We’re posting the full press release here in the interests of time. We’re mainly a volunteer operation. This issue hits very close to home for us at Wilde for Congress. Wendy’s founded a non-profit teen center and been a long-time volunteer on children and youth activities. I’m a clergy-abuse survivor and serve as a youth advisor and religious education teacher at my church. Oh, and BTW, Wendy hit her $50K goal last night!
Wendy Wilde, DFL candidate for Congress in Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District, called on Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to resign for his role in covering up the activities of the sexual predator Congressman Mark Foley of Florida.
“It is inconceivable to me that Speaker Hastert and other key member of the Republican leadership knew about Congressman Foley’s inappropriate contact with teenage pages and yet continued to allow Congressman Foley to serve as Co-Chair of the House Committee on Missing and Exploited Children As a High School teacher and coach, Speaker Hastert is a mandated reporter. It is absolutely inconceivable to me as a mother, and as the founder of a non-profit teen center, that Speaker Hastert would put kids at risk in the interest of political power”. This is another example of the kinds of incompetence and secrecy which have no place in our democracy.”
“It has become increasingly clear over the last several days that congressional republican leaders have engaged in a pattern of denial, deceit and cover-ups to protect a sexual predator serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.” The pattern of denial and secrecy rivals that of the Catholic Bishops who continued to cover-up for predator priests in the face of overwhelming evidence of criminal behavior” she continued. “As a mother, youth volunteer leader, and citizen I am outraged and demand the immediate resignation of Speaker Hastert and all other House leaders who knew about this issue for the last eleven months. They failed to report it to the proper authorities and to take steps to protect the young men serving as congressional pages from this predator”.
“I am also calling for my opponent Congressman Jim Ramstad to call for Speaker Hastert’s resignation and for an independent investigation into Congressman Foley, the House Leadership, and the congressional page program. As a member of Congress for sixteen years, and knowing that Representative Ramstad voted to weaken house ethics rules on January 4th 2005, it is imperative that we should demand that Congressman Ramstad accept the responsibility his position requires and call for true moral leadership within his party” finished Ms. Wilde.
Wendy Wilde is running for congress in Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district and has almost thirty years experience as a radio broadcaster, including several years at Minnesota powerhouse WCCO and the local Air America station. Wilde is a mom and a community leader who founded and runs a non-profit teen center to keep local teens busy and safe.
