FBI probing gopers getting drunk, skinny-dipping on trip to Israel

[babylonsister]

Stay classy, gopers; way to represent!

Exclusive: FBI probed GOP trip with drinking, nudity in Israel

Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) is shown here. | AP Photo

During a trip to Israel, Rep. Kevin Yoder disrobed and jumped into the Sea of Galilee. | AP Photo
By JAKE SHERMAN and JOHN BRESNAHAN | 8/19/12 8:09 PM EDT


The FBI probed a late-night swim in the Sea of Galilee that involved drinking, numerous GOP freshmen lawmakers, top leadership staff – and one nude member of Congress, according to more than a dozen sources, including eyewitnesses.

During a fact-finding congressional trip to the Holy Land last summer, Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) took off his clothes and jumped into the sea, joining a number of members, their families and GOP staff during a night out in Israel, the sources told POLITICO. Other participants, including the daughter of another congressman, swam fully clothed while some lawmakers partially disrobed. More than 20 people took part in the late-night dip in the sea, according to sources who were participants in the trip.

“A year ago, my wife, Brooke, and I joined colleagues for dinner at the Sea of Galilee in Israel. After dinner I followed some Members of Congress in a spontaneous and very brief dive into the sea and regrettably I jumped into the water without a swimsuit,” Yoder said in a statement to POLITICO. “It is my greatest honor to represent the people of Kansas in Congress and [for] any embarrassment I have caused for my colleagues and constituents, I apologize.”

snip//

The Sea of Galilee, a Christian holy site, is where Jesus is said in the Bible to have walked on water.

The FBI looked into whether any inappropriate behavior occurred, but the interviews do not appear to have resulted in any formal allegations of wrongdoing.

But Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who was the senior most GOP lawmaker in Israel on the trip, was so upset about the antics that he rebuked the 30 lawmakers the morning after the Aug. 18, 2011, incident, saying they were distracting from the mission of the trip.

more...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79865.html

[sibelian]

1. To be honest,

i don't really see having a drink or going for a swim as a thing that I would criticise someone for.

[lapfog_1]

5. If he did it here under the same circumstances... he would be in the pokey for a very long time.

there were children present.

Grown men (and women) that expose themselves in front of children are legally pedophiles.

[Warren DeMontague]

2. Ehhhhhh..... I'm not feeling the outrage, either.

I mean, it's presented "ooh, they swam in the holy sea of Galilee!!!"... as if they took a nude dip in a fountain at the Vatican~ well, the Sea of Galilee, otherwise known as Lake Kinneret, is an actual body of water that is used for a whole bunch of things, including recreation.

If Jesus had allegedly been born in Chicago, would that make Lake Michigan off limits?

I don't really see this as being that big of a deal.

[JHB]

2. Maby he was self-baptizing

Doesn't sound like anything happened, though.

[lapfog_1]

6. That's my guess too

but there isn't any reason to get baptized in the nude.

[pinboy3niner]

4. Gives a whole new meaning to Member of Congress

[MrScorpio]

7. GOPers Gone Wild nt

[FlaGranny]

8. I can find many reasons to

dislike GOPers, but this is not one of them. If there were kids present, a kid doesn't experience any "trauma" from seeing a naked body. Perhaps the drunkenness got out of hand. I can see where Mr. Can't-er and his religious wackos would get all bent out of shape, but, in my opinion, those are the real weirdos.

Edit: A wet bathing suit is yucky.

[reformist2]

9. I lol-ed that Eric Cantor had to yell at them.

[Berlum]

10. Shocking!

[Bohunk68]

11. Skinny dipping is an offense?

Meh. Cantor is offended by this but not by HR3? Does this really warrant an investigation by the FBI? Traumatizing a teenager? And why would that be?

[jberryhill]

12. Why would the FBI have any interest in this?

Since when is swimming without clothes in another country a federal offense in the US?

[joeybee12]

13. Did anyone pull a Ryan Lochte?

Does anyone get my reference?

[tanyev]

14. He was just showing his enormous love for Israel.