Giffords Calls on Hastert to Resign as House Speaker

TUCSON - Congressional candidate Gabrielle Giffords today called on Dennis Hastert to resign as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“When Dennis Hastert was informed about suggestive and inappropriate emails sent from Congressman Mark Foley to an underage Congressional Page, he should have immediately notified the bipartisan House Page Board and launched a full investigation,” Giffords said.

According to the conservative Washington Times, which called for Hastert’s resignation yesterday, Hastert admitted that he learned about emails sent between Foley and the underage Congressional Page earlier this year. As the newspaper stated, “the original e-mail messages were warning enough that a predator — and, incredibly, the co-chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children — could be prowling the halls of Congress. The matter wasn’t pursued aggressively. It was barely pursued at all. Moreover, all available evidence suggests that the Republican leadership did not share anything related to this matter with any Democrat.”

“Unfortunately, this matter was swept under the rug,” Giffords said. “Foley continued to chair the House Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus, and he continued to occupy a position where he had contact with children.

“We must not compromise the safety of our children or the integrity of the House of Representatives, so we must set partisanship aside and stand together on principle.

“Dennis Hastert’s ineffective handling of this issue is another example of why we need a change in Congress. There’s no more room for excuses. Speaker Hastert has not taken responsibility for the behavior of a sexual predator who preyed upon children under his watch. Speaker Hastert should step aside.”

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