October 05, 2006
Foley Pranked/ Ross Exposed?
It looks like I was at least halfway on target when I attempted to ask the staff of the ABC News blog The Blotter when Brian Ross became aware of the Foley instant messages and if the came directly from the Congressional pages involved or from a third party intermediary.
If Matt Drudge is right, we've got a partial answer to the second question:
According to two people close to former congressional page Jordan Edmund, the now famous lurid AOL Instant Message exchanges that led to the resignation of Mark Foley were part of an online prank that by mistake got into the hands of enemy political operatives, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.According to one Oklahoma source who knows the former page very well, Edmund, a conservative Republican, goaded an unwitting Foley to type embarrassing comments that were then shared with a small group of young Hill politicos. The prank went awry when the saved IM sessions got into the hands of political operatives favorable to Democrats.
The primary source, an ally of Edmund, adamantly proclaims that the former page is not a homosexual. The prank scenario was confirmed by a second associate of Edmund. Both are fearful that their political careers will be affected if they are publicly brought into the matter.
The prank scenario only applies to the Edmund IM sessions and does not necessarily apply to any other exchanges between the former congressman and others.
The news come on the heels that Edmund has hired former Timothy McVeigh attorney, Stephen Jones.
This of course does not change the fact that Foley is an admitted predator, nor does it having any bearing on instant messages by other pages, nor does it make any apparent impact on the fact that Foley was able to get away with this for as long as he did. On Capitol Hill, we still don't know "who knew what, when" and if anyone else failed in their duties in protecting Congressional pages, and if so, if their failure would warrant resignation. That's what the ethics investigation is for. Until we have a better understand of what is going on in this very fluid situation, I think it's best to call off the call for heads.
I am however, brought back to my original question that I submitted to the ABC News blog comments section that disappeared (no doubt due to a technical glitch, similar to the one that exposed the page's screen name).
Brian Ross: When did you first become aware of these instant messages between House pages and Mark Foley, and who was that third party intermediary?
Inquiring minds want to know.
yeah good post. I've had a similar take over at RightLinx for the past couple days.
Posted by: McCain at October 5, 2006 05:22 PMThis might just have been the most brilliant Rove scheme ever. Exposing the intolerence of the fifth-column left.
So much for left-wing tolerance.
At the same time, this in no way affects Foley's GOP replacement.
Posted by: Tood at October 5, 2006 06:30 PMThe Dems are rapidly losing a chance to gain on this. They could have easily cinched a previosuly safe Republican seat by trashing Foley and campaigning hard in his district against him.
Instead, they started screeching for everyone to resign before the facts came out and now it appears they could care less about children and page predators as long as they get political power.
This will end up blowing up in their face and they could end up still losing the Foley seat.
Posted by: Faith+1 at October 5, 2006 06:37 PMDid the intermediary tell abc news that the IM's were from a minor?
Did the intermediary have the hill's 'gop-aide's permission to report him as a whistleblower?
(gay guy..whistleblower...a little funny)
Foley can actually now sue abc news-at a time when he was under intense politcal scrutiny, abc falsely reported a conversation he had with an adult, telling readers it was a minor.
Does Brian Williams want to own up to his mistake, or keep his dripping going without thought about his source or legal culpability?
Abc screws up once, maybe, but if they are printing more stuff to get burned by...
The news division cringes.
Posted by: lance at October 5, 2006 06:41 PMWhy write "make an impact on" rather than "affect"?
Posted by: useless pedant at October 5, 2006 06:41 PMI meant to say Brian Ross.
Brian Williams is the guy who was in the superdome, covering the situation as babies were being raped. or so he was told and reported.
no similarites whatsoever...
Posted by: lance at October 5, 2006 06:43 PMDid Brian Ross get permission from Edmund to print his IMs? I am certain that Foley did not give his permission. Apparently, Edmund was 18 when some of the IMs happened. If Edmund did not consent to publishing wouldn't that create a huge civil liability for invasion of privacy? Seems like either he or his parents would need to consent. Stephen Jones may be a nightmare to ABC/Disney.
Posted by: truth is a weapon at October 5, 2006 06:47 PMWould not surprise me if this was a continuing plot by ABC; After the "Path to 9/11" deal, this "false" reporting might bite the Democrats HARD....
Posted by: Robin at October 5, 2006 08:30 PMWasn't Brian Ross the reporter who last summer kept saying that Dennie Hastert was being investigated by the FBI? Why did he think that if it was not about this mess with the IM's.
Posted by: Karen at October 5, 2006 10:10 PMEdmund has hired a lawyer so someone is about to make him a rich man, and he is and was a man, not the poor little kiddie we were led to believe.
Tomorrow well see if the democrats defend the X teacher in Florida, now working for the Florida state democratic party. X because he used the same tactics as Foley, only on 14 and 15 year old girls. Aee Michele Malkins site for the story on the X teacher.
Posted by: Scrapiron at October 6, 2006 12:10 AMScrap,
It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds. But, Edmunds hired a lawyer that is famous for criminal defense, not civil litigation. It could be that the guy does both. If not, or if he really specializes in crim def, I wonder why Edmunds hired him? Another little twist to the story.
Posted by: Specter at October 6, 2006 06:31 AM
