GOP lawmaker allegedly hired both his fiancée’s daughter and a romantic partner, raising ethics questions

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito , R-N.Y., is facing scrutiny over reporting that he hired both his fiancée’s daughter and an alleged romantic partner for part-time positions in his Long Island district office.

The New York Times first reported that he paid nearly $30,000 in taxpayer funds to the two women in 2023, drawing questions about House ethics rules that prohibit lawmakers from employing close family members.

D’Esposito has not formally been accused of wrongdoing by the House's Ethics Committee.

The timing of the controversy is critical for D’Esposito, who is in a tight reelection battle in New York’s 4th Congressional District. He narrowly defeated Democrat Laura Gillen by fewer than 10,000 votes in 2022, flipping a swing district that both parties are targeting this year in their fight for control of the House .

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“There was nothing that was done that was not ethical,” the Republican told CNN’s Manu Raju , calling the Times report a “slimy, partisan hit piece."

Both his fiancée’s daughter and the person the Times called his romantic partner confirmed their employment in brief interviews with the outlet.

The congressman was also once a prominent critic of a fellow New York Republican, former Rep. George Santos. Elected during the same cycle, Santos later admitted to fabricating parts of his background and recently pleaded guilty to fraud charges. D’Esposito called for his resignation and offered to assist his constituents. Santos was expelled from the House last year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., came to D’Esposito’s defense, despite admitting that he had not spoken with him about the matter. “It’s a partisan hit piece that would not surprise anyone, and a tight election cycle in a seat that’s … hotly contested, but he’s been a very strong advocate for his district.”

Despite the controversy, D’Esposito said this week he will “absolutely” continue his reelection campaign and expects to win.

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Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP lawmaker allegedly hired both his fiancée’s daughter and a romantic partner, raising ethics questions