The special subcommittee of the House ethics panel that's looking into the Foley scandal met again today, hearing testimony from two key witnesses.

Danielle Savoy, a former aide to Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA) -- who sponsored one of the pages who received inappropriate emails from Foley -- spoke with the panel this morning. Savoy was the first Alexander staffer the page told of the emails.

In the afternoon, Alexander's chief of staff, Royal Alexander (no relation), took the witness chair.

Also slated for appearance before the panel today: Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), a member of the page board who says he was never told of Foley's behavior.

Tomorrow, the panel is expected to hear from House Sergeant at Arms Wilson Livingood, according to CQ (sub. req.). House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), is is scheduled to appear Thursday.

New questions are being raised over the credibility of the panel's probe, however. Existing political ties -- including donations from House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), whose behavior is under investigation, to panel members -- have already cast doubt on the panel's trustworthiness.

Congressional Quarterly's Alan Ota takes a look at some of the ambitions held by GOP members of the panel -- ambitions that only Dennis Hastert has the power to fulfill:

Read more »

How does Majority Leader Boehner resolve the apparent contradictions of his public statements about whether he had discussed Mark Foley's emailing problem with Speaker Hastert?

Roll Call has the answer (sub. req.):

The Washington Post late last Friday reported that Boehner said he had discussed the issue with Hastert, and Hastert had assured Boehner, “We’re taking care of it.” Boehner and his aides later contacted the Post and other media outlets, including Roll Call, to retract the comment.

“That is not true,” he said after the Post’s initial report, and he contacted the Post to say he could not be sure he spoke to Hastert personally.

Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Boehner, said the comments were consistent with earlier statements in that it is Boehner’s recollection of events, but he is not absolutely certain of the conversation. “He still can’t be certain of that, but that is his recollection,” Madden said. [my emphasis]

Call it the Boehner Uncertainty Principle of Public Comment.