Ethics committee to probe Foley scandal

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The House ethics committee yesterday opened an investigation into the congressional page scandal, vowing to follow the evidence and spare no one based on politics as it approved "nearly four dozen" subpoenas for members, Capitol officials and staffers.

"The American people, and especially the parents of all current and former pages, are entitled to know how this situation was handled, and we are determined to answer their questions," Rep. Doc Hastings, Washington Republican and chairman of the committee, said yesterday. "We pledge to you that our investigation will go wherever the evidence leads us."

The committee of five Republicans and five Democrats voted unanimously during an emergency meeting yesterday morning to approve dozens of subpoenas for documents and testimony related to former Rep. Mark Foley, Florida Republican, the page program and the steps taken by Republican leaders after the parents of a former page complained about e-mails Mr. Foley had written their teenage son, Mr. Hastings said.

Moments after the investigation was announced, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois Republican, flatly dismissed calls from some conservatives that he resign the top House position for not investigating the situation more swiftly and thoroughly when he first learned of Mr. Foley's contact with the former page.

"I'm going to run, presumably win this election," he told reporters gathered in his hometown of Batavia, Ill. "And when we do, I expect to run for leader -- for speaker."

Mr. Hastert began his remarks on a note of contrition. "I'm deeply sorry that this has happened, and the bottom line is that we're taking responsibility," he said. "Ultimately, as someone has said in Washington before: The buck stops here."

But by the end of his remarks, he again denied any wrongdoing.

Mr. Hastert also announced the creation of a confidential toll-free hot line -- 866/384-0481 -- for information about abuses related to the congressional page program.

President Bush spoke last night with Mr. Hastert, thanking him for making a clear public statement and taking responsibility for the situation. The president said he appreciated that when House leaders learned of the lurid instant messages, they took swift action to persuade Mr. Foley to resign, and called for an investigation. He also reiterated his support for the speaker.

Meanwhile, the FBI continued its preliminary investigation into the matter. Yesterday, investigators interviewed Kirk Fordham, a former Foley staffer who resigned this week amid charges he tried to keep from the public some of the most salacious Internet messages Mr. Foley sent teenage boys. Upon resigning Wednesday, Mr. Fordham told reporters that House Republican leadership officials knew more about Mr. Foley's behavior much earlier than they are acknowledging.