|
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
Ex-Rep. Mark Foley Had $1.75 Million for Campaign NewsMax.com Wires WASHINGTON -- Mark Foley, who resigned his seat in the U.S. Congress after a scandal involving inappropriate e-mails to interns, had almost $1.75 million left in his campaign coffers, according to his latest disclosure report made public on Wednesday. The Florida Republican, who was in his sixth term, stepped down September 29 after ABC News reported that he had sent some sexually explicit messages to former teenage male interns, known as congressional pages. Foley could use the money to set up a legal defense fund, give it to other political campaigns, donate it to charity or return the contributions, according to Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, a campaign watchdog group. Foley has been under criminal investigation by Florida authorities and the FBI. "The Federal Election Commission has allowed candidates to defend themselves from legal issues that could affect their campaigns, but since Foley's political career is over, that argument would be tough to make," said Massie Ritsch, communications director at the Center for Responsive Politics. Since the scandal broke and Foley stepped down, his campaign has refunded more than $135,000 to individuals and political action committees, according to his latest report filed with the Federal Election Commission, which covers the period through November 27. Foley's scuttled re-election campaign had taken in almost $900,000 in individual contributions and another $645,000 from political and other campaign committees over a two-year period. Story Continues Below
His lawyer, David Roth, was not immediately available for comment. Roth has denied his client had sexual contact with a minor and said the former lawmaker had been molested by a clergyman as a teenager. Foley checked into an alcohol treatment center soon after the details of the scandal emerged. Rules had prohibited taking Foley's name off the ballot so close to the November 7 election. Democrat Tim Mahoney won Foley's seat as part of a broader Democratic sweep that gave the party control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Editor's note: Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Print Page 
Forward Page 
|
| All Rights Reserved © 2012 NewsMax.Com |