Oregon Rep. David Wu is facing allegations of a relationship with a member of his staff.
The Oregonian reported that the 56-year-old Mr. Wu “acknowledged a sexual encounter to his senior aides but insisted it was consensual,” according to sources aware of the incident.
“This is very serious, and I have absolutely no desire to bring unwanted publicity, attention, or stress to a young woman and her family,” Mr. Wu said.
Reports note the woman as a high school student from Oregon. Reporters could not verify the young woman’s age. Notes on Facebook over the past 18 months indicate she graduated from high school in 2010. California records show she registered to vote in August, the Oregonian noted late Friday.
The Oregon Democrat, who face a staff revolt just weeks before the 2010 election, has remained at odds with his staff since the incident with several high-level members resigning over the course of the past several months.
A number of staff members have expressed concerns related to the Oregon Democrat’s mental condition. Mr. Wu, who is being treated for an unspecified mental health condition, is the first Chinese-American in Congress. He was elected to the House in 1998.
“I freely admit that it was an intense campaign, and I was not always at my best with staff or constituents,” Mr. Wu said in a statement to Williamette Week, a Portland newspaper in 2010. “For all those moments, I wish I’d been better and I apologize.”
The incident is the latest to hit Capitol Hill, which witnessed former New York congressman Anthony Weiner’s resignation earlier this year.
Mr. Wu’s office has yet to say whether the Oregon Democrat will resign.
