Pelosi Calls For Ethics Probe Of Rep. David Wu in Sex Scandal

Though he made history as the first Chinese American to serve in the House of Representatives, the Portland-based lawmaker's troubled past is coming to light.

By Bryan Gerhart Jul 25, 2011

Despite the seeming inability of the House Ethics Committee to resolve their investigative matters, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has tacked another case onto their "To Do" list. Amidst accusations that Oregon democrat Rep. David Wu had an aggressive, unwanted sexual encounter with the teenage daughter of a campaign donor, Pelosi is calling for an ethics investigation of the Democrat who represents most of Portland, Oregon.

While David Wu, the first Chinese American elected to serve in the House of Representatives, doesn’t deny the encounter, he says it was consensual. But as Talking Points Memo reports, this is not Rep. Wu’s first brush with controversy. In February, the congressman announced that he would seek psychiatric treatment, following complaints from Wu’s staff about his behavior during the 2010 Congressional election campaign. Along with strange conduct during meetings, Wu allegedly emailed pictures of himself clad in a tiger costume to members of his staff, a number of whom resigned after the election.

This isn’t the first congressional sex scandal for 2011, but while fellow Democrat Anthony Wiener resigned over leaked images of his private parts, an unidentified adviser to the Oregon Representative told Politico that Wu will not resign. However, the same adviser said that Wu won’t run for reelection. Two Democrats have already announced that they will seek the seven-term Congressman’s seat in 2012.