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Full Report On Nudist Camp Controversy

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- U.S. Rep. Mark Foley asked organizers of a nudist summer camp for children to strengthen their background checks of employees Monday after meeting with leaders of nudist organizations who were defending the camp.

A coalition of groups representing recreational nudists asked to meet with Foley, appealing to him to respect the privacy of the families who choose to send their children to the camp.

Foley called attention to the camp last month when he asked Gov. Jeb Bush to investigate whether the summer program was illegal.

Bush's staff responded that they found no indication of illegal activity, but that they would check to see if any complaints had been filed.

The weeklong summer camp run by the American Association for Nude Recreation outside of Tampa allows children ages 11 to 18 get together for games and sports and discussions about their choice to stay in the buff.

"I want to make sure that they're properly regulated, properly secure, and that they're not going to have kids come in contact with undesirables," said Foley, a West Palm Beach Republican who's running for U.S. Senate.

Nudists who met with Foley said they wanted him to stop harassing the camp now that state officials said it was legal.

"It's a fundamental freedom in this country to make such personal choices," Shirley Mason, executive director of BEACHES Foundation Institute, a group that supports clothing-free beaches, said in a statement.

She accused Foley of criticizing the camp to gain publicity for his Senate run.

Foley, co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, said his concern is for the children's safety.