Rep. D’Esposito Fights Back After NY Times ‘Hit Piece’

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Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., said he upheld the highest ethical standards of personal conduct after a New York Times investigation revealed he gave jobs to a woman he was having an affair with and to his fiancée’s daughter.

D’Esposito, who represents New York’s 4th Congressional District in Long Island and was elected in 2022, gave his longtime fiancée’s daughter a $3,800/month job as special assistant in his district office. Months later, he gave a woman he was having an affair with a $2,000 a month gig for part-time work in his office, the Times reported.

Payments to both women ended in July 2023 when D’Esposito’s fiancée found about the affair and broke up with him, four people told the Times.

The House of Representatives code of conduct prohibits Congress from employing spouses or relatives, including stepchildren. Lawmakers may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House who works under their supervision, according to the code of conduct.

“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 said in a statement to the New York Post. “My personal life has never interfered with my ability to deliver results for New York’s 4th district, and I have upheld the highest ethical standards of personal conduct.

“Voters deserve better than the Times’ gutter politics.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he hasn’t spoken to D’Esposito since the Times story came out, but said it was a partisan hit piece.

D’Esposito is locked in a tight race against former Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen in a district that President Joe Biden won by 14 points in 2020. D’Esposito defeated Gillen by 3 points in 2022.

“These are very serious allegations that demand further investigation, and it’s clear that Anthony D’Esposito has abused his power in every position of trust he’s ever held,” Gillen said in a statement. “Together we can clean up the deep-seated corruption that clearly surrounds Anthony D’Esposito and restore transparency and accountability to New York’s Fourth Congressional District.”