Rep. Tim Murphy said Thursday that he will resign from Congress this month, a day after the eight-term Pennsylvania Republican announced that he would not seek reelection amid a personal scandal.
“Upon further discussion with my family, I have made the decision to resign my position” effective Oct. 21, Murphy wrote in a letter to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the people of southwestern Pennsylvania and to have worked with the talented and dedicated men and women of the United States Congress.”
In a statement Thursday, Ryan (R-Wis.) thanked Murphy “for his many years of tireless work on mental health issues here in Congress and his service to the country as a naval reserve officer.”
Murphy’s decision to resign within weeks, rather than remain in Congress for an additional 15 months, came amid pressure from top Republican leaders to remove himself as a distraction as the GOP House tackles a major tax bill and other legislative priorities.
“I’ve spoken with Tim quite a bit the last couple of days,” Ryan said at a news conference shortly before Murphy’s resignation was announced. “I think it’s appropriate that he moves on to the next chapter of his life. And I think he agrees with that.”
An emailed request for comment sent to Murphy’s spokeswoman Thursday generated an automated reply that included Ryan’s statement on the resignation.
The resignation of Murphy, a clinical psychologist, comes after a news report claimed that the married Republican had asked a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair to get an abortion.
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SOURCE: Mike DeBonis
The Washington Post
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