Congressional Sex Scandals

June 2011: Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., after first claiming that his Twitter account had been hacked, admitted to reporters that he was the one who tweeted a closeup photo of his underwear to a female college student. The congressman said he was "deeply ashamed" of having inappropriate exchanges online with six women before and after getting married. (AP)

February 2011: Rep. Christopher Lee, R-N.Y., resigned just hours after a report claimed the married Republican congressman sent a shirtless photo of himself to a woman on <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/social-networking/craigs-list.htm#r_src=ramp">Craigslist</a>. Before his resignation, Lee told Fox News he has "to work this out with my wife." (Reuters)

May 2010: Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., announces he will resign after admitting to an affair with a female aide who worked in his district office. Sources indicate that the extent of the affair would have landed him before the House ethics committee. Souder was originally elected in 1994 after running as a family-values conservative. (AP)

March 2010: Rep. Eric Massa, D-N.Y., resigns citing health reasons -- but it turns out he's facing accusations of having sexually harassed male staff members. More than a month after he resigns, the House ethics committee opens a formal inquiry into whether congressional officials mishandled those allegations. (Reuters)

June 2009: Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., acknowledges he's had an affair with Cynthia Hampton, the wife of one of his top aides. Though he is forced to step down as chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, he remains in office. He continues to face scrutiny over whether he crossed any lines in trying to cover up the affair. (AP)

May 2008: Rep. Vito Fossella, R-N.Y., admits to having an extramarital affair with retired Air Force Lt. Col. Laura Fay, and that he is the father of her child. Fossella's affair was revealed as part of the investigation into a drunken driving arrest, for which Fay bailed him out. He serves out his term until January 2009, opting against running for re-election. He is sentenced to five days in jail and hit with other penalties after pleading guilty in April 2009 to DUI. (AP)

July 2007: Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is identified as a client of "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey's high-priced prostitution service in Washington. Vitter, a staunch political conservative, admits to the infidelity and issues a public apology for his "very serious sin." Vitter remains in the Senate and is running for re-election in 2010. Palfrey, facing a prison sentence, kills herself. (AP)

June 2007: Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, is arrested for lewd conduct in a bathroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The arresting officer claims Craig was in a bathroom stall, trying to use his foot to touch the officer's foot, which the officer interpreted as a homosexual advance. Craig pleads guilty to a misdemeanor charge and when the incident becomes public two months later, he announces his resignation -- then changes his mind and serves out his term, which ended in 2008. (AP)

September 2006: Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., resigns following allegations that he sent sexually explicit e-mails and instant messages to teenage male congressional pages. The scandal comes just weeks ahead of the congressional midterms elections and is later cited as a contributing factor to Democratic gains that year. After leaving Congress, Foley checks into a rehabilitation clinic for alcoholism and admits that he is a homosexual. (AP)