Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY) On Monday, he said he “upheld the highest ethical standards,” despite a report claiming the Long Island congressman hired an alleged mistress to work in his district office.
new York Times Multiple sources told the outlet that D'Esposito, 42, paid Devin Fass — the woman he allegedly had an affair with — $2,000 a month to work part-time at his Garden City, N.Y., office a few months after he was sworn into office as a congressman.
According to the New York Times, payments to Faas, who was appointed in April 2023, ended in July of that year — around the same time D'Esposito's fiancée found out about the alleged affair and briefly broke up with him.
House rules Restrictions on MPs Having sexual relations with any employee of the House who works under the supervision of the member.
In another potential violation of House ethics rules, D'Esposito reportedly hired his longtime fiancée's daughter, Tessa Lark, to work in his 4th District office, paying her about $3,800 a month for the job.
Members of Congress are prohibited from hiring spouses or relatives, even stepchildren, under the congressional code of conduct.
“The latest political tabloid garbage promoted by The New York Times is nothing more than a disgusting, partisan ‘hit piece’ designed to distract Long Islanders from the Democrats’ failed record on border security, the economy, and foreign policy,” D’Esposito said in a statement to the Post.
“My personal life has never hindered my ability to deliver results for New York's Fourth District, and I have upheld the highest ethical standards of personal conduct,” the former NYPD detective said. “Voters deserve better than the Times' gutter politics.”
D'Esposito's relationship with Faas, 38, began around 2021 and continued through the congressman's first term, which begins in January 2023, the New York Times reported.
“Love you until Monday,” Fass wrote to the congressman in a text message dated summer 2022, which was reviewed by the outlet, including a heart emoji.
“Pretty much,” D’Esposito replied. “Fair enough.”
The affair was reportedly so serious that it resulted in Faas' husband filing for divorce near the end of D'Esposito's 2022 midterm election campaign.
The congressman's fiancée, Cynthia Lark, told The New York Times when asked about the relationship between D'Esposito and Faas, “It's nobody's business.”
Lark, who has been dating the Long Island Republican since around 2010, said the alleged affair was “a very sad time in my life” and “a family matter.”
She also remained adamant that “there are no ethical questions” regarding her daughter Tessa's employment in D'Esposito's district office.
D'Esposito, A vulnerable House RepublicanTo keep his 4th District seat in the lower house, he must defeat Democrat Laura Gillan in November.
D'Esposito's Nassau County district, which includes the communities of Elmont, Garden City, Hempstead, Uniondale and Long Beach, favored President Biden over former President Donald Trump by 14 points in the 2020 election.
The Post has contacted House Ethics Committee staff for comment.
