Gingrich: Dems' Sex Scandals Are Worse

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich tries to get voters fired up Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006, in Greenville , S.C., as his party deals with a growing scandal over lurid Internet messages sent by former Rep. Mark Foley to teenage male pages. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain) (Mary Ann Chastain - AP)

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Wednesday that Democratic sex scandals have been far worse than the suggestive Internet messages sent to teenage congressional pages by former Rep. Mark Foley.

Gingrich said Democrats have wanted to punish their offenders less than the GOP.

"What we don't have to do is allow our friends on the left to lecture us on morality," Gingrich said at a party fundraiser in Greenville. "There's a certain stench of hypocrisy."

Foley abruptly resigned Friday after being accused of sending salacious Internet messages to teenage boys who served as pages on Capitol Hill. The FBI and Florida law enforcement officials are investigating.

Gingrich would not say whether House Speaker Dennis Hastert should step down in the wake of the scandal. He also declined to discuss reports that Hastert may have known about Foley's behavior for more than three years.

"I don't know what he knew," Gingrich said.