Rep. Admits To Affair, Fathering Child

N.Y. Rep. Vito Fossella, Who Was Arrested For Drunk Driving Last Week, Says He Has A 3-Year-Old Daughter With Woman In Va.

(AP)  Rep. Vito Fossella of New York ran a red light, and wrecked his life. A drunk-driving arrest last week led to talk of an extramarital affair, and then finally Thursday, an admission of a child from that affair.

"My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love and I am truly sorry," said Fossella, a Republican, who lives in his Staten Island, N.Y., district with his wife and their three children.

Fossella is the only Republican member of Congress from New York City, and the paternity revelation could lead to the loss of a seat in Congress at a time when the House GOP faces the possibility of a second grim November of election setbacks.

House Minority Leader John Boehner said he expected Fossella to make decisions about his future in a matter of days, not months.

"I think Mr. Fossella is going to have some decisions to make over the weekend. And I would hope that, and frankly, expect that this is a decision between he, his family, and his constituents," Boehner said.

Fossella's private life came under scrutiny after he was arrested in the Virginia suburbs of Washington for allegedly driving drunk. Police said they stopped him after he drove through a red light.

When Fossella was pulled over, police said he told officers that he was going to see his daughter in the area. That prompted questions about who the daughter was.

"I have had a relationship with Laura Fay, with whom I have a 3-year-old daughter," Fossella said in his statement. It was Fay who got him out of jail after the arrest. She is a former Air Force lieutenant colonel and worked for a time as a liaison to Congress.

Police said Fossella's blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit, and he could face a mandatory five days in jail if convicted. A court appearance on the drunken driving arrest that had been planned for next week was canceled, and he is now not expected back in court until June.

Fossella said he had no immediate plans to resign. The disclosures are a crushing blow to the career of a lawmaker once seen as a potential candidate for mayor of New York City. He faced a surprisingly tough re-election challenge in 2006, and Democrats have been hoping to unseat him this year.

"While I understand that there will be many questions, including those about my political future, making any political decisions right now are furthest from my mind. Over the coming weeks and months, I will continue to do my job and I will work hard to heal the deep wounds I have caused," he said.

There was little support from leaders of his party for him to remain.

A spokeswoman for the House GOP campaign committee said only that they expect the district to continue to elect conservative-minded lawmakers. A spokeswoman for the Democratic campaign committee declined to comment.

"He's politically dead. The only thing that hasn't happened is the autopsy report hasn't been written," said Doug Muzzio, a professor of politics at Baruch College in New York. "He can say he's going to stay all he wants, but come on ..."

Fossella, 43, was elected to Congress in 1997 in a special election to replace Rep. Susan Molinari, who resigned. His socially conservative positions squared nicely with his largely Catholic district. He serves as a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Fossella's work in Congress shifted dramatically following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Hundreds of Staten Island residents died in the attacks, and Fossella became a prominent advocate for families of those killed.

As more recovery and rescue workers got sick after toiling at the ground zero site, Fossella pushed for Washington to pay for their health care — an effort that has met with short-term success, but no long-term program.

[guysdigdirt]

You''''re right, the Republicans have 20 who did much worse than Bill Clinton.
Posted by pfd572

Hey, dipstick, get over it already. It is not that billy was playing his the salami, it is that he did it, it was proven and he denied it on national tv, then she admited he did it and he still lied about it and said he did not do it since he had his own definition of what that word means.

He was a liar and perjuror. Or is a liar would be more accurate. At least this scoundral admitted it.

I still do not know why billy was not looking up from the floor at hillary through blood soaked eyes as she yelled "how do i reload this da* thing!!"

[hillary4us]

PERHAPS WE BETTER BRING BACK THE CHASTITY BELT BUT FOR MEN THIS TIME! ALAN COMBES OF FOX NEWS DISCUSSED LARRY SINCLAIR''S ALLEGATIONS OF ADULTERY AGAINST OBAMA ON HIS RADIO SHOW TONIGHT. http://larrysinclair0926.wordpress.com/

[pfd572]

dmw1167: You''re right, the Republicans have 20 who did much worse than Bill Clinton. It is amazing after all the dropped pants, lies and harming of American done by conservative politicians, esp. the bush/cheney administration you still have the nerve to insinuate Clinton was worse then any of them. Clinton, who left with the largest surplus in history, had a great working relationship with the majority of world leaders, had one of the lowest unemployment rates, healthy stock market, etc. etc. etc. You ''3 monkey'' people would be funny if it wasn''t so sad.

[brianbwb-2009]

"It is not only the politicians who are committing adultery and other evils. We all need to be looking at our lives and our morals and clean up our act." Posted by rosesnpearls

I don''t necessarily consider adultery evil, but that is my take, and you have yours, both have merit.

