GOP Congresswoman Deborah Pryce spoke out Wednesday about events following Mark Foley's recent resignation from Congress because of sexually explicit internet communication with a former Congressional page. Both parties are questioning who knew about the three-year-old instant messages. And some are calling for the House Speaker to step down.
Following a press conference with members of the VFW, Representative Deborah Pryce took questions about the House page scandal. Pryce said she does not think House Speaker Dennis Hastert is among those who knew about former Congressman Foley's sexually explicit instant messages before they came out in the media. But she said if Hastert knew about the instant messages before hand, then he should step down.
"Anybody who had any information about this. Now somebody's been sitting on this for three years now obviously. And so we, you know, anybody who had any information should step down," Pryce said.
Pryce said she did not learn about the e-mails or the sexually explicit instant messages until reports came out in the media last week. She said as soon as she learned of the incident, she returned a $5,000 contribution she received from Foley's political action committee. But Pryce's democratic opponent Franklin County Commissioner, Mary Jo Kilroy, said she's not satisfied with Pryce's reaction.
"I think that her response is a political response. And she should have been in the forefront calling for all the leaders who covered this up, who hushed this up, to step down. I don't hear her doing that," Kilroy said.
Pryce is the fourth ranking leader in the GOP leadership. And Kilroy is not convinced Pryce only learned about the instant messages until last week.
"She's Foley's best friend in Washington. He managed her campaign for leadership. Is it credible that she did not know? I don't think it is frankly," Kilroy said.
In September's edition of Columbus Monthly, a side bar noted that Foley was one of Pryce's friends. Pryce said while she knew Foley, his behavior took her by complete surprise.
"Apparently I did not know Mark Foley at all. Mark Foley was a friend of mine, But he was a friend of everybody. Mark Foley is very gregarious. We spent some time together but I, just like someone you know for a long time surprises you, he surprised everyone," Pryce said.
Kilroy said House leaders should testify under oath about what they knew about the messages.