Democratic and GOP congressional officials are scrutinizing Rep. Vito Fossella's mysterious and pricey January 2003 trip to France, the Daily News has learned.
He was the sole lawmaker authorized to go - and his mistress is suspected of joining him.
The Staten Island Republican visited La Hague, France, supposedly on a "fact-finding" mission.
Lawmakers commonly visit La Hague to tour its nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, which have 6,000 people on its payroll, making it the largest employer in the region.
But "it's highly unusual for a member to go on the France trip alone, as he did," said a committee source.
Now the question is whether Fossella was less interested in nuclear power than in fueling a relationship with retired Air Force Col. Laura Fay: Last week he admitted fathering Fay's 3-year-old daughter.
...
Team Fossella has refused to answer questions about the France trip, despite discrepancies in his official records.
He filed two forms with the House clerk: One said he was in France on Jan. 16 and 17, listing the trip as privately financed travel costing $388.48.
The second form listed the trip as from Jan. 14 to 18 and authorized by the Energy and Commerce Committee, with a cost to taxpayers of about $6,900.
What's interesting to me about this story is the involvement of the GOP. It looks as if they are fueling this story in hopes of getting rid of Fossella, despite his apparent determination to stick around.
This story reads to me as "Vito, meet bus. Love, the NRCC."
