Internet sex scandal rocks Washington establishment
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-05-26 09:35

Washington loves nothing as much as a summer sex scandal, and the season is off to an early start this year, as a congressional aide was sacked after posting her lovemaking exploits on the Internet.

Jessica Cutler, 24 -- who has become better known in Washington circles by her nom de plume, "Washingtonienne" -- was dismissed last week from her job as an entry-level aide to Republican Senator Mike DeWine.

Her jauntily written Internet diary includes lurid descriptions of sexual encounters on Capitol Hill and other venues in official Washington -- some allegedly involving prominent, but unnamed, paramours.

The tawdry accounts, which have become "must-reads" in Washington, include descriptions of sexual favors for money, which she says she grants to supplement her paltry paycheck.

"Most of my living expenses are thankfully subsidized by a few generous older gentlemen," she writes in one entry on her "blog," or Web log.

"I'm sure I'm not the only one who makes money on the side this way: How can anybody live on 25K (25,000 dollars) a year?"

"I just took a long lunch with F, and made a quick 400 dollars," she reveals in another entry.

"When I returned to the office, I heard that the boss was asking about my whereabouts. Loser."

DeWine's office said in a press release Friday that it had fired an unnamed entry-level employee for using Senate computers "to post unsuitable and offensive material to an Internet Web log."

"Other inappropriate material was found in the employee's work area, as well," the statement said, without providing further detail.

Since the scandal erupted, Washingtonienne has been inundated with media interview requests, but, expressing incredulity at the hubbub, she told the online Washington tabloid Wonkette, which first broke the story, that she never posted her X-rated messages to gain celebrity.

"I wrote that blog not to ruin people's lives. It was just for the amusement of me and my friends," she said.

"People are sad if they're interested in such a low-level sex scandal," she said.

Since being fired, she said she has been "chillin'" -- and pondering her next move.

"I was thinking, I'll get another job in Washington, but it's going to be fun, not something stupid like working on the Hill," she told Wonkette.

"Now I'm realizing I may have to go back to New York. In New York, they love this kind of thing," she said.

"They'll ask what happened at my last job, and I'll say I was fired for a sex scandal!"

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