NRCC chief Tom Reynolds now seems to be hanging his own chief of staff out to dry. According to a story just up on the Syracuse Post-Standard's web site, Reynolds has just said that he knew nothing about what his chief of staff Kirk Fordham did on behalf of GOP Rep Mark Foley. Reynolds also is quoted saying he didn't give his top aide permission to help him. But wait -- the chief of staff himself said publicly in the Palm Beach Post on Saturday -- three days ago -- that he was going to be helping Foley. So Reynolds knew Fordham was doing this without his permission -- and didn't care? More after the jump.

From the Syracuse Post-Standard's web site:

U.S. Rep. Thomas Reynolds Tuesday denied knowing what his top aide might have done on behalf of a disgraced lawmaker in the days before he resigned following revelations of sexually explicit messages sent to underage male pages.

Reynolds' chief of staff, Kirk Fordham, a past chief of staff for former GOP Rep. Mark Foley of Florida, advised his former boss as the scandal unfolded. He eventually helped to secure Foley's resignation, Reynolds said.

Asked whether Fordham had counseled Foley without Reynolds' permission, Reynolds replied, "He could have."

"I didn't give him permission to have any conversations that he's had at any time with Mark Foley, either as his friend or as his former employer," said Reynolds...

Reynolds was asked if his chief of staff should have been advising Foley earlier.

"I just think that question is pretty subjective," Reynolds said. "I mean, I don't know what he counseled him on. You'll have to ask him."

But hang on a sec. Here's how Fordham was quoted in the Palm Beach Post three days ago:

Kirk Fordham, who worked as Foley's chief of staff for 10 years, returned to Foley's side to advise him during the past couple of days.

"He has the ability to look forward and see how things play out," Fordham said. "He wanted to do what was right for his family and for his district."

So it's been publicly known since Saturday that Reynolds' chief of staff was helping Foley. But Reynolds now says he didn't give him permission to do it. So Reynolds' top aide did this without the boss' permission? Three days ago Reynolds read that his top aide was helping Foley -- without any permission from Reynolds -- and then Reynolds just shrugged his shoulders and went about his business?

Either Reynolds is now not telling the truth, or he first learned from the papers that his top aide was aiding a Congressman accused of soliciting teens on the internet -- and then was indifferent to it, did nothing about it, and didn't follow up to find out what his chief of staff was doing on Foley's behalf. It's one or the other.