Truly Unethical: GOP Engaged in a Conspiracy of Silence about Foley's Chickenhawking

The House Ethics Committee released its report on Friday at the eleventh hour of the last day of the 109th Congress. Aside from stern words directed at House members, especially former Rep. Foley, the report basically gave everyone a pass, saying it found that no rules had been broken.

Apparently, there is no specific rule that forbids House members from diddling the pages.

And yet hidden in plain sight in the report is a matter-of-fact description of a conspiracy of silence around Foley’s improper behavior. His colleagues and their staff members told investigators that they knew about Foley’s interaction with 16-year-old pages but did not turn him in because they were reluctant to out him as a gay man:

“Some may have been concerned that raising the issue too aggressively might have risked exposing Rep. Foley’s homosexuality…. There is some evidence that political considerations played a role in decisions that were made by persons in both parties.”

The report fails to connect the dots on this issue: The truly unethical behavior was how, in service to Foley’s secret sexuality, members of Congress tolerated his predation of teenaged boys.

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Truly Unethical: GOP Engaged in a Conspiracy of Silence about Foley’s Chickenhawking

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Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“The man is afraid of the voice of the people and that the people understand and know what he’s doing. He’s trying to stifle the ability of journalists to let the people of America know what’s really going on with their government.”

— “Kamala Harris called President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House ‘absolutely abhorrent,’” The Wrap reports.

“Not one of them is trained in technical skills. Not one research PhD, as opposed to China, where half the cabinet is science and technology PhDs. We’re led by grifters and fools.”

— Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs, on X, on President Trump’s 35-person cabinet.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far… The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”

— Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), breaking with President Trump in a direct-to-camera video.

Numerati

1,000

10%

“The unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed the congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans and significantly altered the makeup of at least one-fifth of districts, according to a new study,” the Associated Press reports.

71%

A new Fox News Poll finds 71% of voters think the Trump administration lacks a clear strategy for ending the Iran War, including 95% of Democrats, 83% of independents, and 43% of Republicans. Sixty percent say U.S. military action against Iran was the wrong decision, while just 37% say it was right.

$9.5 billion

“The Trump administration last year spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government and save taxpayers money, according to a new estimate by a congressional watchdog,” CNN reports.

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.