Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-NY)

Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) is a sixth-term member of Congress, representing New York’s 13th congressional district.  Rep. Fossella’s ethics issues stem from a drunken driving incident and improper official travel.  As a result of the incident, Rep. Fossella announced he would not seek re-election in 2008.

Drunk Driving

In the early morning hours of May 1, 2008, Rep. Fossella was stopped and arrested for drunk driving in Alexandria, Virginia.  Soon after Rep. Fossella’s arrest, he admitted that he had been having an affair with now retired Lieutenant Colonel Laura Fay, and that the two have a three-year-old daughter together.    

As required by House rules, on May 21, 2008, the House Ethics Committee voted to establish an investigative subcommittee to examine Rep. Fossella’s drunk driving arrest.  The committee then deferred action on the probe until court proceedings are concluded.  Rep. Fossella’s trial date postponed and a new date has not yet been set.
    
Improper Travel

Reports have indicated that the affair commenced in 2002 during a congressional trip to Europe when Lt. Col. Fay was serving as an Air Force congressional liaison officer who traveled with congressional delegations.  In the summer of 2003, Rep. Fossella took part in another congressional trip to Europe, during which the affair became obvious to other attendees.  Rep. Fossella was not originally invited on the trip and had asked Scott Palmer, then Speaker Dennis Hastert's chief of staff, to include him on the trip.  At the end of the trip, Rep. Fossella decided to return home from Spain on a commercial flight instead of the military transport provided, costing taxpayers $2,094.  Lt. Col. Fay had abandoned the speaker on a special tour to accompany Rep. Fossella to the airport.
    
The House Ethics Committee should consider not only whether the reported trips violate House travel rules, but also whether Rep. Fossella availed himself of other unreported congressional delegation travel opportunities in order to conduct his illicit affair.  If, as it appears, Rep. Fossella participated in congressional travel or incurred any other additional expenses, not for any official purpose but rather for the private purpose of pursuing his relationship with Lt. Col. Fay, his conduct violated the travel rules        

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