CREW CALLS FOR REP. VITO FOSSELLA TO RESIGN

12 May 2008 // Washington, DC – Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) executive director Melanie Sloan released the following statement calling for an investigation into Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) and for his resignation:

“Given recent disturbing reports about Rep. Vito Fossella’s (R-NY) double life over the past several years, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) urges the Congressman to resign immediately. It is reprehensible that only after Mr. Fossella’s DWI arrest was he forced to admit that he has two families. Aggressive reporting has also revealed that taxpayer dollars helped fund the long-standing affair. By traveling the world with retired Lt. Col. Laura Fay, Mr. Fossella used his position and public money to pursue his illicit affair.

Apparently, former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) was aware of the affair. While in office, Mr. Hastert extolled his party’s devotion to family values. But when did covering up your colleague’s adulterous affair become a family value?

We still may not know the full extent of Mr. Fossella’s wrongdoing. Were campaign contributions or congressional funds diverted to help finance his additional family? While this may be nothing more than a private tragedy, this situation clearly calls for a thorough investigation by federal authorities.”

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman Steiner at 202.408.5565/nseligman@citizensforethics.org.

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