WASHINGTON -- Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J.) will resign his seat Tuesday, a source familiar with the situation told The Huffington Post. The congressman will hold a press conference at 11:30 to make the announcement.
The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that Andrews was leaving to take a job at a Philadelphia law firm.
Andrews is the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation over whether he improperly spent campaign cash to pay for personal trips to Scotland and Los Angeles, and over allegations that he used a graduation party for his daughter to raise funds. His legal bills have risen as a result of the investigation.
A resignation would likely end the ethics investigation against him.
Andrews has been in Congress since winning a seat in a 1990 special election.
President Barack Obama released a statement praising Andrews for his accomplishments in Congress. "In his twenty-three years in the United States Congress, Rob Andrews has served the people of southern New Jersey with tenacity and skill. He helped put into place key workplace protections for hardworking Americans, pushed to improve education for American students, and fought for clean energy programs to foster America’s energy independence," he said. "More recently, Rob was an original author of the Affordable Care Act and has been a vital partner in its passage and implementation."
Meanwhile, the Washington Post noted that he authored 646 pieces of legislation, none of which became law and four of which passed the House of Representatives.
UPDATE: Andrews said in a statement that he decided to join the Philadelphia office of the firm Dilworth Paxson for family reasons. "A law firm with which my family and I have enjoyed deep and personal bonds stretching over three decades has offered me the opportunity to lead its government affairs practice," he said. "My decision is, however, most emphatically not a political decision about what is happening in Washington - it is a personal decision about the best path for my family."
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington urged the investigating committee to release its findings, even though Andrews was resigning. "The public deserves to see the results of the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Rep. Andrews’ conduct, regardless of his plans to retire. It is likely Rep. Andrews is leaving Congress early to prevent the release of the Ethics Committee’s report, which likely would prove highly embarrassing to the ethically challenged lawmaker, and undoubtedly would make securing a cushy, highly compensated position in the private sector much more difficult," said Executive Director Melanie Sloan in a statement.
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