Report Reveals More E-mails To Former Istook Campaign Worker

Saturday, December 9th 2006, 2:58 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A U.S. House Ethics Committee investigation of former Rep. Mark Foley revealed more sexually explicit computer messages to ex-House pages, including one who once worked on former Congressman Ernest Istook's gubernatorial campaign.

The messages were included in transcripts and a report released on Friday that criticized Republicans for not heeding warning signs about Foley's inappropriate behavior with underaged male pages.

In one message to Jordan Edmund, now 21, Foley wrote that he wanted to be intimate with Edmund, but ``I was good ... plus you would have freaked,'' according to transcripts.

Foley, R-Fla., was referring to a 2002 dinner the two had together in California after Edmund, then 17, had completed the page program. They also were alone for a short time in Foley's hotel room.

In an April 3, 2003, message to Edmund about the dinner, Foley also allegedly wrote, ``But you may have liked it a lot ... I bet you would have ... you seemed very comfortable ... while we watched'' TV. I was well behaved ... you were too young ... but I had such a huge crush.''

Foley goes on to a detailed discussion of a sexual act he allegedly wanted to perform on the former page, but Edmund ended the exchange by reminding Foley he only had six minutes left to go vote.

Foley resigned September 29th after being confronted about sexually explicit instant messages to former pages. The scandal contributed to Republicans losing control of the House in November's general election.

While the House ethics committee was critical, members reported uncovering no evidence that anyone in the House knew Foley had sent sexually explicit messages to former pages before ABC News reported it.

Several officials knew, though, that he had sent ``inappropriately personal and excessively familiar'' e-mails to a former page from Louisiana asking for photos and about the teenager's birthday.

``Too many exhibited insufficient diligence or willingness to take the steps necessary to ensure that the matter was being appropriately handled,'' the ethics committee reported.

Edmund never spoke to the House ethics committee, his attorney, Stephen Jones, said.

The FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement did interview him.