The former page interviewed by The Times said he had not been contacted by the FBI or the House Ethics Committee. He agreed to talk to The Times only if his identity was protected, because of his fear that exposure could hurt his job prospects.
The Times found the former page after others identified him as someone whose contacts with Foley went beyond graphic messages. At an interview, the former page brought a computer containing his communications with Foley, and allowed a Times reporter to review them. The young man, who now manages a suburban office of a national franchise, says that he is gay and that he had only one sexual encounter with Foley before the contacts abruptly ended. The Times agreed not to publish the year of his page class to protect his identity.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday October 10, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 43 words Type of Material: Correction
Foley investigation: An article in Sunday's Section A about a former page's liaison with then-Rep. Mark Foley said that the name of another page was briefly posted on the ABC News website. The posting was of his screen name, not his real name.
The young man said that while serving as a page, he and his fellow pages gossiped frequently about Foley's overly friendly behavior but did not complain about him to program supervisors or other members of Congress. They nicknamed him "Triple F," for "Florida Fag Foley." One evening, four of the boys made an unannounced visit to Foley's home.
"We knocked on his door and he let us in. Nothing happened, but he was very friendly," the former page said.
Foley's flirtations made the young man feel important at a time when he was struggling with his emerging sexuality. "It seemed cool that he was taking an interest," he said. "I knew he was gay, and he was attracted to me."
After leaving the program, the former page began receiving messages from Foley. He is uncertain how Foley knew his college instant-message name, but assumed the congressman had access to a directory listing former pages' whereabouts.
The exchanges quickly became provocative. In one 2000 message, Maf54 inquired about the length and direction of the youth's erection.
"I always thought you were gay," Maf54 commented.
"Is it obvious?" the former page asked.
Ultimately, the young man said, he had a sexual encounter with Foley at the congressman's Washington home.
Then 21, he was in Washington as an intern in an unrelated program.
The two had wine and pizza on a backyard patio and then retired to a spare bedroom, he recalled.
The former page, who served during Foley's first term, said that he believed Foley became bolder in his behavior during his decade in Congress.
"He clearly has used his position, but who hasn't?" the former page said. He still follows protocol in referring to the former congressman as "Mr. Foley."
He said Foley was really two very different people: a legislator "really devoted to his cause," and a sexual being.
He and other former pages were surprised that it took so long for Foley "to get caught," he said.
"It most saddens me because of the damage it could do to the program," the young man said of the page system. "It was the most spectacular year of my life. I would love to do it all over again."
wally.roche@latimes.com
