Ex-Foley top aide testifies

WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Mark Foley's one-time aide, in the House ethics committee, didn't waver Thursday from his contention that he told the speaker's chief of staff about Foley's approaches to male pages at least three years ago, the witness' lawyer said.

Kirk Fordham would not comment after emerging from nearly five hours of closed-door testimony, but his lawyer, Timothy Heaphy, said Fordham was "consistent in his accounts." Fordham has spoken out publicly on his timeline and was questioned by the FBI.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert has said he personally learned of the inappropriate approaches by Foley in late September and his aides found out in the fall of 2005. The speaker's chief of staff, Scott Palmer, has denied that Fordham contacted him at least three years ago, contradicting Fordham and creating one of the major conflicts the committee will have to resolve.

Heaphy told reporters Kirk was "forthcoming" in his testimony. "He has been consistent in his accounts of these events when he talked to the FBI and today met with the ethics committee.

"He's been truthful and cooperative and will continue to be throughout this and other investigations."

Heaphy said Fordham has been asked not to comment on the substance of the inquiry because of the ongoing investigation.

Foley resigned from Congress Sept. 29, after being confronted with sexually explicit instant messages.

Fordham isn't the only witness who will testify about earlier, unsuccessful attempts to stop Foley, although the timelines differ.

Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., scheduled to appear Friday, has said he confronted Foley last fall, after he was told by Hastert's office of an overly friendly — but not sexually explicit — e-mail to a page from Louisiana.

Shimkus is chairman of the House Page Board, a group of three lawmakers and two House officers who set policy for the program that brings teenagers to Congress to attend school and perform errands in the chamber during sessions.

Shimkus has said that he and then-House clerk Jeff Trandahl confronted Foley in his office last fall after hearing from Hastert's aides about the e-mail. Shimkus said he told Foley to cease all contact with the Louisiana teenager.

The lawmaker did not tell the two other House members of the page board about the meeting — Democrat Dale Kildee of Michigan and fellow Republican Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia.