Representative David Wu, a Democrat from Oregon, said Tuesday that he will resign from Congress after allegations that he had had a sexual encounter with a young woman.
Tim Sloan/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesDemocratic Rep. David Wu of Oregon in December 2010.Mr. Wu, a seven-term member of Congress, said in a statement that he intended to fight what he called “very serious allegations.” But he said that he would resign as soon as the debt ceiling fight in Washington was over.
“The wellbeing 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.”
That leaves Mr. Wu’s exact departure date unclear. Lawmakers in Washington are racing against an Aug. 2 deadline to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.
Mr. Wu has been under fire for months as he fought earlier allegations of a mental breakdown after a divorce last year. In February, several staff members quit after describing erratic behavior and unwanted e-mails that included a picture of Mr. Wu dressed in a tiger outfit.
The congressman weathered that initial political storm by apologizing for his behavior and saying he had been going through a difficult period in his life. But the latest allegations proved more difficult to navigate.
Calls for investigations from top Democrats came almost immediately after the Oregonian newspaper reported that a teenage daughter of one of Mr. Wu’s donors had alleged unwanted sexual contact.
Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, called for an ethics investigation on Monday. Mr. Wu initially announced that he would not run for re-election, but that he would not immediately resign.
By Tuesday morning, however, the congressman had decided to leave his seat in Congress.
“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,” he wrote. “I thank God and my parents for the privilege of being an American.”
Mr. Wu’s imminent departure brings an end to a tumultuous year for the constituents in his Portland district.
In the wake of the staff departures, Mr. Wu acknowledged seeking treatment for mental health issues and admitted taking prescription medication. He also admitted sending inappropriate e-mails to his staff members.
“Last October was not a good month. It was very stressful. I did some things, I said some things, which I sincerely regret now,” Mr. Wu said on “Good Morning America” in February. “I sought appropriate medical help at the time and I’m continuing to do that. I think that mental health is a very, very important issue and people ought to feel ready, willing and able to seek it when they need it.”
In the months that followed, Mr. Wu was dogged with more calls to resign from his Democratic colleagues and descriptions of a previous hospitalization for the usage of sleeping medications.