WASHINGTON — Rep. David Wu, facing an accusation of an unwanted sexual encounter with an 18-year-old woman and a request for an investigation by the House ethics committee, will not seek re-election next year and was pondering whether he would complete his term, a spokesman for the Oregon Democrat said Monday.
In a letter sent Monday, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi requested the ethics committee investigation. The Oregonian, Wu’s hometown newspaper, had reported that a California woman left a voicemail at Wu’s office accusing him on an unwanted sexual encounter.
Wu, 56, has said the encounter was consensual.
Wu, in his seventh term, was guaranteed a rigorous primary challenge after seven staffers resigned in January because of his unusual behavior, which included him sending a photo of himself in a tiger costume to a staff member and an angry public speech. Wu attributed those actions to a period of mental health challenges that began in 2008 as marital issues led to separation from his wife.
Those problems paled compared with the potential fallout from the encounter with the young California woman. The paper said the woman decided not to press changes against Wu because there were no witnesses and it would have been her word against Wu’s.
