WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- The House ethics panel may issue an interim report before Nov. 7 on its investigation into the scandal surrounding former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, sources said.
The panel isn't likely to complete its investigation into Foley's actions and the GOP leadership's response before the mid-term elections, the Washington Post reported Saturday. A panel spent the past two weeks taking testimony from a number of witnesses, and expects to hear more next week, the Post said.
The Florida Republican resigned Sept. 29 over suggestive electronic communications with male congressional pages. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and his staff have been criticized for their response and questioned about what they knew when, the Post said.
The committee hasn't decided whether to issue an interim report, but members will consider it once depositions end, the Post said. Democrats and Republicans on the ethics committee are evenly divided between the parties.
Committee member Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said, "There's no upside for anybody in dragging this out."
Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., also a committee member, called the investigation a "crucial test institutionally," the Post said.
