Rep. Chris Lee, Resigning Amid Sex-Tinged Scandal, Had Been Strongly Supported By Conservatives
Rep. Chris Lee (R-N.Y.), who resigned from Congress this evening after website Gawker published a shirtless photo of the married politico that he e-mailed to a woman he met on Craigslist, had previously enjoyed solid conservative backing, the Center for Responsive Politics finds.In his exchanges with the woman via Craigslist's "Women Seeking Men" section, Lee purported to be a "very fit" divorced lobbyist and promised "not to disappoint" her.
Among Lee's top career campaign contributors are the Freedom Project PAC, sponsored by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), and the Every Republican is Crucial PAC, sponsored by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.). Each donated $20,000 to Lee during his brief congressional career.
The Growth & Prosperity PAC sponsored by Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) also donated $17,500 to Lee over his two congressional campaigns.
Meanwhile, the Tuesday Group PAC, which bills itself as "promoting the mainstream Republican agenda," has donated $15,000 to Lee, who represented large sections of Western New York from 2009 through today.
Lee's top 20 career campaign donors, as determined by the Center's research, are listed below. Note that the organizations listed did not themselves donate, rather, the money came from the organization's political action committee, its individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate families: