From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

ATLANTA (CNN) -- A senior White House official Sunday defended House Republican leaders for their handling of Rep. Mark Foley's email contact with House pages, noting that they are "being very forthcoming about what they know and when they knew it."

In an interview on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," White House counselor Dan Bartlett said from what he knows Republican leaders "did not know about the specific emails that are now being discussed, that they saw were described in a much different way, maybe not appropriate way, but much different than the sensational emails that have now been revealed."

Bartlett added that when House Speaker Dennis Hastert's, R-Illinois, office was informed of the situation, the matter was turned over to the appropriate people. Bartlett added that "no one takes [the integrity of the page system on Capitol Hill] more seriously than the speaker."