Biography
American politician, a US Representative from Florida who resigned from his
elected position on September 29, 2006 amidst allegations of inappropriate sexual
behavior toward children. His resignation came on the heels of an ABC News report
that aired suggestive electronic messages that he had written in August 2005 to a
former Capitol page, then a 16-year-old boy. Later, as the story continued to break,
additional e-mails began to surface from as early as 2003, written to other male
pages. Some of Foley's notes to them allegedly contained sexual language, flirtatious
innuendo and invitations to go drinking. Pages are teenagers who work in the Capitol
Building answering lawmakers' telephones, running errands, and delivering documents.
Just after his abrupt resignation, Foley acknowledged publicly that he is gay and
suffers from alcoholism. He quickly checked into a rehab facility to deal with emotional
and addiction difficulties. His lawyer asserted that Foley had been sexually molested
as a young teen by a priest. The House Ethics Committee initiated an investigation into
Foley's behavior and possible cover-ups, and the FBI became involved as well, trying to
determine whether Foley had committed any criminal offense.
The Foley family had moved to Florida when young Mark was three years old. He was the
fourth of five children born to an outgoing dad, who was a teacher and an ex-Marine, and
a quieter Mom who cooked meals for priests. After he dropped out of junior college at age
20, his parents helped him open a restaurant in Lake Worth, Fl. There Foley's natural
charisma served him in good stead, and a few years later he entered politics, running
successfully for a seat on the city commission in 1977. After a stint as vice mayor of
Lake Worth, from 1983-1984, he served in the Florida House of Representatives and the
state Senate. Foley was elected to the House in 1994, taking his seat on January 3, 1995.
There he served as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and, as co-chair of
the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, he was instrumental in passing
legislation against pedophiles. Popular with Hollywood executives, the charming Representative
was also the Hollywood "go-to" guy among the conservative majority in the House.
Foley never married and remained close to his family, especially to one sister who
managed his campaigns. He usually refused to talk openly about his sexuality as he did
not want his proud parents to know. When public inquiries were made, he would avoid
commenting or say "My mother and father raised me and the rest of my family to believe
that there are certain things we shouldn't discuss in public." In 2003 he staged a run
for a Senate seat. Questions about his sexuality arose which he refused to answer. He
subsequently dropped out of that race saying he wanted to spend time caring for his aging parents.
The sharply-dressed Foley loved the good life: handsome clothes, good food, contacts with
Hollywood stars and executives. His peers enjoyed his lively energy and his penchant for fun,
and he has been well liked by his constituents as well. News of his dramatic fall from grace
seemed to take many by surprise although, as the news continues to break, we may learn more
about the extent and ramifications of his past and who knew what when.
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What Do You Think?
Recently a US Congressman from Florida, Mark Foley, resigned amidst a sex scandal. He then
publicly acknowledged that he is a homosexual male with an alcohol problem and revealed via his
lawyer that he himself was molested by a priest. His story is a sad and complex one, the charming
successful politician whose political career takes a dramatic downward turn, with potentially
disastrous consequences for all involved. We thought it would be interesting to study his chart
this week.
- Foley's chart forms a bowl pattern, with all ten planets framed within a Moon-Jupiter
opposition. What does this pattern contribute to our understanding of his personality, his
ambitions and his achievements?
- What factors in Foley's chart show the charming, popular, gregarious persona? Is there
anything in the natal chart that might show such a sudden and dramatic fall from grace and
public discussion of his once-private behavior? What transits, progressions or other techniques
might we use to have forecasted this difficult period in his life?
- Foley's Mercury is in air, one of only two planets in that element, with the other being
transpersonal Neptune. What do the position, element, rulership and aspects of Mercury
tell us about Foley's behavior and personality?
View Others' Answers
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