WTF? Congressman Chris Lee (R-NY) Resigns

Um, ok.

Rep. Chris Lee (R-N.Y.) resigned from the House Wednesday evening effective immediately, an announcement that came just hours after a Web site reported that the married congressman had sent a shirtless image of himself to a woman he met on Craigslist.

"I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents," Lee said in a statement announcing his resignation. "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."

Lee's decision to vacate his Upstate New York seat came after Gawker, a gossip Web site, posted the shirtless image and what it said was correspondence between him and a 34-year-old woman.

The woman, who Gawker described as a 34-year-old government employee from Maryland but did not name, told the gossip site she posted an ad last month on the "Women for Men" forum seeking "financially & emotionally secure" men who don't "look like toads." That same day, she got a response from a person who said his name was Christopher Lee, describing himself as 39-year-old lobbyist, "a very fit fun classy guy. Live in Cap Hill area. 6ft 190lbs blond/blue." In follow-up e-mails he attached photos -- one in a blue polo, the other shirtless.

Dude, you're in Congress for God's sake, well you were in Congress. If you need a little action on the side, you don't have to go on Craigslist. Here's the photo if you're interested.

Idiot. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Lee represented NY-26 which is out in the western part of the state. He was originally elected in 2008 (so it's probably a pretty safe Republican district if he won that year) and was reelected in November with 73% of the vote, so it's likely the GOP can hold on in the special election that Gov. Cuomo will now call.

On the bright side...he didn't go full Favre, nor did he emulate Eric "The Tickler" Massa. At least we got that going for us.

posted by DrewM. at 06:38 PM

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