Mark Foley "wants
you to know he is a gay man"

Former Florida congressman Mark Foley "wants you to know he is a gay man," Foley's attorney said at a press conference on Tuesday, during which he said Foley was molested by a clergyman when he was between the ages of 13 and 15.

Foley resigned on Friday amid allegations that the he exchanged inappropriate e-mails and instant messages with male teen congressional pages. But attorney David Roth said Foley has never had sexual contact with a minor and that any assertion Foley is a pedophile is "categorically false."

According to a report on CNN, Roth would not release details of the alleged molestation, saying only that making it public "is part of Mark's recovery" and that Foley would discuss it further when he is released from a center where he's being treated for alcoholism and mental issues. It will be at least 30 days before he is discharged, Roth said.

Though the attorney would not provide the religious affiliation of the clergyman who allegedly molested Foley, Foley lists his religion as Catholic, according to a congressional directory. "He continues to offer no excuse whatsoever for his conduct," said Roth, who spoke to Foley on Tuesday. "This was a life decision, not a tactical one made by others."

Asked why Foley waited to divulge the alleged molestation, Roth replied, "Shame." (The Advocate)