Hastert Aide Blew Whistle on Fossella's Girlfriend

Looks like this affair goes back about five years, which makes one wonder what else may come out.

I've said it before and I'll reiterate my message: He's got to go. A guy just cannot survive the constant revelations and possibly survive as a viable candidate, let alone carry out his current duties.

Rep. Vito Fossella's Air Force mistress was so distracted by their affair that she couldn't perform her official duties on a junket they attended - so the top aide to then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert reported her to the Pentagon, he claims.

Scott Palmer, then chief-of-staff to Hastert, revealed for the first time yesterday that he made a formal complaint to Air Force brass about the unprofessional behavior he witnessed by Laura Fay, the military's top liaison and director of logistics for the 10-day trip to Europe in 2003.

"I lost confidence in her and I'm not going to kid you - I was also concerned with this other relationship thing. It didn't look like it should," the now-retired Palmer told The Post.

It was the first time a government official has publicly acknowledged long-standing concerns about the illicit affair.

"I remember making the call - it was a very awkward call. I didn't want to unfairly say anything," Palmer recalled of reporting Fay to her Pentagon superiors after returning from Europe in August 2003.

Another source, who asked not to be identified, said, "She just seemed to be distracted. Now, in hindsight, I see precisely why she was distracted.

Some may call the guy a rat, but honestly, he's doing his job. He'd be responsible if something happened on his watch and he hadn't said anything.

A tour of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, got everyone's tongue wagging.

"They showed up late and together. The excuse they gave was that they were getting water for everybody. We had plenty of water," an aide said.

Fossella also did some traveling alone.

He made individual trips, the Congressional Record shows, to Cuba and Bermuda in 2002, as well as a single trip to Italy in 2004. No other House member accompanied him on these fact-finding missions.

Political support for Fossella, who hasn't said whether he'll resign or seek re-election, is thin.

Fossella and Fay remained in seclusion yesterday.