President George W. Bush broke his silence Tuesday on the congressional page scandal, expressing strong personal revulsion at the conduct of former Representative Mark Foley, who sent sexually explicit messages to young male Capitol Hill aides.
Speaking at an elementary school in Stockton, California, Bush said he was shocked and disgusted upon learning of Foley's behavior, calling it a betrayal of the public trust voters had placed in the congressman.
Bush endorsed House Speaker Dennis Hastert's call for a law enforcement investigation into the emails and text messages Foley had sent to the teenage pages. The president said the probe "should be thorough and any violations of law prosecuted."
Hastert had faced mounting criticism over his handling of the matter. Bush expressed confidence that the Speaker would cooperate fully with investigators and provide whatever leadership the inquiry required.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.