Chris Lee and His Predecessors

Republican Congressman Christopher Lee resigned this week amid reports of his attempted adultery via Craigslist. Lee reportedly had a flirtatious email exchange with a woman who posted on the website’s “Women Seeking Men” page in which he described himself as single and a “fit fun classy guy,” and sent her a shirtless picture he had taken of himself. When the scandal broke to the public- and Lee’s wife- the congressman resigned. Governor Cuomo will hold an election in the near future to fill his seat.

Former Governor Eliot Spitzer became the center of a scandal in March 2009 when federal officials launched an investigation to see whether Spitzer had been taking bribes—and stumbled upon a prostitution ring, instead. The former governor is believed to have spent up to $80,000 on call girls during his time as Attorney General and as governor, even though he was married at the time. Amid threats of impeachment, Spitzer resigned.

David Paterson stepped in at Spitzer’s successor, and came forward with a personal revelation of his own less than a day after his inauguration: both he and his wife had engaged in extramarital affairs. During difficult times in the marriage, Paterson admitted, he had had a relationship with a girlfriend that lasted several years, and had slept with several other women as well. “There’s no marriage that’s perfect,” his wife said during their news conference announcing it.

Democratic Congressman Eric Massa stepped down from his post in March 2010 while undergoing investigation for allegations of sexual harassment. Massa admitted to using inappropriate language; but when the Washington Post published a story saying that he had been accused of groping male staff members, Massa vehemently denied it. He has declined to give interviews ever since.

State Assemblymember Sam Hoyt came under fire after he allegedly took a page from Bill Clinton’s book and had an inappropriate affair with a 23-year-old intern. Though he technically did not violate any Assembly rules, he was reprimanded by Speaker Sheldon Silver, and barred from participating in future Assembly student internship program sessions.

As the mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani conducted an extramarital affair with one Judith Nathan, the woman who would later become his third wife. He reportedly visited Nathan in the Hamptons and billed obscure city agencies for his travel and security expenses- a fact which came to light only after auditors discovered unexplained travel costs and investigated the inconsistencies.

Then-gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino gained media attention when reports surfaced that he had, in addition to his wife and two children, a ten-year-old daughter with former employee Suzanne Brady. The press reported that Paladino’s wife had no knowledge of the affair or of the child before the scandal broke.

City Councilman Dennis Gallagher was convicted of misdemeanor sex charges after a woman in his office accused him of assaulting her. Gallagher pleaded guilty, resigned from office, and underwent alcohol counseling as part of his plea deal.