Rep. David Wu: 'I Did Nothing Illegal,' Will Be 'Vindicated'
Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) has come under increasing pressure to resign in light of allegations he had sex with the teenaged daughter of a childhood friend and supporter.
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) is the House Democratic Caucus Chairman and a close friend of Wu. Larson spoke with his longtime colleague and friend about his troubles yesterday just off the House floor. Both lawmakers were elected the same year and have become close friends.
In an interview with The Oregonian, Larson said Wu did not deny the encounter with the 18-year-old, but insisted he “did nothing illegal” and will be “vindicated” in the future.
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“What he said to me is, he’s taking it one day at a time, and I said, ‘Dave, you have to do what’s in the best interest of your young family and yourself and then the institution, in that order,’” Larson said during the interview.
“He said this was weighing heavy on his mind and he hadn’t made up his mind. He was obviously quite troubled by the whole thing and insisting that when everything come out, “I’ll be vindicated.’ I told him, ‘Dave, there are no good answers to this,’” said Larson.
Wu remained out of sight most of the day, staying in the House cloakroom, where he emerged only to vote. The cloakroom – just off the House floor – is restricted to everyone but members of Congress and certain staff.
As he was leaving shortly after 7 p.m., Wu ignored questions from the throng of reporters who followed him. However, when asked by one reporter if he thought he would be vindicated, Wu replied:
“Aside from everything else, I am trying to take care of the interests of my family,” said Wu as he drove away.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), another colleague of Wu declined to speak specifically about Wu when pressed by The Oregonian, but did express doubts about Wu’s ability moving forward. “It’s hard to see how he could be effective at this point,” said Blumenauer.
On Monday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi formally called for an ethics inquiry into the matter. Wu later said he planned to finish his term and would not seek reelection in 2012. The embattled lawmaker already had opponents lining up to run against him in the Democratic primary prior to these recent allegations surfacing.
