CREW citizens for responsibility and ethics in washington October 5, 2006 Honorable Glenn A. Inspector General U.S. Department of J 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W Suite 4706 Washington, D.C. 20530-0001 BY FAX: — 202-514-4001 Dear Mr. Fine: CBS News has reported that, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, when Citizens for Responsibility and Ethies in Washington (CREW) gave the FBI the original set of emails from Rep. Mark Foley to a former House page, they were “heavily redacted.” The FBI is also claiming that it eame back to CREW and asked for more information so that it could follow up, but that CREW refused to provide anything further. Beverly Lumpkin, Foley Probe Not a Jefferson Replay, CBS News, Oct. 4, 2006. Reporters from several other news organizations have repeated these allegations to me. Frankly, the FBI is lying. Earlier this week, I sent you an exact copy of the emails I sent to the FBI on July 21 2006. As you can see, both the former page's name and the person to whom the page forwarded Rep. Foley’s emails are clearly visible. Moreover, after I sent the emails to the FBI, my only subsequent contact with the Bureau was one telephone call from the special agent to whom I had sent the material confirming that the emails were from Rep. Foley. | had no further contact with the FBI. Should it be helpful to you in pursuing this matter, 1 would be happy to allow someone from your office to examine the sent mail on my computer to verify exactly what I sent to the Washington Field Office of the FBI. In contrast with this new explanation for failing to investigate the Foley matter, The Washington Post has reported that an unnamed FBI official stated that the Bureau decided not to investigate after concluding that the emails “did not rise to the level of criminal activity.” Charles Babington, Jonathan Weisman, FBI Knew in July About Foley E-Mails to Teen, The Washington Post, Ocwber 3, 2006. The FBI’s conduct in the Foley matter continues to be troubling, Not only did the Bureau fail to investigate a potential sexual predator when first alerted to him, it is now making (inconsistent) excuses for its inaction and blaming others for its deficiencies. As a result, CREW respectfully requests that you investigate not only the FBI's failure to delve into the Foley emails, but also that you discover which FBI officials are attempting to cover up the FBI's inadequate response by falsely claiming that CREW refused to provide the information necessary for an investigation. 1400 Eye Stet, NW, Suite 450, Washington, 0.0, 20008 | 202.408.5565 phone | 202.588.5020 ax | wavctzenstoreics.og —Mr. Glenn Fine October 5, 2006 Page Two It is shocking enough that the leadership in the House of Representatives failed to heed the warnings regarding Rep. Foley's sexual advances to minors. It is far more egregious, however, that an ageney charged with protecting the public — and which has made the investigation and prosecution of those who sexually exploit children a priority ~ first failed to take any action when alerted to a potential child predator and then tried to cover up its inaction. Itis time for all of those who had knowledge about Rep. Foley's conduct to step up and take responsibility for leaving a sexual predator on the loose. Sincerely, Fe Melanie Sloan Executive Director