Married NY Rep. Christopher Lee resigns after topless pic sent to Craigslist gal pal: report
Originally Published:Wednesday, February 9th 2011, 4:31 PM
Updated: Wednesday, February 9th 2011, 9:32 PM
GawkerChristopher Lee allegedly sent a topless photo to a woman he met on Craigslist.
A married upstate congressman abruptly quit Wednesday after he was busted sending a shirtless picture and flirty emails to a woman hunting for dates on craigslist.
Buffalo-area Republican Christopher Lee, 46, said he had made "profound mistakes" and apologized to his family, staff and constituents.
He resigned "effective immediately."
Lee sent the Washington woman a series of emails last month claiming he was a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist and a "classy guy."
The gossip blog Gawker reprinted the emails to the unidentified 34-year-old woman, who had posted last month on craigslist's "Women for Men" section asking for proof that not all men on the site "look like toads."
Lee, who has a young son with his wife, Michele, replied using his private Gmail account on Jan. 14.
"Hope I'm not a toad. :) i'm a very fit fun classy guy," he wrote. "6ft 190lbs blond/blue. 39. Lobbyist. I promise not to disappoint."
They sent a few brief emails back and forth, but the woman told Gawker she quit replying after she looked up Lee online and realized he was lying about his age and occupation.
Lee resigned less than four hours after Gawker posted the emails and photo.
His office first claimed his email account had been hacked - which didn't really explain the topless photo of himself flexing his biceps in a mirror.
About two hours later, Lee told Fox News he couldn't discuss the issue because "I have to work this out with my wife."
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Lee issued a brief statement saying he was resigning the seat he won in 2008. "I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents," he said. "I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. ... I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness."
Gov. Cuomo will have to call a special election to find a new representative for the 26th District, which includes the suburbs of Buffalo and Rochester as well as a vast swath of rural western New York.
Lee, who ran his family's machine-tool firm, Enidine Inc., was elected in 2008 on a no-nonsense, business-first campaign platform devoted to "holding Washington accountable for every dollar it spends."
Lee's penny-pinching ways landed him on the wrong side of New York City lawmakers last year when he tried to block a vote on the Zadroga 9/11 health bill.
Rumors had been circulating about Lee in Washington for some time.
He was named in a Roll Call story last year about House GOP leader John Boehner dressing down some members for partying too much and "inappropriately hanging out with female lobbyists."
Lee is the second upstate congressman to go down in a sex scandal in as many years.
Democrat Eric Massa resigned last year amid accusations he groped male staffers.
March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008