However, it is important that people making laws that govern our lives be subject to the same sanctions that they would impose upon us.

Fossella''s indiscretions expose a hypocrisy that makes him ineligible to be a lawmaker, especially since his mouth takes a different position than his other body parts.

[anappleadae]

Bill Clinton, Gary Hart, and currently Fossella commit human social indescretions and they are rendered politically died. Yet a candidate running fot the highest office in the land has documented ties to terrorists and other Negative National Security associations and neither the media or his cult like throng of zombies look the other way without concern.

For all you non-zombies; get your passports in good order and purchase plenty of ammo.

[pfd572]

Once again, a REPUBLICAN is caught with his pants down and no outrage from Limbutt or any other hate mongers from the conservative right. When Clinton had his brain dead moments they all came out of the swamp to cry impeachment and prison time. What a bunch of low-life hypocrites. You could field a a baseball team with all the conservative lying scumbags who have violated their voters trust and broken several laws. When they user low-lives of the conservative right start acting and speaking in a logical, honest and fair way, then I will listen with respect to what they have to say. As long as they continue to live in the sewer and act like thugs no reasonable and intelligent person will pay any attention to their lies and rants.

[excoachken]

dmw1167: Thanks for your frank assessment, but I do disagree about Clinton. If one BJ by another consenting adult and a cover up lie even comes close to lying us into a war, throwing away habeas corpus, spying on our own citizens through warrantless wiretaps, and rigging voting machines, we must be operating on very different value systems. But, at least you had the guts to answer. Don''t you see a similarity to the Spitzer case, one that made me immediately say he should resign. Both partys have some bad guys, but it seems that only one party is willing to clean house of those sick members.

[ajaxtheleast]

Then after being admonished by the judge

for his arrest while DUI, he was equally

upbraided for his careless fathering

of the child while FUI.

[excoachken]

Hey lastdance: I am afraid that you might be in the midst of your last dance with that psychedellic junk. Wow, what are you trying to say? Be succinct or at least try to complete just one thought before rambling to the next. I''d like to know what you think---- I think.

[excoachken]

6 1/2 hours this story has been posted and still not one Republican has said that this guy should do what Spitzer did, resign! Hypocrisy is best scene with eyes that have no rose colored tint. But what can you expect from the Self-Rightious Right, right?

[rosesnpearls]

There is a lot of hate being thrown about here. Do any of you pray for your leaders and their families? It is not only the politicians who are committing adultery and other evils. We all need to be looking at our lives and our morals and clean up our act.

[cdfoxtrot]

Jeez, another holier than thou scumbag Repiglican caught with his pants down. Will it ever stop???

[one-american]

"WHO IWILL BE NEXT????"

Posted by MIKETNT303 at 06:13 PM : May 08, 2008


Maybe Bill and Hillary Clinton?

Naw, you libs love to hang onto your losers.

[Markus]

"My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love and I am truly sorry," said Fossella, a Republican, who lives in his Staten Island, N.Y., district with his wife and their three children.

AHH YES,HOW NICE AND SOFT TO USE SUCH GENTLE EUPHIMISMS LIKE "PERSONAL FAILINGS" AND "IMPERFECTIONS". HOW ABOUT"LYING,FLYING CHEATING,DRUNKEN,ADULTEROUS,DECEITFUL EXCUSE FOR A MAN WHO IS EXPECTED TO KEEP HIS OATHS,ONE OF WHICH IS THE VOWS HE TOOK." ANOTHER NARCISSISTIC,SLEASY REPUBLICAN GONE.WHO IWILL BE NEXT????

[Markus]

Posted by lochlan

More, "it''''s all about me", morals from the self righteous, self serving republican party. How anyone can hold their head up and say, "I am a republican" these days is beyond me.

YOU ARE CORRECT......NOW,INSTEAD OF HOLDING THEIR HEAD UP,THEY DROP THEIR PANTS.......................WHAT HYPOCRITES THEY ARE.

[cyberdjs4]

Why am I NOT surprised by another politico caught in a scandal.

[formrusmcsgt]

"Fossella said he had no immediate plans to resign."

He obviously can''t manage to keep his wedding vows, so he can hardly be expcted to keep his oath of office....

[mcv57]

Give me a break, the U.S. Government practicing ethics and morality. How many ways can you spell:
H-I-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y! CBS would appear more intelligent if it got to the bottom of this scandel, rather than printing the government propaganda.

[cbspat]

Rep. Vito Fossella is merely a "victim" of Republican thinking and morality. They are all for "family values" as long as the family is heterosexual. They recognize that 2 has a greater value than 1. In their convuluted logic, then, it is better to have two "families". Republicans tout "family values" and "morality", but truly have no comprehension of either.

[element51]

Should read, "I don''t mean to imply that democrats are lilly white".