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New York Rep. Chris Lee Resigns Over Craigslist Dating Ad and Sexy Photo
What started last month with an anonymous woman's Craigslist dating search for men who don't "look like toads" ended Wednesday with the resignation of two-term Rep. Christopher Lee, R-N.Y., a married father who passed himself off as a divorced lobbyist when he sent her a topless muscle photo of himself.
Gawker.com broke the story about the lying lawmaker under the headline "Married GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist Babe."
Within hours, he had quit his $174,000-a-year job and issued this statement:
"I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness. The challenges we face in Western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, and so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately."
Answering a Washington-area "Women for Men" ad last month, Lee described himself as 39, divorced, a lobbyist and a "fit, fun classy guy." And to prove it, he e-mailed the shirtless photo to the unnamed government worker from Maryland.
Once she figured out the man she thought might have been a JC Penney model was actually a 46-year-old congressman, she went to Gawker with copies of their bantering e-mails about bad Craigslist dates.
Lee wouldn't discuss the incident Wednesday afternoon when intercepted by Fox News enroute to his car, saying, "I have to work this out with my wife."
He resigned later in the afternoon. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to set a date for a special election to fill Lee's seat.
For a while it seemed he might try to tough it out. A Lee spokesman earlier told Gawker that Lee believed his e-mail account had been hacked around Jan. 21, although the date on the e-mails containing the topless Blackberry portrait was dated Jan. 14.
In the warp-speed world of online news, the Gawker story was added to Lee's Wikipedia profile by mid-afternoon, though it should be noted that in the case of the fit, fun philanderer, he was answering, not placing, an ad.
"In February of 2011 Representative Chris Lee was found to have been posting personal ads on Craigslist looking for women and lying about his age and marriage after e-mails and risque photos he sent to a woman were uncovered."
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I cant wait to find out that the guy is posting ads in men seeking men on Craigslist as well. SO MANY married guys screw around on their wives with guys. its not even funny.
Women if you want to find if your guy is cheating on you with guys, post a fake ad under Craigslist Men seeking men or Casual Encounters. Put a pick of a dick or a hot guy in the photo and see if you can trap your guy. Its amazing. They probably wont put head shots in the reply as they say they are "dl" but if he is cheating ( and you probably know) then give it a shot.
May not be happening all over the US, but there are a hell of a lot of guys in the Bay Area, LA, NY and other metro areas that are "experimenting"
Keep your husbands honest. No one wants sloppy seconds.
Nice to see the Morals of our youth are still being protected by the Republican Party!
February 14 2011 at 7:12 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyPoliticians do not have enough to do anyway. I would love to know how much do we pay for his retirement, healthcare, and other benefits while he has been playing on the job instead of working. What does he cost us now after resigning?
February 14 2011 at 12:35 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyThe woman described herself as a "Glamazon." Guess it brought out Lee's inner Conan the Barbarian.
February 12 2011 at 8:01 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Replymmmmm HE LOOKS YUMMY!!!
February 10 2011 at 10:37 PM Report abuse Permalink -3 rate up rate down ReplyAs long as Americans vote for the Great Majority of Politicians who have made politics a career, what can we expect? We need moral hard working Americans in office who can't be corrupted or swayed. We need firefighters, nurses, doctors, carpenters to represent true America and whats best for our country. We need to do away with big corporations donating in any election. We need a moral, strong and united America back. Last but not least, New Laws should be past to punish moral and dishonest offenders in politics as it reflects on all Americans and is a breach of trust.
February 10 2011 at 5:36 PM Report abuse Permalink +9 rate up rate down ReplyIt seems that this man has given up rather quickly...and taken a pretty drastic approach to what seems to be not much more than a stupid act. It makes me wonder what are the REAL skeletons in his closet.
February 10 2011 at 4:59 PM Report abuse Permalink +9 rate up rate down Replygood point when you remember the senator in the minneapolis airport and a long list of others. likely he did want further scrutiny. that story will be out in a couple of weeks because the press will turn him inside out and find it.
February 15 2011 at 3:18 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyHahahaha! I know this is tragic and humiliating to people involved, but it's just hilarious that an American politician would do that AND send out a picture of him posing like a Myspace kid.
February 10 2011 at 4:21 PM Report abuse Permalink +9 rate up rate down ReplyHow dumb can you get? I can see why the woman questioned the posting as he sure does not look 39. I just think these people do not think they'd get caught....Hello..you're in the public eye.
February 10 2011 at 3:29 PM Report abuse Permalink +10 rate up rate down Reply.......why do people do stupid things??
February 10 2011 at 3:24 PM Report abuse Permalink +6 rate up rate down Reply
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