WASHINGTON (AP) -- A watchdog group asked lawmakers Monday to investigate whether New York Rep. Vito Fossella used government resources to conduct an extramarital affair.
The Staten Island Republican has been under fire since his drunken-driving arrest at the beginning of the month led to revelations of an affair that produced a daughter. The 43-year-old congressman also has three children with his wife.
At the time, Fay was an Air Force officer and a military liaison to Congress. Fossella has yet to say whether he plans to seek re-election. He faces five days in a Virginia jail if convicted of the drunken-driving charge.
A spokeswoman for Fossella declined to comment.
Fossella, who was elected to Congress in 1997, has spent weeks avoiding questions [Washington Post] about his tangled personal life and whether he intends to stay in office and run for re-election this fall.
If he resigns before July 1, New York Gov. David Paterson, a Democrat, could call a special election. That would spell trouble for the Republican party, which has lost three special congressional elections [New York Times] in a row, and is low on money to fund such races, particularly one in such an expensive media market as New York City.
Rep. Peter King, a Long Island Republican close to Fossella, said Monday it was still unclear what Fossella will decide.
``As far as I know, there's been no decision made,'' said King.
John Friscia, chairman of the Staten Island Republican party, did not immediately return a call for comment.
The party's Web site prominently features Fossella in its ``candidate spotlight.''
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