New revelation of prior Foley knowledge in Hastert's office.

Another staffer has come forward to confirm that Hastert's Chief of Staff "confronted then-Rep. Mark Foley about his inappropriate social contact with male pages well before the speaker said aides in his office took any action."

The staff member said Hastert's chief of staff, Scott Palmer, met with the Florida Republican at the Capitol to discuss complaints about Foley's behavior toward pages. The alleged meeting occurred long before Hastert says aides in his office dispatched Rep. John M. Shimkus (R-Ill.) and the clerk of the House in November 2005 to confront Foley about troubling e-mails he had sent to a Louisiana boy......

Now, a second House aide familiar with Foley and his actions told The Washington Post yesterday that "Scott Palmer had spoken to Foley prior to November 2005."

And, you know I love my little informal contests, and I think we have a winner for the first use of the "ongoing investigation" dodge.

Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean declined to directly comment on the second House staff member's assertion, saying that it is a matter for a House ethics committee investigation. "The Standards Committee has asked that no one discuss this matter because of its ongoing investigation," Bonjean said.

How messed up is it that questions about the very worst acts are hidden behind this dodge? If you manage to hit a certain threshold of wrongdoing, you no longer have to answer questions about it.

(This also creates a situation where Hastert's press conference is the last statement made. As new evidence comes in contradicting him, he won't have to answer and his fact absent version from that day will be replayed.)

UPDATE: ABC confirms. Also on ABC, Reynolds runs a campaign ad that I think conflicts with Hastert's story.