New York Republican’s double nepotism and infidelity scandals deepen House Republican Party’s multiple ethical problems

Republicans have had big problems in the current Congress, although there haven’t been many sex scandals. Of course, the current Congress isn’t over yet.

The New York Times reported new allegations involving Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito of New York, who arrived at the Capitol only last year.

Shortly after taking the oath of office, the first-term congressman hired his longtime fiancée’s daughter to work as a special assistant in his district office, eventually increasing her salary to about $3,800 a month, payroll records show. In April, Mr. D’Esposito added someone even closer to his payroll: a woman with whom he had been having an affair, according to four people familiar with the relationship.

According to the Times report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, the new congressman, just months into his career, was paying a woman with whom he was having an affair $2,000 a month for part-time work, on top of the $3,800 a month he was paying his fiancée’s daughter.

The article added, however, that a few months later his fiancée found out about the affair and briefly broke up with him, after which the New York Republican stopped paying salaries to both women.

After the Times report was released, D’Esposito issued a statement calling the article a “lampoon” and “tabloid drivel” and saying, “My personal life has never interfered with my ability to perform in New York’s 4th District, and I have always held myself to the highest ethical standards.”

When he arrived at the Capitol the next morning, he had even less to say.

You might think this sordid tale, if true, would be personal, but the details suggest it’s not that simple. For one thing, D’Esposito is accused of potentially misusing $29,000 in taxpayer funds, and as the Times report adds, that has raised ethical questions that likely need to be answered.

The House Code of Conduct prohibits members of Congress from hiring spouses or relatives, including stepchildren. Although Mr. D’Esposito never married, congressional ethics experts have said hiring a woman who resembles his stepdaughter, who shared his home, could violate the requirement that members of Congress “adhere to the spirit and letter of the rules.” A separate rule adopted in the wake of the #MeToo movement explicitly states that lawmakers “may not engage in sexual relations with any House employee who works under the supervision of a member.”

Moreover, there are electoral considerations to keep in mind: D’Esposito narrowly defeated Democrat Laura Gillen in 2022, and the two will face off in a rematch in November. This is a district that Joe Biden won by 14 points in 2020, and Republican leaders were worried — before this week — about the incumbent congressman’s prospects.

The latest allegations likely won’t help D’Esposito’s re-election bid.