A married US congressman has resigned after a half-naked picture and emails that he sent to a woman he met on the internet were published online.
Chris Lee, a Republican who has represented a northwestern district of New York for the past two years, announced he was quitting just three hours after details of his extramarital liaison emerged…
The picture of Mr Lee was published on Wednesday by Gawker, the New York gossip website. The congressman had sent it to a woman appealing for contact on Craigslist, the classified listings site.
In her Craigslist posting, the woman asked for respondents to come forward and prove that not all men were “toads.” In his reply, Mr Lee wrote: “Hi, Hope I’m not a toad :)”
An email exchange between Mr Lee and the woman, who was not named, was also published. The congressman had claimed to be a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist and described himself as a “fit fun classy guy”.
Asked by the 34-year-old woman “so do you always send shirtless pics to women from [Craigslist]?“, Mr Lee responded: “Sorry. It’s all I had”. She replied: “I was only joking”.
The pair then exchanged stories about previous dates. It is unclear whether they met. The woman is said to have cut off contact when she searched the internet for Mr Lee and discovered his true identity.
Proving that a congressman can be as dumb as a high school sophomore who just discovered sexting.
I don’t understand why he resigned, he’s not the first cheater to be caught. It’s not like he was getting a blowjob from an intern, then lied to a Grand Jury, then was impeached by the House.
Bobbo- you spew more hate than any ten people on this blog. You should be proud of yourself.
I’m glad that everything has been revealed related to Chris Lee. I believed in him, and now we all found out that he is like the others, who have been involved in scandals. The extramarital relationship affected his career.
Tom–really! Think a little deeper. Allow yourself to be challenged. Shrink not from the bright light. Like shit on a mustache, what is spewed hatred but looking for love in the wrong places?
Ha, ha.
#24 Bobbo
You already know what Alfred’s hypocrisy is: hes a “christian” that spews hate and advocates violence.
There may be more, but he shows us these weekly.
25:
lol bobbo, its not stupid.
-it’s just politics as usual.
(obviously someone here in the land of boom, bust and insane taxes wanted to sensationalize the story even more than it was already.
1010 WINS is just news & traffic, no talking heads. why *slant* the local news story with a kid angle unless someone wanted to make sure he had zero wiggle room to stay in office? Not saying a sting was setup, just pointing out the two very different versions of the same story being reported.
The subtle *story within the story* is that Lee fancied himself as a “divorced lobbyist,” which is pretty much the #1 most coveted (and ludicrous) job after “public service.” -no surprise there really..
of course..could be they just wanted sell more copy.
*shrug*
(iirc, 1010 is mainly sourced from AP/CBS and (was/is?) owned by the Hurst family at some point – dunno if there is something to that)
-in any case, you know the drill: VOTE’em ALL out!
-s
(afterthought: IF there is more to the story.. some motivations?:
upstate NY is chock-full of military and weapons development and test sites along with the occasional DARPA cluster. There are also attempts to get hydro-fracking cooking in a big way in the NY shale deposits. Our famous water supply is at risk (and our bagles!)
and possibly the most significant bit:
-he’s a member of both, the Ways and Means Committee and the Financial Services Committee.
all items that could easily justify a simple scandal if he was not “going with the program” on any one of them.
call me jaded, -i’ve worked too many underworld jobs “behind the curtain” in nyc as a kid and in early adult life to accept *anything* at face value anymore.
-s
#43–Jaded==two quibbles: The USA has the lowest formal tax structure it has had in the past 60 years and is the lowest of first world states. Add in the routine/allowed tax fraud, and its no wonder we are bankrupt. All to the benefit of the SUPER rich and the harm to the rest of us.
The “pay off” in politics is to become a lobbyist. Time in office is the grunt work. No, our dear congressman reveals the “real” priorities, as when Animby claims he has a big 10-inch and he’s not talking his LP collection ((Nor his CD’s?–more like his mini-discs?))
I’ll say it again–Dallas nailed it as he so often does. I’ll say it again–the “natural” constituency of the PUKE party is about 3% but add in the stupid factor and PUKES have found a group they can pander to for votes==so the rank hypocrisy relationship is formed. You have to be REALLY STUPID (sorry Tom–your better hate-less concept would be???) to vote PUKE and these carpetbagging scum in Congress are many things, but stupid is not one of them.
No, we have what we have because it is what it is.
Easy Peasy.
He resigned because there is way more to this story than has been revealed.
Bobbo is a jerk and troll. Today is the last time I read one of his posts. I recommend you all scroll past them as well.
#47–fillgarbage==PUKE much? Ha, ha. I’ve heard life is like a box a chocolates. Troll?–so lazy.
#18 Bobbo…. Right on target.
#22, 26, 28, on and on..
Alfred (whatever your name is today)…
First, this is not about Barney Frank. Second the element of hypocrisy escapes you because it comes natural to you. His desire for fresh pussy being any better or worse than yours or anyone elses is irrelevant and quite boring.
I’ll throw in a theory why he quit: he’s afraid to stand his ground and fight his way through it. He’s simply a chickenshit.
But, if he goes away now, maybe gets that divorce he covets, he can eventually be resurrected and take advantage of the GOP base’s amnesia like so many other completely disgraced Republicans have done before him. In five years, he can twist the tale any way he likes and in Fox-world, that becomes truth and the truth becomes lies and smears. It’s an old playbook: Gingrich, Vitter, George Allen, Delay…
It’s not the fact that he was looking for sex outside his marriage that makes it necessary for him to resign.
It’s the fact that he acted so stupidly in thinking he wouldn’t get caught that makes it necessary for him to resign.
Anyone stupid enough to think that a United States Congressman, in 2011, could hide something like that (Craigslist for Pete’s sake!) is too naive to be in Congress. Geez….what a dumb shit!
#51 spsffan – So what you’re saying is the only thing he did wrong was get caught?
You’re probably right.
#28 Alfred
I know you’re not defending him the way certain people do, but you ARE condoning his behavior. And by his behavior, I don’t mean lying/cheating on his wife and children, that’s his private life and has nothing to do with me or you. I mean his making a living by extortion. He and every other politician are nothing but thugs. Some are nicer than others. Some actually try to provide a service to their constituents. It doesn’t really matter, though, because the gang they work for will throw your butt in jail if you don’t pay them their dues, bribes and extortion money.
I think they should all resign! And of course it’s odd, inconsistent, irrational, etc. That would describe society as a WHOLE. Why is it okay for the majority to oppress the minority? The majority gets to elect someone to force the minority to pay for and do what the majority wants to do. If that’s not odd, inconsistent and irrational, I don’t know what is!
#29 LotsaLuck
I don’t lay any blame on anyone that thinks differently than I. I lay blame on those who STEAL from me, call themselves my servants, and accept me to believe such nonesense at the point of a gun. Stealing, aggression and violence don’t heal, they wound. Hence Mr. Obama is full of shyt with his bull shyt kindergarten patronizing. “Oh, we have to be nice to one another, while I rob you blind and socialize everything and create more terrorists and sink your economy further and continue what Bush was doing all along.”
#31 Uro
Yep. We need to do more than accept it. We need to stop supporting it, and stop cooperating with the self raping in a nonviolent manner.
#36 bobbo
You are a fool. Stop throwing rocks in a glass house. All the brains in the world can’t help you. You may be intelligent (then again, you may not), but you are living in a delusion if you think there is any way to STEAL from people in a beneficial way. It’s like asking the robber to steal from you with a knife instead of a gun. Ludicrous.
Just ran across this older article that seems oddly relevant to the discussion.
#53–LIEberTARD in Black Sheep’s Clothing==your alternative to a society with taxation is what?
Olo–always good to remember that Noah’s wife was Yoko Ono! but yes–the “Prosperity Gospel” so in vogue today is worse than sacrilege, it is a corruption most vile==just as your link reminds us. “Give me a dollar, and ten will flow back to you.” Uttered under religious freedom, but it should be a jailable offense for taking advantage of stupid.
How much of our society really is based on gullible and stupid? High and Low. Liebertarianism and Religion. Politics and Hollywood.
Yea, veerily.
If someone else mentioned this I missed it – this is obviously a plan set up by him and his wife to have a reason to quit and still receive a lifelong pension so they can travel and have a good life on the taxpayers money. No?
@54 Olo Baggins of Bywater,
Thank you for the link!
#55 bobbo
Easy. A society without taxation. A society where people interact with one another on a voluntary basis. If you have a service or product I want, I pay for it and you oblige. If someone else comes up with a better service or product, I stop paying you and take my business elsewhere. What’s so difficult to grasp here?
And what exactly, pray tell, am I lying about?
