Rep. Anthony D’Esposito denied that jobs he gave to two women he knew personally, one of whom he had a romantic relationship with, violated House ethics rules.

Mr. D’Esposito, New York Republican, hired a woman he was in a romantic relationship with and his fiancée’s daughter for part-time jobs in his Long Island district office after he took office in 2023, according to a New York Times report this week.

The congressman called the Times report “political tabloid garbage” and “a slimy, partisan ‘hit piece.’”

The House’s code of conduct “generally prohibits a federal official, including a Member of Congress, from appointing, promoting, or recommending for appointment or promotion any ‘relative’ of the official to any agency or department over which the official exercises authority or control.”

Mr. D’Esposito confirmed that the two women worked in his office.

His former mistress, Devin Faas, reportedly earned $2,000 a month between April and July 2023, while his fiancee’s daughter earned up to $3,800 a month for being his special assistant. Both jobs ended in July after his fiancée found out about the affair and broke off the engagement, according to the Times story.

Together, the two made nearly $30,000 from taxpayer money.

Neither his fiancée nor lover denied the reporting to the Times. His fiancée called the affair “a very hurtful time in my life.”

“My personal life has never interfered with my ability to deliver results for New York’s 4th district, and I have upheld the highest ethical standards of personal conduct. Voters deserve better than the Times’ gutter politics,” Mr. D’Esposito said in a statement Tuesday.

Mr. D’Esposito is up for reelection in his Long Island district against Democrat Laura Gillen, who he has gone up against before. The district is a swing district, and Mr. D’Esposito flipped it when he was elected in 2022.

Republicans hold a slim majority in the House, and this scandal could be a blow to the seats the GOP needed to maintain this election cycle.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.