Foley's e-mail exchanges with teens under probe

Washington: The FBI is examining former Congressman Mark Foley's e-mail exchanges with teenagers to determine if they violated federal law, an agency spokesman said.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert asked on Sunday for a federal investigation into the case a lurid scandal that has put House Republicans in political peril as the party is working to maintain its majority in Congress in November 7 elections.

"I hereby request that the Department of Justice conduct an investigation of Mr Foley's conduct with current and former House pages to determine to what extent any of his actions violated federal law," Hastert, a Republican, wrote in a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

FBI spokesman Richard Kolko confirmed on Sunday that the FBI is "conducting an assessment to see if there's been a violation of federal law."

He had no further comment. Foley, a 52-year-old Florida Republican, quit Congress on Friday after the disclosure of the e-mails he sent to a former congressional page and sexually suggestive instant messages he sent to other high school pages.

Pages are high school students who serve as temporary messengers and assistants in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Inappropriate

The White House and Democratic leaders in Congress also called Sunday for a criminal probe. White House counsellor Dan Bartlett called the allegations against Foley shocking.

But he said President George W. Bush hadn't learned of Foley's inappropriate e-mails to a 16-year-old boy and instant messages to other boys before the news broke last week.

"There is going to be a criminal investigation into the particulars of this case," Bartlett said.