Full Report On Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-NY)
News Stories
- Democrat replaces Vito Fossella in NYC
November 5, 2008 - Sex scandal, death & infighting add spice to race to replace Vito Fossella
November 3, 2008 - GOOD-BYE, VITO
October 22, 2008 - Guilty verdict may be just the beginning for Fossella
October 21, 2008 - VINO VITO GUILTY
October 18, 2008 - DWI trial of Staten Island's Rep. Fossella begins today
October 17, 2008 - NY Congressman's DWI Trial to Begin in Virginia
October 17, 2008 - Once a rising GOP star, Vito Fossella's political life in tank
October 17, 2008 - Congressional rivals vaunt 'values'
October 16, 2008 - Man vs. blood-alcohol machine in Vito Fossella's trial
October 9, 2008 - Leave Your Scandal at the Door
September 17, 2008 - Rangel, Fossella Make 'Most Corrupt' List
September 10, 2008 - Rangel, Fossella Make 'Most Corrupt' List
September 10, 2008
The 20 most corrupt members of Congress
- Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
- Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
- Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA)
- Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
- Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-NY)
- Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA)
- Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
- Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
- Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-CA)
- Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV)
- Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA)
- Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA)
- Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM)
- Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
- Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
- Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
- Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
- Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
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
