Lawmakers of both parties expressed outrage over the weekend at what some described as a cover-up by congressional leaders about electronic message exchanges between former republican Florida congressman Mark Foley and a 16-year-old house page.
Foley resigned Friday after news that of the messages were sexually explicit. And now lawmakers of both parties think congressional leaders,including house majority leader John Boehner of southwest Ohio should follow suit if they knew about the messages and act to protect the page.
It's the classic question of what Boehner and leaders knew, when did they know and what did they do about it.
The scandal jolted house republicans as they tried to abandon Washington in the wee-hours of Saturday morning to campaign.
Congressional aides escorted the congressman who page worked for as well as the representative who's in charge of the pages to Boehner's office for a post-bewitching hour conclave Saturday morning. They were trailed by Columbus congresswoman Deborah Pryce...the fourth-highest ranking republican in the house.
It's not a meeting but a gathering of people that kind of want to get filled in on if there's anything else going on, Pryce said.
House minority leader Nancy Pelosi of California charged GOP leaders including Boehner - quote- admitted to knowing about Foley's outrageous behavior.for months and chose to cover it up. She demanded the ethics committee question Boehner and other house republicans under oath. She also asked for a preliminary report from the ethics committee in 10 days.
But on the house floor, Boehner blocked Pelosi's special request.
We've not seen this resolution or its contents until this moment. And given the serious of the matter I would ask that the House refer this to the committee on ethics, Boehner said.
A Boehner spokesman points out Boehner didn't become majority leader until after the initial word that Foley e-mailed the page and that he wasn't aware of the salacious e-mails until Friday.