Speaker’s Office warned about Foley

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s office was notified of concerns about then-Representative Mark Foley before 2005, casting doubt on top GOP leaders’ statements that they heard nothing of Foley’s inappropriate behavior before then, a former aide to Foley says.

Hastert’s office has denied the claim. Kirk Fordham made his remarks after resigning Wednesday amid allegations that he tried to protect Foley from congressional inquiries into his inappropriate contact with congressional pages.Fordham elaborated in an interview with ABC News and said he told Hastert’s chief of staff, Scott Palmer, that Foley was too friendly with the pages, and that Palmer talked to Foley.Hastert’s spokesman Ron Bonjean told ABC News, “That [warning] never happened.”Added Palmer, “What Kirk Fordham said did not happen.”In a statement to CNN, Bonjean said only that “this matter has been referred to the Standards Committee and we fully expect that the bipartisan panel will do what it needs to do to investigate this matter and protect the integrity of the House.”A GOP leadership aide, however, questioned why Fordham told AP on Wednesday morning that he “had no inkling that this kind of blatantly reckless – just obscene – behavior was going on behind our backs,” but later said he had warned Hastert about it.”It’s contradictory from what he said just this morning.He’s changed his story,” the aide said.Fordham was the top aide to Representative Tom Reynolds, R-New York, and once held the same job for Foley.In his resignation statement, Fordham vigorously denied taking any inappropriate action on Foley’s behalf.”When I sought to help Congressman Foley and his family when his shocking secrets were being revealed, I did so as a friend of my former boss, not as Congressman Reynolds’ chief of staff,” Fordham said.”I reached out to the Foley family, as any good friend would, because I was worried about their emotional well-being.At the same time, I want it to be perfectly clear that I never attempted to prevent any inquiries or investigation of Foley’s conduct by House officials or any other authorities.”CNNKirk Fordham made his remarks after resigning Wednesday amid allegations that he tried to protect Foley from congressional inquiries into his inappropriate contact with congressional pages.Fordham elaborated in an interview with ABC News and said he told Hastert’s chief of staff, Scott Palmer, that Foley was too friendly with the pages, and that Palmer talked to Foley.Hastert’s spokesman Ron Bonjean told ABC News, “That [warning] never happened.”Added Palmer, “What Kirk Fordham said did not happen.”In a statement to CNN, Bonjean said only that “this matter has been referred to the Standards Committee and we fully expect that the bipartisan panel will do what it needs to do to investigate this matter and protect the integrity of the House.”A GOP leadership aide, however, questioned why Fordham told AP on Wednesday morning that he “had no inkling that this kind of blatantly reckless – just obscene – behavior was going on behind our backs,” but later said he had warned Hastert about it.”It’s contradictory from what he said just this morning.He’s changed his story,” the aide said.Fordham was the top aide to Representative Tom Reynolds, R-New York, and once held the same job for Foley.In his resignation statement, Fordham vigorously denied taking any inappropriate action on Foley’s behalf.”When I sought to help Congressman Foley and his family when his shocking secrets were being revealed, I did so as a friend of my former boss, not as Congressman Reynolds’ chief of staff,” Fordham said.”I reached out to the Foley family, as any good friend would, because I was worried about their emotional well-being.At the same time, I want it to be perfectly clear that I never attempted to prevent any inquiries or investigation of Foley’s conduct by House officials or any other authorities.”CNN