Exclusive: Mark Foley talks about tonight's appearance with Sean Hannity
06/09/2011
(Note: Mark Foley was a 2010 client for ImMEDIAcy Public Relations Inc. Brian Crowley is a principal of ImMEDIAcy).
Former Republican Florida Congressman Mark Foley will make his first national television appearance, since leaving the House in disgrace in 2006, tonight on the Sean Hannity show.
Hannity will be talking to Foley about Capitol Hill's latest sex scandal involving Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner.
Since leaving office in 2006, Foley has been frequently courted by the national media. One of the most persistent was Oprah Winfrey who was eager to have Foley for her final season. Matt Lauer of NBC's Today show and many others also tried to get Foley on the air.
Hannity, until now, like everyone else had been unsuccessful despite many entreaties to Foley.
Why the reluctance? Foley, who spoke to Crowley Political Report frequently about these encounters, always concluded that it simply was not worth it to him or his family to dredge up the past.
Foley, who has his own radio show, said he will not be calling for Weiner to resign.
"I know what he is going through. I know how he and his family are hurting. I know the humiliation you feel when you end your career by pulling the rug out from under yourself," Foley told Crowley Political Report. "He needs to decide for himself what is the right thing to do."
Foley said Republican leaders gave him little choice about leaving after it was revealed that he had sent text messages to House pages.
"It was clear to me that I had brought dishonor to the Chamber I loved and to my family and my community," said Foley. "While the leadership was not encouraging me to stay, I quickly realized that trying to stay would do more harm to myself and everyone else. It was the right thing to do."
Appearing on Hannity is not likely to please the current House leadership but Foley said, "I am no longer accountable to the Republican Party."
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