Scott B. Palmer (born November 22, 1950) is a former United States congressional aide. He was the chief of staff to

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

Dennis Hastert John Dennis Hastert (; born January 2, 1942) is an American former politician and convicted felon who represented from 1987 to 2007 and served as the 51st speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. The longest-se ...

( R-

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

), the former

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hunger ...

in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

. Palmer attended

Aurora University Aurora University (AU) is a private university in Aurora, Illinois. In addition to its main campus and the Orchard Center in Aurora, AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, and at the Woodsto ...

Aurora, Illinois Aurora is a city in the Chicago metropolitan area located partially in DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located primarily in DuPage and Kane counties, it is the second most populous city in Illinois, af ...

, from which he received a B.A. degree in history in 1972 and a Master's degree in management in 1983. From 1972 until 1984, he worked for Aurora University. Palmer was Hastert's Chief of Staff from Hastert's initial election to the U.S. House in 1986 until the former Speaker's retirement in 2007. He also worked on Hastert's campaign staff since Hastert's first run for the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

in 1980. He, Hastert and Hastert's Chief of Staff, Mike Stokke, shared a town house in Washington, D.C. On October 4, 2006, in the midst of the

Mark Foley scandal The Mark Foley scandal, which broke in late September 2006, centers on soliciting emails and sexually suggestive instant messages sent by Mark Foley, a Republican Congressman from Florida, to teenaged boys who had formerly served as congr ...

, Palmer publicly denied the assertion by

Kirk Fordham Kirk Fordham serves as Senior Director of Member and Board Relations for the National Association of Manufacturers. Fordham spent 18 years working on Capitol Hill and later worked for several philanthropists on a range of conservation, civil right ...

, the onetime Chief of Staff for former U.S. Representative

Mark Foley Mark Adam Foley (born September 8, 1954) is an American former politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1995 until 2006, representing the 16th District of Florida as a member of the Republic ...

, that Fordham had told Palmer about Foley's inappropriate contacts with male pages in 2003 or earlier and had asked Palmer to intervene. Palmer released a statement that day that read, in full: "What Kirk Fordham said did not happen." Palmer testified under oath in front of the

House Ethics Committee The Committee on Ethics, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives. Prior to the 112th Congress it was known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. The House E ...

on October 23, 2006, regarding his knowledge of the Mark Foley scandal.Associated Press, October 23, 2006
/ref>

References

External links

on ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Scott B. 1950 births Living people Aurora University alumni People from Aurora, Illinois Political chiefs of staff United States congressional aides