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The 1983 Congressional Page sex scandal was a political scandal in the United States involving members of the United States House of Representatives. On July 14, 1983 the House Ethics Committee concluded that Rep. Dan Crane (R-Ill.) and Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) had engaged in sexual relationships with minors, specifically 17-year-old congressional pages. In Crane's case, it was a 1980 relationship with a female page and in Studds's case, it was a 1973 relationship with a male page. Both representatives immediately admitted to the charges and the committee recommended reprimand for the two. However, Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) demanded their expulsion . On July 20, 1983, the House voted for censure nearly unanimously, the first time that censure had been imposed for sexual misconduct. Crane, who subsequently apologized for his transgression, lost his bid for reelection in 1984. Studds admitted "an error in judgment," but refused to apologize. He turned his back to his fellow members as his censure was read.• He called a press conference with the former page, in which both stated that the young man, who was 17, consented. Because he had brought the child overseas to engage in sexual relations, Studds asserted he did not break any U.S. laws. He continued to be reelected until his retirement in 1996.
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