The FBI has begun examining whether former Republican Congressman Mark Foley broke federal law by exchanging sexually explicit Internet messages with teenage boys who used to work as pages on Capitol Hill. The Florida Republican resigned on Friday after ABC News published transcripts of some of his online discussions. In one exchange with an underage boy, Foley expressed his desire to strip the teenager naked and grab his penis. The Internet messages date back to 2003. Democrats have accused the Republican leadership of trying to cover-up Foley’s indiscretions, which they had known about for months. Speaker of the House Denis Hastert initially claimed he just learned about Foley’s actions but Republican Congressman Thomas Reynolds later revealed that he had personally told Hastert months ago. Hastert allowed Mark Foley to remain the co-chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children up until Friday. Earlier this year President Bush signed legislation that Foley introduced to bolster penalties against sex offenders and increase efforts to target Internet predators. In an interview with NPR in 2002, Foley criticized adults who sexually take advantage of children.

• Rep. Mark Foley: “I have no problem with adult pornography. People are entitled to read it, watch it, see it in their homes or in public accommodations. Where I have to draw the line is using children for the excitement of those more mature people who should know the difference and know better.”

On Sunday former House Speaker Newt Gingrich defended how the matter has been handled. He said the Republicans would have been accused of gay bashing” if they had “overly aggressively reacted” to Foley’s inappropriate actions.