Ethics Committee May Be Close to Wrapping Report on Former Rep. Mark Foley's Conduct With Pages

WASHINGTON – The House ethics committee could be close to finishing its report on ex-Rep. Mark Foley's improper conduct with former pages.

Committee members would not comment on when they would issue their findings. Committee leaders said in early October the investigation would be finished in weeks, not months, and members have said privately they did not want to carry the matter over until next year.

The findings would have far greater impact if Republicans had retained control of Congress because questions were raised over the lack of strong action by Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and his top aides.

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Foley, R-Fla., became overly friendly with male pages when they served as errand-runners for lawmakers and — after they left Congress — sent some of them inappropriate e-mails and lurid instant messages.

The committee has heard from dozens of witnesses, and was presented with several conflicts over when Hastert and his staff learned of Foley's conduct.

Hastert's aides could have learned of Foley's inappropriate e-mails as early as 2002 and as late as 2005, depending on who is recounting the events.

Hastert said his aides first learned in 2005 of questionable e-mails between Foley and a former page from Louisiana. Foley's former top aide said he told Hastert's chief of staff about the Florida lawmaker in 2002 or 2003.

Also, Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and the House Republican campaign chief Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y., said they told Hastert about Foley's inappropriate behavior last spring. Hastert said he could not recall those conversations, and did not learn of Foley's conduct until late September when the whole matter became public.

Foley resigned from Congress on Sept. 29.