October 2, 2006

Foley Now In Deeper Trouble

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Congressman Mark Foley, already in enough trouble for sending sexually explicit and other inappropriate messages to adolescent Congressional pages, is now looking at a more serious charge. It turns out that Foley made repeated attempts to get a page to rendevous with him at night.

“I would drive a few miles for a hot stud like you,” Foley said in one message. This text, according to the FBI, could constitute what it takes for the government to make a federal charge of soliciting for sex with a minor on the Internet against the former Congressman. There is also at least one message that indicates that Foley met with at least one page in San Diego, though the nature of the meeting is not known.

Here is the text of one message:

Maf54: I want to see you
Teen: Like I said not til feb…then we will go to dinner
Maf54: and then what happens
Teen: we eat…we drink…who knows…hang out…late into the night
Maf54: and
Teen: I dunno
Maf54: dunno what
Teen: hmmm I have the feeling that you are fishing here…im not sure what I would be comfortable with…well see

Foley, former co-chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, has checked into a rehab facility in order to deal with his alcoholism. He once said, “We track library books better than we do sexual predators.” Apparently, Foley was counting on a continuation of that poor tracking.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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