Rep. Vito Fossella AP WASHINGTON  A week after he was arrested on drunken-driving charges, New York City's only Republican congressman disclosed Thursday that he fathered a child through an extramarital affair with a retired Air Force officer who lives near Washington, D.C. "I have had a relationship with Laura Fay, with whom I have a 3-year-old daughter," Rep. Vito Fossella, 43, said in a statement. "My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love, and I am truly sorry." Fossella and his wife, who have three children, have been married since 1990. He did not say whether he would resign. House Minority Leader John Boehner said he expected Fossella to decide his future in a matter of days. "I think Mr. Fossella is going to have some decisions to make over the weekend," he said. The Staten Island congressman is the latest in a string of Republican lawmakers embroiled in career-threatening sex scandals, including Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, who said he would not run for re-election after being accused of soliciting sex in an airport bathroom, and Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, who admitted he patronized an escort service. The Senate Ethics Committee said Thursday that it declined to investigate Vitter because his conduct preceded his Senate service and did not result in charges. Several other members of Congress are in the cross hairs of law enforcement, including Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., who has been charged with corruption, and Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who is under indictment in a corruption case after the FBI found $90,000 in his freezer. Renzi is not running for re-election; Jefferson has not said whether he will. Even amid the recent spate of alleged congressional misconduct, Fossella's apparent double life stands out. On May 1, he was arrested in Alexandria, Va., a suburb of Washington, after a breath test showed his blood-alcohol level to be more than twice the legal limit for driving, according to a police report. The charge carries a mandatory five-day jail sentence. It was only the beginning of Fossella's troubles. At a news conference a few days later, he apologized to his constituents and told reporters he had been on his way to visit friends. When the police report became public, though, it showed that he told the officer he was heading to pick up his sick daughter in Alexandria. Three days later, the New York Daily News reported that Fay picked Fossella up from the booking facility. Fay did not return a message seeking comment. The Daily News also reported that Fay and Fossella attended an Air Force-sponsored dinner in Britain on a congressional trip in 2003. Fay was then the Air Force liaison to the U.S. House. Fossella was elected to Congress in 1997 in a special election to replace Rep. Susan Molinari, who resigned. "While I understand that there will be many questions, including those about my political future, making any political decisions right now are furthest from my mind," his statement said. "Over the coming weeks and months, I will to continue to do my job, and I will work hard to heal the deep wounds I have caused." Contributing: The Associated Press Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more