Former Rep. Chris Lee (R-N.Y.), who resigned Wednesday after a report surfaced showing that he had sent a shirtless picture of himself in response to a woman's Craigslist posting, may have been the subject of previous concern about his conduct with women, a new report claims.
According to Politico's account of Lee's resignation, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) personally intervened following a pattern of similar behavior:
Lee, sources said, was one of several junior GOP lawmakers that Boehner allegedly warned to "knock it off" with regard to his partying with female lobbyists last year.
While Boehner refrained Thursday from commenting on that account, telling reporters only that "my conversations with members are private and will remain that way," the speaker did say he supported Lee's eventual decision to step aside.
"I think he made the right decision for himself and his family," Boehner said.
On Wednesday, mere hours after the original story broke, Lee announced that he'd be vacating his office immediately.
"I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents," Lee wrote in a statement. "I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness."