Reynolds was previously mentioned as the first member of the leadership approached by Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA) upon Alexander's learning of the email communications between a page assigned to his office and former US Rep. Mark Foley, who resigned over the controversy yesterday.

The reason Alexander approached the chairman of the party's congressional election effort first, instead of individuals with supervisory capacity over the page program remains unclear. Calls to the Congressman's office remain unreturned.

A Democratic member of the Page Board, Dale Kildee (D-MI) issued a statement claiming that statements by Reynolds relating to the controversy are untrue.

"As the Democratic Member of the House Page Board, any statement by Mr. Reynolds or anyone else that the House Page Board ever investigated Mr. Foley is completely untrue," Kildee said in the statement obtained by PageOneQ.

The statement continued, "I was never informed of the allegations about Mr. Foley's inappropriate communications with a House Page and I was never involved in any inquiry into this matter.

"The first and only meeting of the House Page Board on this matter occurred on Friday, September 29 at approximately 6 p.m., after the allegations about Mr. Foley had become public."

Excerpts from the ROLL CALL article follow:

DEVELOPING...

#

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds (N.Y.) issued a statement Saturday in which he said that he had informed Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) of allegations of improper contacts between then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) and at least one former male page, contradicting earlier statements from Hastert.

GOP sources said Reynolds told Hastert earlier in 2006, shortly after the February GOP leadership elections. Hastert's response to Reynolds' warning remains unclear.

Hastert's staff insisted Friday night that he was not told of the Foley allegations and are scrambling to respond to Reynolds' statement.