Ethics question hits Trump-backer on LI

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito — a vocal supporter of Donald Trump who was praised by the former president during last week’s Nassau Coliseum rally — may have violated Congressional ethics rules designed to combat nepotism and corruption, the New York Times reported on Monday.
Shortly after taking the oath of office in 2023, D’Esposito hired his longtime fiancé’s daughter to work as a special assistant in his district office, where she earned $3,800 a month; then in April, D’Esposito hired a friend, Devin Faas, who earned $2,000 a month for a part-time job in the same district office, according to payroll records examined by the Times. Payments to both women stopped in July 2023, the Times reported.
D’Esposito has not been charged with wrongdoing, but the employment of both women, which resulted in a payment of about $29,000 in taxpayer funds, could lead to disciplinary actions in the House of Representatives, according to the Times.
The allegations surfaced as D’Esposito is being challenged by Democrat Laura Gillen, who he defeated two years ago. Early voting starts on Oct. 26; election day is Nov. 5.
“These are very serious allegations that demand further investigation and it’s clear that Anthony D’Esposito has abused his power,” Gillen said in a statement.
According to the Code of Official Conduct of the House, “a member … may not retain the relative of such individual in a paid position, and an employee of the House may not accept compensation for work for a committee on which the relative of such employees serves as a member.”
The House defines “relative” as someone related to the member, delegate or resident commissioner, including a parent, child, sibling, parent’s sibling, first cousin, sibling’s child, spouse, parent-in-law, child-in-law, sibling-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepsibling, half-sibling, or grandchild.
“My personal life has never interfered with my ability to deliver results for New York’s fourth district, and I have upheld the highest ethical standards of personal conduct,” D’Esposito said in a statement. “Voters deserve better than the Times’ gutter politics.”