Orlando Sentinel: Democrats Ask Crist for Records of Foley Communcations

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-records11_206oct11,0,469301.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-state

Democrats ask for Foley records

A Republican leader says the request to Charlie Crist's office is purely political.

Mark Hollis
Tallahassee Bureau

October 11, 2006

TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Democratic Party filed a request Tuesday with Attorney General Charlie Crist's office for records concerning former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fort Pierce.

Crist, the Republican nominee for governor, served in the state Senate with Foley for two years in the early 1990s. His office is contributing to a state and federal criminal investigation into Foley's behavior with congressional pages.

State Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman submitted a public-records request seeking information about communications involving Foley, who resigned from Congress this month amid allegations that he sent sexually explicit electronic instant messages and e-mails to underage male pages.

Thurman said the Democratic Party is not alleging that Crist had any previous knowledge of Foley's behavior or would not be willing to disclose any findings of his office's investigators.

"In light of the recent revelations of a cover-up at the highest levels of the Republican Congress, we feel it is pertinent that we make this request," Thurman said.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida Democratic Party is asking for any records the state attorney general's office might have on Mark Foley and his contacts with congressional pages.

The Democrats also are seeking Foley-related communications between the Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist and the office of Florida Governor Jeb Bush, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, other congressmen and the Republican National Committee.

Crist is the Republican candidate for governor.

A spokesman for Florida's Republican Party calls the request "gutter politics" rooted in "baseless accusations."

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