AP: FBI's Foley case eyes legal 'gray area'

[Eugene]

Posted on Wed, Oct. 04, 2006

FBI's Foley case eyes legal 'gray area'
MATT APUZZO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Former Rep. Mark Foley's online conversations with teenage
male pages have all the trappings of a political scandal, but making a
federal case out of the sexually charged exchanges could prove difficult,
veteran investigators say.

-snip-

With the FBI investigating Foley's behavior, his defense attorney, David Roth,
said that the congressman never had sex or attempted sexual contact with a
minor. Foley, who is being treated for alcohol abuse, was drinking when he had
the explicit conversations, Roth said.

-snip-

If Foley never had sex with a congressional page, then his case is in uncertain
legal territory, said Ken Lanning, a retired FBI agent who served as one of the
agency's leading experts on child exploitation.

-snip-

One federal law enforcement official said the FBI reviewed some Foley-related
e-mail in July but concluded that no federal law had been violated. The official,
who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is active, said agents are
reviewing new evidence, including the instant message transcripts, to see if a
law was broken.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/15674246.htm

[truthisfreedom]

1. hee-hee-hee. so we have the guy who wrote the law just so he could skirt

the law? hee-hee-hee!

he's toast.

[Lerkfish]

2. the FBI has not seized his computers nor done any investigation

whatsoever, so Foley could have banged every teenage boy from DC to Florida, and they would never know.

and, now he has had time to destroy any evidence against him, so ....

[jimshoes]

3. I don't know,

I've seen a couple of TV News coverage of police "sting" operations where the cops basically lure an online predator to think he's talking to an adolescent and then when they arrange a redezvous, the police make the arrest. No contact was made there either but off to jail he goes. Plus there was never any adolescent involved in the first place. The Foley affair had better be adjudicated fairly or it will set precedent for future legal actions, no?

[Justice]

4. But the IMs say, can't wait to see you again, and talk about

future meetings in person. In one I read, the page replied I don't know what you are asking and it is making me uncomfortable. So it sounds like Foley was asking for something, and the page declined. Seems to me that ought to be criminal. I think it is way too early to conclude there is no criminal act.

[ShortnFiery]

7. You won't get justice from the FBI. They had the Emails and

found out that the parents didn't want problems but were concerned, on 21 JULY 06!

:wtf: The FBI has Psychologists on their staff who could verify that what was contained in those emails were CLASSIC M.O. of child and teen predators.

The illustrious FBI is now just a tool for The Executive Branch and Congressional Republicans. They DROPPED any further investigation because they didn't "pick up" on any hint of predatory behavior. BULLSHIT! Just like the mid-management ignores the field agents. :grr:

Therefore, don't hold your breath for the FBI to bring any semblance of a thorough investigation. If it can potentially hurt their Republican Masters, they'll bury or whitewash any reports. :puke:

[leesa]

6. Yeah. It was so gray they were able to televise the bust.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. Yeah, it's always a "legal gray area" when Republicans do it

That's why Karl Rove isn't indicted, along with hadley and the other creeps.

Gray area, indeed. :eyes: