Pelosi Pressures Wu to Quit
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Monday formally transmitted a request for the House Ethics Committee to investigate Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., following a weekend report he had a sexual encounter with a teenage girl.
Wu announced Sunday evening that he will not seek reelection, a Democratic source told National Journal.
Wu has decided not to run for an eighth term, but Democratic leadership is pressuring Wu to resign, according to a source with knowledge of the effort. The source was not authorized to discuss the effort publicly and therefore requested anonymity.
(PICTURES: Who is Leaving the House?)
Wu, who has faced scrutiny after allegations of bizarre behavior that caused several staff members to resign, has not commented publicly on the report by The Oregonian, which disclosed the Thanksgiving 2010 encounter on Friday. The paper said the girl, a daughter of a Wu family friend, had called Wu's office to report the alleged attack.
He had withstood pressure to quit earlier this year, even after several Democrats said they would challenge him in next year's primary. Late Sunday, Pelosi and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel, D-N.Y., called on the House Ethics Committee to investigate the charges.
(PROFILE: Rep. David Wu, D-Ore.)
"I call on the Ethics Committee to initiate an investigation into the allegations against Congressman Wu," Pelosi said in a statement. "With deep disappointment and sadness about this situation, I hope that the Ethics Committee will take up this matter."
"New allegations of unacceptable behavior by Congressman Wu are extremely serious and disturbing," Israel said in a statement. "I strongly agree with Leader Pelosi's request that the House Ethics Committee use its authority to begin an immediate investigation."
Wu's decision to not seek reelection was first reported by POLITICO.
Join the Discussion
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus