By Eileen Buckley
Washington, D.C. – Western New York Congressman Chris Lee has resigned.
Lee has apologized to his family, staff and constituents for a shirtless photo he sent to a woman via Craigslist.
Lee issued the following statement:
Statement from Congressman Chris Lee (NY-26): "It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of Western New York. I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness.
"The challenges we face in Western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, and so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately."
Here is an excerpt from the Gawker.com Website on the photo emailed photo:
"On the morning of Friday, January 14, a single 34-year-old woman put an ad in the "Women for Men" section of Craigslist personals. "Will someone prove to me not all CL men look like toads?" she asked, inviting "financially & emotionally secure" men to reply."
According to the Website, Lee emailed the woman, identifying himself as himself as a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist.
Lee is 46 and married with one son.