foley, a member of the House of Representatives caucus on missing and exploited children, resigned on Friday after revelations that he had sent sexual messages to young men on his staff.

The youngest recipient of the suggestive e-mails is said to have been 16 years old.

Mr Foley’s lawyer said the former Congressman denied ever having sexual contact with a minor and had checked into a rehabilitation clinic to be treated for alcoholism.

Mr Foley’s lawyer says his client has declared he is gay and was abused at a church in his early teens.

The lawyer, David Roth, said: “Mark has asked that you be told that between the ages of 13 and 15 he was molested by a clergyman. Mark will address this issue further upon his release from treatment.”

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ABC Television has now published intimate e-mail exchanges showing Mr Foley and one congressional “page” worker planning an encounter and trading internet kisses.

Page workers are high school students over the age of 16 appointed to help with administrative work at the House of Representatives.

It said in one April 2003 message Mr Foley invited a teenager to his home to drink alcohol, an invitation that was accepted.

The Washington Post reported that as far back as 1995, some pages were warned to be aware of the actions of Mr Foley.

One former page said Mr Foley sent e-mails asking them to join him for ice-cream.

The Post said about a dozen former pages had talked of Mr Foley’s behaviour, some of them expressing how it made them uncomfortable. None has suggested any sexual activities ever took place.

One Republican representative, Ray LaHood, said on Wednesday the page programme should be shut temporarily because “some members betray their trust by taking advantage of them”.

The Washington Times newspaper has accused Mr Hastert of not fully pursuing warnings over Mr Foley. Its headline: “Resign, Mr Speaker” echoed calls from some conservative Republicans.

Mr Hastert strongly defended his role, accusing the Democrats of political point-scoring.

He said: “If they get to me it looks like they could affect our election as well.”

Mr Hastert denied he knew about the e-mail messages before the scandal became public.

Mr Bush backed Mr Hastert, saying the Speaker “wants all the facts to come out”.

The president added: “He’s a father, teacher, coach who cares about the children of this country.”

But Mr Bush said he was disappointed that Mr Foley “would violate the trust of the citizens who placed him in office”.

Opinion poll

The scandal has dominated news channels and internet sites.

Minnesota Democrat House candidate Patty Wetterling has become the first to use Mr Foley in her campaign advertising.

Mrs Wetterling, whose 11-year-old son was abducted in 1989 and never found, accused Republican leaders of covering up the matter.

A new Reuters/Zogby poll of at least 500 voters in 15 Republican districts, taken in a period that overlapped the Foley case by three days, showed the Democrats ahead in 11.

Several other Republican-held districts favoured to go Democrat were not polled.

The Democrats need 15 seats to retake the House on 7 November.

BBC