American politician, a US Representative from Florida who resigned from his elected position on September 29, 2006 amidst allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior toward children. His resignation came on the heels of an ABC News report that aired suggestive electronic messages that he had written in August 2005 to a former Capitol page, then a 16-year-old boy. Later, as the story continued to break, additional e-mails began to surface from as early as 2003, written to other male pages. Some of Foley’s notes to them allegedly contained sexual language, flirtatious innuendo and invitations to go drinking. Pages are teenagers who work in the Capitol Building answering lawmakers’ telephones, running errands, and delivering documents.
Just after his abrupt resignation, Foley acknowledged publicly that he is gay and suffers from alcoholism. He quickly checked into a rehab facility to deal with emotional and addiction difficulties. His lawyer asserted that Foley had been sexually molested as a young teen by a priest. The House Ethics Committee initiated an investigation into Foley’s behavior and possible cover-ups, and the FBI became involved as well, trying to determine whether Foley had committed any criminal offense.
The Foley family had moved to Florida when young Mark was three years old. He was the fourth of five children born to an outgoing dad, who was a teacher and an ex-Marine, and a quieter Mom who cooked meals for priests. After he dropped out of junior college at age 20, his parents helped him open a restaurant in Lake Worth, Fl. There Foley’s natural charisma served him in good stead, and a few years later he entered politics, running successfully for a seat on the city commission in 1977. After a stint as vice mayor of Lake Worth, from 1983-1984, he served in the Florida House of Representatives and the state Senate. Foley was elected to the House in 1994, taking his seat on January 3, 1995. There he served as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and, as co-chair of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus, he was instrumental in passing legislation against pedophiles. Popular with Hollywood executives, the charming Representative was also the Hollywood “go-to” guy among the conservative majority in the House.
Foley never married and remained close to his family, especially to one sister who managed his campaigns. He usually refused to talk openly about his sexuality as he did not want his proud parents to know. When public inquiries were made, he would avoid commenting or say “My mother and father raised me and the rest of my family to believe that there are certain things we shouldn’t discuss in public.” In 2003 he staged a run for a Senate seat. Questions about his sexuality arose which he refused to answer. He subsequently dropped out of that race saying he wanted to spend time caring for his aging parents.
The sharply-dressed Foley loved the good life: handsome clothes, good food, contacts with Hollywood stars and executives. His peers enjoyed his lively energy and his penchant for fun, and he has been well liked by his constituents as well. News of his dramatic fall from grace seemed to take many by surprise although, as the news continues to break, we may learn more about the extent and ramifications of his past and who knew what when.
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