Trandahl Names Kolbe as a 'Problem' With Page Program, Source Says October 26, 2006 2:50 PM
Rhonda Schwartz and John Yang Report:
A source close to former House Clerk Jeff Trandahl told ABC News that Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) was >b>one of a small number of "problem members" of Congress who page program supervisors complained spent too much time socializing with pages, taking them to dinner or sporting events outside of official duties.
Mark Foley was also on the list.
The source said Trandahl frequently cautioned both congressmen that "adults should hang out with adults, pages should hang out with pages," a message Trandahl also conveyed to pages during their orientation.
Yesterday in Tucson, in his first meeting with reporters since returning from a European vacation, when asked by ABC News about Trandahl's reported allegations, Kolbe responded, "I would love to comment on a lot of these things, but I think it's just appropriate to say we're cooperating fully with all the inquiries."
Kolbe was also asked by reporters to respond to reports that the U.S. Attorney in Phoenix has opened a preliminary inquiry into a 1996 camping trip Kolbe took with two high school boys, both former pages, following a report by MSNBC that one adult member of the trip was "creeped out" by "fawning, petting and touching" on the arms, shoulders and back of one of the teenagers by Kolbe.
"I know there are a number of inquiries underway, and we're cooperating fully with all those inquiries, and I'm sure at the end of the time it will show that we acted appropriately and did exactly the right thing," Kolbe said.