After strict investigation into the scandal concerning Former Florida Republican Congressman Mark Foley, officials report that there will be no charges filed against him.
West Palm Beach, Florida – As a first-year Political Science major, I was consumed with learning about the United States system of government and the elected officials surrounding me. In the summer of 2004, I applied for an internship with the previous Florida Congressman Mark Foley. I was ecstatic when his office called to congratulate me on the position. The front desk in his Palm Beach Gardens office was all mine and I could not wait to begin. It was a simple job, but the honor of working for a member of the United States Congress was all I needed to be satisfied. Looking back on the first time I met Mark Foley, I was nervous but excited, and when I shook his hand I felt extremely privileged.
That summer internship was what inspired me to become further engrossed in the political realm and later work for Senator Lincoln Chafee and Governor Donald Carcieri of Rhode Island. When I received news of the pending investigation concerning the Congressman, I was shocked. Rumors were flying around Florida that the Republican congressman had sent sexually explicit e-mails and instant messages to male, teenage pages. Immediately, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement began investigating whether Mr. Foley violated Florida’s computer child pornography and exploitation law, and a state law banning the transmittal of harmful material to minors via electronic equipment or devices. After much investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI, Mr. Foley resigned in 2006, checked himself into rehab and issued a statement seeking treatment for “alcoholism and other behavioral problems.”
Recently, two law enforcement officials have concluded there is “insufficient evidence” to charge Foley with breaking Florida laws. The department’s 16-page report shows that law-enforcement official interviewed 17 former House pages from Florida who had worked in Congress from 2000 to 2006. It is interesting that none reported having had any inappropriate activity or conversations with Mr. Foley. Sadly enough, the truth to this story could fall both ways: either the page constructed lies towards the Congressman, or Mr. Foley is guilty of sending the alleged sexual messages. As a young woman who worked for him, I do not want the latter to be true, but in such a corrupted world, it just may be. As of now, the Former Congressman is off the hook.
This breaking news is brought to you by: Legal Reporter Jana Simard, JusticeNewsFlash.com