Yesha Callahan

Yesha Callahan, the formerly anonymous single mother whose "women seeking men" Craigslist ad last month inspired married Rep. Chris Lee to tell her he was a divorced lobbyist, send her a topless muscle photo of himself and, on Wednesday.

Although House Speaker John Boehner said Lee's lightning-speed resignation was the result of a personal jump, not a leadership thrust. The two term GOP rising star "made his own decision that he thought was in his best interests and the interests of his family," Boehner said at his regular weekly news conference on Thursday. But he wouldn't discuss whether he spoke with Lee once the story broke. He also wouldn't say whether he warned Lee and a few other very social, younger Republicans last year about their after hours partying with female lobbyists.

"My conversations with members are private and they will remain that way," he said. "I believe that members of Congress should be held to the highest ethical standard. That's what the American people expect."

An ethical standard is apparently what Callahan, 34, expected too, when Lee answered her ad last month. What the University of Maryland faculty specialist and mother of preteen son did not expect was the media firestorm once she went namelessly public, she told the Washington Post.

she outed Lee who asked for a revealing photo of her in return for his shirtless pic on the advice of friends after learning via Facebook he was married, Callahan said . "I pretended that other people have probably come across him as well, and he had lied to them. I felt annoyance at just the temerity of people thinking that they're not going to get found out when they are lying."

Callahan, described by TheLoop as a "leggy glamazon," said she got about 30 responses to her personals ad. She requested photos from respondents to weed out the "trolls." But the Lee experience "soured me a bit" on Craigslist dating. In fact, once the Congressman asked her to reveal more of herself in the next photo, "I was kind of like, okay, no, he's just looking for things I'm not interested in."

christopher lee congressman

"Congressman Lee made his own decision that he thought was in his best interest and the interest of his family," Boehner said. "I think he made the right decision for himself and his family," he added.

The House leadership has promised "zero tolerance policy" for ethical problems, and they've generally been quick to act when allegations arise. For example, when Rep. Mark Souder admitted last spring that he had an affair with a staffer, he was quickly forced to resign.

Today, Boehner said "I believe that members of Congress should be held to the highest ethical standard. That's what the American people expect." Boehner "refused to say whether he spoke to Lee or urged him to resign" yesterday, according to the AP. But he added, "My conversations with members are private, and they will remain that way."

Christopher Lee Congressman

A topless Craigslist photo might not have been a disgraced ex-Republican congressman's first transgression.

House Speaker John Boehner warned Buffalo-area Rep. Christopher Lee – who resigned yesterday -- over his partying antics with female lobbyists last year, according to Politico.

Sources told the political website that Lee was one of several junior GOP lawmakers that Boehner cautioned to "knock it off" with other women. Boehner, who was then House minority leader, had previously made clear that personal misconduct would not be tolerated.

Michael Steel, spokesman for Boehner, would not confirm or deny the report.

"We do not discuss the Speaker's conversations with Members," he told the Daily News, adding it was Rep. Lee's decision to resign.

The 46-year-old married congressman abruptly called it quits on Wednesday after the website Gawker busted him for sending a shirtless photo and flirty emails to a woman hunting for dates on the Craigslist.

In the messages sent to the Maryland resident and government employee last month, Lee claimed he was a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist and a "fit fun classy guy."

Lee stepped down "effectively immediately" just hours after the report was published, although he initially told the site that his email account had been hacked.

"I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all," Lee said in a statement.

The politician, who was just six weeks into his second two-year term, appeared on Fox News but wouldn't go into the details of the scandal, insisting "I have to work this out with my wife."

It's likely that a special election will be held to replace the New York representative. The congressman had not submitted his resignation to the New York secretary of state as of Wednesday night.

Once he does, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who has not yet made a comment about Lee's resignation — could schedule a special election.

Lee's departure comes almost a year after former Democrat Rep. Eric Massa resigned his seat in western New York's 29th Congressional District amid allegations of sexually harassing male staffers.