More on PageGate

The New York Times (Reg. Req.) picks up the story today and adds these statements:

Representative Christopher Shays, Republican of Connecticut, said any leader who had been aware of Mr. Foley’s behavior and failed to take action should step down. “If they knew or should have known the extent of this problem, they should not serve in leadership,” Mr. Shays said.

On Saturday night, the House Republican leadership issued a statement that characterized the communications between Mr. Foley and the former House pages as “unacceptable and abhorrent.”

“It is an obscene breach of trust,” the statement said. “His immediate resignation must now be followed by the full weight of the criminal justice system.”

The House Republican leadership knew that the communications between Foley and the 16-year old pages was “unacceptable and abhorrent” almost a year ago. They knew it was an “obscene breach of trust” almost a year ago. Yet they spent that time pretending that nothing happened, trying to keep it all hush-hush. When a 16-year-old boy under the House’s supervision describes the email as “sick” and something that “freaked [him] out”, then you can’t pretend it wasn’t a big deal.

Meanwhile, in Akron, Jack Davis had a big Christmas present placed in his lap.

Democrats moved quickly to criticize Mr. Reynolds, who while overseeing House campaigns nationally is facing the potential of a serious challenge from Jack Davis, a wealthy businessman who has vowed to spend at least $2 million of his own money in the contest. “Tom Reynolds had a moral obligation to protect our children,” said Curtis Ellis, a spokesman for Mr. Davis.

Carl Forti, a spokesman for Mr. Reynolds, said the congressman became aware of contact between Mr. Foley and the young page this past spring, when Mr. Alexander brought it to his attention. Mr. Forti said that Mr. Alexander had told Mr. Reynolds of an e-mail exchange between Mr. Foley and the page, but that he did not show Mr. Reynolds the e-mail messages and their contents.

Tim Mahoney, the Democrat who was running against Foley for Florida’s 16th Congressional District said:

“It’s now clear from all the reports coming in from across the country that the Republican leadership team has been well aware of this problem with the pages for well over a year,” Mr. Mahoney said at a campaign stop at Palm Beach International Airport. “It looks to me that it was more important to hold onto a seat and to hold onto power than to take care of our children.”

Foley’s own campaign website has been taken down, but we always have the magic of Google’s cache and the waybackmachine.org. One of Foley’s listed “accomplishments” has to do with his record on “Child Protection”.

The Working Families Party is calling for a special prosecutor to investigate.