Just when it couldn't get any worse for Vito Fossella, the determination of the New York press corp (especially the NY Post) dug for the heart of the story surrounding Vito's DWI last week. It turns out that the woman who helped his sorry butt out of a Virginia jail is not only his lover (besides his wife that is) but the mother of his three year old child. Vito becomes the latest New York politician to be snarled by sex and illegalities (some combination of the two at least).
From The NY Times:
Representative Vito J. Fossella, a Staten Island Republican who was arrested on May 1 in Alexandria, Va., and charged with drunken driving, issued a statement on Thursday acknowledging that he had had an extramarital affair with Laura Fay, a former Air Force lieutenant colonel, and that the two of them had a 3-year-old daughter together.
The prospect that Mr. Fossella could face a mandatory jail sentence if convicted of drunken driving has already threatened to bring to an end his decade-long career in the House, where Mr. Fossella is the only Republican representing New York City. The Daily News has reported that Mr. Fossella called Ms. Fay for help after his arrest and told the officers who arrested him that he was on his way to visit a sick daughter. As speculation swirled over Mr. Fossella’s relationship with Ms. Fay in recent days, his aides said only that they were good friends.
The full text of Mr. Fossella’s four-sentence statement follows:
I have had a relationship with Laura Fay, with whom I have a three-year-old daughter. My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love and I am truly sorry. While I understand that there will be many questions, including those about my political future, making any political decisions right now are furthest from my mind. Over the coming weeks and months, I will to continue to do my job and I will work hard to heal the deep wounds I have caused.
Mr. Fossella, 43, was driving with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when he was pulled over and faces a mandatory five days in jail if convicted.
Not only is the Congressman expected to be an ex-con (unless the judge shows him mercy) but a full-fledged bastard. How will Staten Island react to all this? That is definitely one huge question, though whether he will remain in the race for his re-election is another. The Republican party has already started to distance itself from him and they might just have to relinquish the 13th Congressional District of New York without much of a fight. His stock is rapidly being devalued and with six months until the election, the NY GOP would have to come up with a challenger quickly.
Of course this is all in the early stages, so stay tuned to see how this drama unfolds.
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