http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/neighborhoods/stories.nsf/madisoncounty/news/story/BE909A1097E44A25862571FC007BF27B?OpenDocument&highlight=2%2C%22stover%22
Stover blasts Shimkus over ‘investigation' of Foley e-mails
Harry Weiner
Of the Suburban Journals
Edwardsville Journal,Granite City Press Record
10/04/2006
The scandal involving former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley of Florida has quickly become a campaign issue involving Collinsville's John Shimkus.
Foley resigned Friday after the disclosure of e-mails he had sent to a former congressional page and suggestive instant messages he had sent to other pages.
Shimkus is chairman of the board that oversees the page program and was involved in an investigation last year into reports of improper e-mail between Foley and a former House page.
On Monday in Springfield, Danny Stover -- Shimkus' Democratic opponent in the November congressional election -- called for the congressman to resign immediately as chairman of the board of the House Page Program.
He cited "Shimkus' failure to investigate diligently allegations about Foley's inappropriate exchange of electronic mail and Internet messages with at least one former page."
"Rep. Shimkus was obviously the wrong choice to conduct an investigation a year ago," Stover said, adding that House Speaker Dennis Hastert's decision to ask Shimkus to investigate further is yet another error.
"Shimkus neglected his specific duties as chairman and appeared to be more concerned about politics than protecting the well-being of the victim identified in the current news reports," Stover said.
Shimkus, Hastert and Foley are all Republicans - a fact that has created a political storm across the country just a month before the election.
Shimkus has acknowledged investigating Foley's use of e-mail last year to correspond with a congressional page. In that e-mail, Foley had asked about the boy's well-being after Hurricane Katrina and requested a photograph.
Shimkus said Foley told him at that time that "he was simply acting as a mentor to this former House page and that nothing inappropriate had occurred." Shimkus said he and the House clerk told Foley to cease contact with the page.
"We also advised him to be especially mindful of his conduct with respect to current and former House Pages, and he assured us he would do so," Shimkus said in a statement. "I received no subsequent complaints about his behavior nor was I ever made aware of any additional e-mails."
Stover said he is concerned that Shimkus failed to conduct even a modest investigation of potentially serious wrongdoing. Instead he "simply accepted assurances of the accused that nothing inappropriate had taken place," Stover said.
He added that he believes Shimkus and other Republicans were involved in "an obvious cover-up … .. evidenced by Shimkus' admission that the sole Democratic member of the board, Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.), was not told of the e-mail exchanges until they became front-page news."
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin added his criticism of Republican handling of the situation on Monday.
"The fact of the matter is at the highest levels of the leadership in the House of Representatives, they have known for months that something awful was happening," Durbin, the Senate's second-highest ranking Democrat, said Monday.
"What they did was to try to contain it or cover it up,'' he said. "They tried to protect themselves instead of trying to protect these pages, and now is the day of reckoning."
But Shimkus said he had no information before Friday about the seriousness of the e-mails.
"It has become clear to me today (Friday), based on information I only now have learned, that Congressman Foley was not honest about his conduct," Shimkus said. "As chairman of the House Page Board, I am working with the clerk to fully review this incident and determine what actions need to be taken."
Shimkus also pledged to work to safeguard the page program.
"The House Page Program has been an integral part of the House of Representatives for many decades," he said. "Preserving the integrity of the House Page Program is of utmost importance to me and to the House of Representatives, and we intend to uphold and protect its values and traditions."
Stover blasts Shimkus over ‘investigation' of Foley e-mails
Harry Weiner
Of the Suburban Journals
Edwardsville Journal,Granite City Press Record
10/04/2006
The scandal involving former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley of Florida has quickly become a campaign issue involving Collinsville's John Shimkus.
Foley resigned Friday after the disclosure of e-mails he had sent to a former congressional page and suggestive instant messages he had sent to other pages.
Shimkus is chairman of the board that oversees the page program and was involved in an investigation last year into reports of improper e-mail between Foley and a former House page.
On Monday in Springfield, Danny Stover -- Shimkus' Democratic opponent in the November congressional election -- called for the congressman to resign immediately as chairman of the board of the House Page Program.
He cited "Shimkus' failure to investigate diligently allegations about Foley's inappropriate exchange of electronic mail and Internet messages with at least one former page."
"Rep. Shimkus was obviously the wrong choice to conduct an investigation a year ago," Stover said, adding that House Speaker Dennis Hastert's decision to ask Shimkus to investigate further is yet another error.
"Shimkus neglected his specific duties as chairman and appeared to be more concerned about politics than protecting the well-being of the victim identified in the current news reports," Stover said.
Shimkus, Hastert and Foley are all Republicans - a fact that has created a political storm across the country just a month before the election.
Shimkus has acknowledged investigating Foley's use of e-mail last year to correspond with a congressional page. In that e-mail, Foley had asked about the boy's well-being after Hurricane Katrina and requested a photograph.
Shimkus said Foley told him at that time that "he was simply acting as a mentor to this former House page and that nothing inappropriate had occurred." Shimkus said he and the House clerk told Foley to cease contact with the page.
"We also advised him to be especially mindful of his conduct with respect to current and former House Pages, and he assured us he would do so," Shimkus said in a statement. "I received no subsequent complaints about his behavior nor was I ever made aware of any additional e-mails."
Stover said he is concerned that Shimkus failed to conduct even a modest investigation of potentially serious wrongdoing. Instead he "simply accepted assurances of the accused that nothing inappropriate had taken place," Stover said.
He added that he believes Shimkus and other Republicans were involved in "an obvious cover-up … .. evidenced by Shimkus' admission that the sole Democratic member of the board, Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.), was not told of the e-mail exchanges until they became front-page news."
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin added his criticism of Republican handling of the situation on Monday.
"The fact of the matter is at the highest levels of the leadership in the House of Representatives, they have known for months that something awful was happening," Durbin, the Senate's second-highest ranking Democrat, said Monday.
"What they did was to try to contain it or cover it up,'' he said. "They tried to protect themselves instead of trying to protect these pages, and now is the day of reckoning."
But Shimkus said he had no information before Friday about the seriousness of the e-mails.
"It has become clear to me today (Friday), based on information I only now have learned, that Congressman Foley was not honest about his conduct," Shimkus said. "As chairman of the House Page Board, I am working with the clerk to fully review this incident and determine what actions need to be taken."
Shimkus also pledged to work to safeguard the page program.
"The House Page Program has been an integral part of the House of Representatives for many decades," he said. "Preserving the integrity of the House Page Program is of utmost importance to me and to the House of Representatives, and we intend to uphold and protect its values and traditions."
