WASHINGTON – House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s political support showed signs of cracking on Wednesday as Republicans fled an election-year scandal spawned by steamy computer messages from former Rep. Mark Foley to teenage male pages.

At the same time, a congressional aide said in an Associated Press interview he first warned Hastert’s aides more than three years ago that Foley’s behavior toward pages was troublesome. That was long before GOP leaders acknowledged learning of the problem.

The aide, Kirk Fordham, said he had “more than one conversation with senior staff at the highest level of the House of Representatives asking them to intervene” several years ago.

The claim drew a swift, unequivocal denial from Hastert’s chief of staff. “What Kirk Fordham said did not happen,” Scott Palmer said through a spokesman.

Hastert’s political difficulties were evident half a continent away.

Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, third-ranking leader, pointedly told reporters he would have handled the matter differently than the speaker, had he known of it.

“I think I could have given some good advice here, which is: You have to be curious, you have to ask all the questions you can think of,” said Blunt, a member of the leadership. “You absolutely can’t decide not to look into activities because one individual’s parents don’t want you to.”

Republican Rep. Ron Lewis of Kentucky, in a tougher-than-expected re-election race, abruptly canceled an invitation for Hastert to join him at a fundraiser next week.

Ron Bonjean, Hastert’s spokesman, said the entire issue had been referred to the House ethics committee. “We fully expect that the bipartisan panel will do what it needs to do to investigate this matter and protect the integrity of the House,” he added. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said, “The children, their parents, the public, and our colleagues deserve answers and those who covered up Mark Foley’s behavior must be held accountable.”