Call To Reprimand Two Congressmen (Press, 16 July 1983)

On 16 July 1983, a congressional committee in the United States recommended reprimanding two congressmen for engaging in inappropriate sexual relationships with teenage pages. The House ethics committee specifically called for disciplinary action against Illinois Republican Congressman Daniel Crane and Massachusetts Democrat Gerry Studds. Crane was reported to have had sexual relations with a 17-year-old female page in 1980, while Studds was implicated in sexual acts with a male page, who was either 16 or 17, in 1973. Joseph Califano, the special investigator appointed by the committee, also mentioned that James Howarth, a House employee responsible for Democratic pages, had engaged in sexual relations with a 17-year-old female messenger in 1980, stating that further disciplinary measures would be taken against him. The investigation's scope included allegations of cocaine and drug use among congressmen, which Califano indicated would continue. In response to the allegations, Crane, a 47-year-old dentist, admitted to the affair and expressed remorse, hoping for forgiveness from his family. Studds, a former aide to President John F. Kennedy, openly identified as a homosexual during the proceedings. House Speaker Thomas O'Neill described the incidents as "most disturbing" and endorsed the ethics committee's recommendation for reprimand. A reprimand is considered one of the least severe disciplinary actions against a congressman, falling short of censure, while expulsion is the most severe penalty the House can impose on its members. The investigation began in July of the previous year following claims of illicit sexual conduct and drug use involving pages. The exhaustive report produced by Califano concluded that while allegations from various pages had been found to be untrue, interviews with many current and former pages revealed the three specific cases of misconduct that the committee focused on. In regard to Crane's actions, the report indicated that he may have had sexual relations with the girl on up to five separate occasions during the summer of 1980, and it was noted that she had consented to the relationship and found Crane's older age attractive.

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