Mark Foley is on the hot seat because investigators want a peek at the former congressman’s computer. Under Florida law, the age of consent is 18, and some of Foley’s ham-handed, lurid online IM pickup lines to pages would be considered a crime if the intent was to seduce the minor. The problem is that neither Foley nor the House will allow access to the computers. (CF News):

Florida’s top police agency said Wednesday its investigation into former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley’s lurid Internet communications with teenage boys has been hindered because neither Foley nor the House will let investigators examine his congressional computers.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says it hopes to conclude its investigation next week. Foley, a Florida Republican, resigned from Congress on Sept. 29 after being confronted with the computer messages he sent to male teenage pages who had worked on Capitol Hill.

“We have requested to review federally owned computers that Mr. Foley used during his time as a representative, but the U.S. House of Representatives … cited case law restrictions that prohibited them from releasing those computers,” said Heather Smith, an FDLE spokeswoman.

Smith said that the House claims the computers are considered congressional work papers, and that only Foley can release them for review.

…After his resignation, Foley checked himself into an Arizona facility for what his attorneys said was treatment of “alcoholism and other behavioral problems.” At the time, his attorney said Foley was gay, an alcoholic and had been molested by a priest as a teenage altar boy in Florida.

Investigators have contacted the Committee on House Administration and the House general counsel — none of the calls have been returned.