The difference between Dems and Pubs is the former wants to fund a welfare state first, then fund the warfare state with what’s left because they don’t want to look “weak on national defense, crime, etc.” The latter wants to do the opposite, and fund the welfare state because they won’t look “compassionate” otherwise.
libertarians want to make the state as small as possible, allowing people to make decisions for themselves, instead of looking for politicians, who are human like you and I, just with inflated egos and undeserved power. Power that the masses give them out of ignorance and delusion. The delusion that these politicians actually represent you. What a joke. How can one person represent the interests of 2 neighbors, let alone thousands?
anarchists want to go one step further. they want to take the politicians out of the picture altogether. only you can represent yourself properly. vote with your feet and your wallet. defend yourself from criminals and allow people to live their lives as long as they aren’t aggressing against anyone else. if you want, get together with others to fund things you want to fund. if you want a military to go overseas to protect oil fields, you and your like-minded friends can pay for it yourselves and leave me out of it. if you want to pay for healthcare for everybody, you and your friends fund it, and leave me out of it. i’ll donate to the charities I feel are worthy. No need for a gun. If your ideas are worthy, you should be able to convince others so they support them. No need to hold people up for taxes to fund them.
#18
Democrats:
Fred Richmond. This New York Democrat was arrested in 1978 for soliciting sex from a 16-year-old. He remained in Congress and won re-election—before eventually resigning in 1982 after pleading guilty to tax evasion and drug possession.
Gerry Studds. He was censured for sexual relationship with underage male page in 1983. Massachusetts voters returned him to office for six more terms.
Gary Hart (1988): Affair with model Donna Rice.
Barney Frank (1989): Affair with male prostitute, who also conducted business in Frank’s home.
Gus Savage. The Illinois Democrat was accused of fondling a Peace Corps volunteer in 1989 while on a trip to Africa. The House Ethics Committee decided against disciplinary action in 1990.
Mel Reynolds (1994): Sexual relationship with 16-year-old campaign volunteer.
Rep. Mel Reynolds. The Illinois Democrat was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault with a 16-year-old. President Bill Clinton pardoned him before leaving office.
Bill Clinton (1998): Affair with intern Monica Lewinsky.
Gary Condit (2001): Affair with (murdered) intern Chandra Levy.
Neil Goldschmidt (2004): Admitted to having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl in the 1970s.
Roosevelt Dobbins (2005): Congressman form Arkansas, pleaded guilty to fondling a 16-year-old.
Gavin Newsom (2007): Affair with the wife of a top aide.
Eliot Spitzer (2008): Involved in prostitution scandal.
John Edwards (2008): Had an affair with a campaign employee while running for President.
Kwame Kilpatrick (2008): Text messaging sex scandal
You are absolutely right, mextli: Democrats can be cheating slimeballs too.
But you still miss the point. Democrats typically don’t make holier than thou proclamations about “family values” a central part of their platform.
A politician who cheats on his wife is an asshole. A politician who runs on a platform of morality, christianity and family values is a hypocritical asshole. There is a difference.
When you make it your business to tell other people how to live, you should make sure your own house is in order first.
#61
“When you make it your business to tell other people how to live, you should make sure your own house is in order first.”
I agree 100% and the “scandals” are easily found on both sides.
Was trying to place it, this guy looks like former Democratic Party Chairman and megafundraiser who bankrolled the Clinton’s house in New York, Terry McAuliffe.
tcc3,
YUP!!! There is a difference.
The more obvious point you miss is the Democrats tend to rationalize or defend bad behavior for members within their own ranks.
The Republicans ask for their members to resign if they don’t already do so if they should go off the beaten path.
I’d rather they just stop claiming moral superiority. Several posters above claimed he was a good Representative and they would have voted for him anyway.
It only becomes more than embarrassment / bad pr when your political platform is based on holding the moral highground.
Its time we stopped voting for people based on (often faked) family values positions and started paying attention to real issues.
Evidently too many of you PUKES don’t understand what the concept of “hypocrisy” is.
Defined: a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.
So, when Barney Frank has voluntary sex with another adult male there is no hypocrisy. When, pick your own favorite from a dozen PUKES, does the same thing after winning an election based on outlawing same sex marriage, there is, I know its difficult for you retards to get this: a “difference.”
Should the sex lives of our Pols make any difference?===No. Are the laws they pass/try to pass in Congress relevant?==Yes.
complicated, I know, but work on it.
Stan: Oh man, I feel like a total choad.
Cartman: Aw, come on Stan. Maybe that’s just because you look like a total choad.
To all you liberal leftist loons: No hypocrisy from the dems dare you say????
Eliot Spitzer (2008): Involved in prostitution scandal.
From wikipedia:
“In addition to prosecutions and civil actions in the financial sector, Spitzer has pursued cases in both state and federal courts involving pollution, entertainment, technology, prostitution…”
Um, all politicians are scum. Period.