1 Boring Old Man

Ex-Page Tells of Foley Liaison

A former House page says he had sex with then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) after receiving explicit e-mails in which the congressman described assessing the sexual orientation and physical attributes of underage pages but waiting until later to make direct advances.

The former page, who agreed to discuss his relationship with Foley with the Los Angeles Times on the condition that he not be identified, said his electronic correspondence with Foley began after he finished the respected Capitol Hill page program for high school juniors. His sexual encounter was in the fall of 2000, he said. At the time, he was 21 and a graduate of a rural Northeastern college.

"I always knew you were a player but I don’t fool around with pages," declared one instant message from Maf54, a screen name Foley used in exchanges that have become public involving male former pages.

The former page’s account is consistent with Foley’s assertion that he did not have sexual relations with minors, an issue that will be key to determining whether he committed crimes. The legal age of consent varies from state to state; in the District of Columbia, where the pages live in supervised dormitories, it is 16.

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Foley’s flirtations made the young man feel important at a time when he was struggling with his emerging sexuality. "It seemed cool that he was taking an interest," he said. "I knew he was gay, and he was attracted to me."

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The former page, who served during Foley’s first term, said that he believed Foley became bolder in his behavior during his decade in Congress. "He clearly has used his position, but who hasn’t?" the former page said. He still follows protocol in referring to the former congressman as "Mr. Foley." He said Foley was really two very different people: a legislator "really devoted to his cause," and a sexual being.

He and other former pages were surprised that it took so long for Foley "to get caught," he said. "It most saddens me because of the damage it could do to the program," the young man said of the page system. "It was the most spectacular year of my life. I would love to do it all over again."

Lest anyone wondered about Foley’s being a sexual predator, this young man lays it all out. Foley makes his contact early, but waits, waits until there is no culpability – the ‘boy’ is beyond the age of consent; the ‘boy’ is gay; all things are mutual. The young man says, "He clearly has used his position, but who hasn’t?" He adds, "Foley was really two very different people: a legislator ‘really devoted to his cause,’ and a sexual being." And he worries about the program, "It was the most spectacular year of my life. I would love to do it all over again."

As a psychotherapist who has seen any number of such people, students involved with their professors, patients involved with their therapists, it all sounds familiar. The feeling of being special. The vague awareness of being taken advantage of, yet also sounding ‘protective.’ The careful avoidance of the legal culpability. Comments like, "a legislator ‘really devoted to his cause,’ and a sexual being." Even the long lead in and an abrupt ending is common.

Now, here comes the spin. Wonder what form it will take? Those homosexuals! See, the kid was seducing him. There weren’t any laws broken [like that worked for Clinton!]. etc. etc. Anything to get away from the point of it all: that Congressman Foley trolled the Pages for his whole term of office; that he used his position to seduce boys; that he knew what he was doing was wrong, carefully hid it, and skirted the laws staying above the limits; that he lurked from a position that would suggest the opposite, like a Scout Leader or a Priest; and that he obviously rationalized it to himself, ‘I’m not a predator, I’m just a sexual being.’ And, of course, anything to avoid dealing with the fact that the Republical Leadership knew about it and never addressed it seriously.