Florida authorities launch full criminal investigation of Foley messages News
Florida authorities launch full criminal investigation of Foley messages

[JURIST] The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) [official website] has opened a full criminal investigation into former Republican congressman Mark Foley [Congressional profile] in connection with his sexually explicit computer messages to young male pages disclosed [JURIST report] earlier this year. The FDLE began preliminary investigations shortly after Foley stepped down on September 29 and announced the start of its full probe Thursday. The FBI [official website] has also been examining the emails and IMs for violations of federal law. Foley has denied having any sexual contact with minors [attorney statement, PDF].

Foley may be criminally liable under Title XLVI, Chapter 847 s. 847.0135(3) [text; legislature website] of the Florida Statutes, which makes seducing a child through the Internet a third degree felony. The US House Ethics Committee [official website] has launched an inquiry [JURIST report] into allegations that senior Republican leaders knew of Foley's conduct as early as 2002 but took no action. BBC News has more. The Miami Herald has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

No lynchings reported in US for first time

On December 30, 1952, the Tuskegee Institute reported that 1952 was the first year of no lynchings of African Americans in the United States in the 71 years it had kept records. Learn more about lynching and listen to Billie Holiday's jazz recording of the 1938 protest song Strange Fruit.

USSR established

On December 30, 1922, representatives of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Transcaucus approved the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR and the Declaration of the Creation of the USSR, creating the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). During World War II, the USSR would also annex Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Moldova. Learn more about the history of the USSR from the BBC.