In the recent aftermath of Congressman Anthony Weiner's resignation, another politician is following in his shoes. David Wu, a Democratic Representative from Oregon, announced his resignation after allegations surfaced that he had an inappropriate relationship with a young woman. However, Wu left his exact date of resignation unknown, saying that he would step down as soon as the debt ceiling debate is resolved (Shear). .
"The well-being of my children must come before anything else," he wrote. "With great sadness, I therefore intend to resign effective upon the resolution of the debt-ceiling crisis. This is the right decision for my family, the institution of the House, and my colleagues" (Shear). .
An Oregon-based newspaper ran a story revealing that Wu had allegedly forced unwarranted sexual contact on one of his donor's teenage daughters. Following that story, Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, requested a complete investigation into the claims. At that time, Wu decided not to run for re-election, but stated that he did not plan on resigning at the time. A few days later, he officially announced his plans to step down from Congress (Shear).
"It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be a United States Congressman. Rare is the nation in which an immigrant child can become a national political figure. I thank God and my parents for the privilege of being an American," he wrote (Shear). .
Earlier in the year, Wu came to the forefront of the public eye for other reasons. After a bad divorce last year, Wu suffered from a mental breakdown, prompting several members of his staff to leave after they experienced unusual behavior from the Congressman. They said they received unwanted emails from Wu that included a picture of him dressed in a tiger outfit. Wu apologized for his behavior, saying that he was going through a difficult time in his life. He admitted that he was taking prescription medicine and needed professional treatment (Shear).
