A Republican congressman from New York could be in breach of House ethics rules after he hired both a woman he was having an affair and his fiancée's daughter to work in his office, The New York Times reported Monday.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., comes from a family of local Republican officials, his break into politics thanks in part due to his connections with a group of powerful Republicans in Nassau County, who are famous for hiring their friends and family into local government.
He appears to have followed that tradition as a lawmaker. In 2022, D'Esposito hired his fiancée's daughter to work as a special assistant in his district office, paying her about $3,000 a month. He later hired a woman he was having an affair with, Devin Faas, adding her to the payroll in the same district office. Faas was paid $2,000 for a part-time job, but payments stopped when D’Esposito’s fiancee found out about the affair, four sources told The Times.
Both women’s employment cost taxpayers about $29,000.
The House of Representatives prohibits its members from employing family or spouses; it also prohibits members from engaging in sexual relations with an employee under their supervision, potentially putting D’Esposito in breach of the House Code of Official Conduct.
“A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House who works under the supervision of the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner,” the code reads.
D’Esposito told The New York Post his personal life “has never interfered” with his work as a congressman. He did not deny hiring either woman.
“The latest political tabloid garbage being peddled by The New York Times is nothing more than a slimy, partisan ‘hit piece’ designed to distract Long Islanders from Democrats’ failing record on border security, the economy, and foreign policy,” D’Esposito told The New York Post.
The congressman is set to face Democrat Laura Gillen for a tight race come November. In 2020, Biden won the district — which spans from Queens to Long Island's South Shore — by 14 points. But in 2022, the typically blue district flipped red and elected D'Esposito.
