Rep. Eric Massa dismissed reports today that he had sexually harassed a male staffer. Massa told Politico:
“When someone makes a decision to leave Congress, everybody says everything. I have health issues. I’ll talk about it [later]… those kinds of articles, unsubstantiated, without fact or backing, are a symptom of what’s wrong with this city.”
Eric Massa, Democratic Representative for New York’s 29th Congressional District in Rochester, N.Y. (AP)
However, Massa was not being honest about his predicament. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer revealed later today that he received a report last month of allegations of misconduct against a New York congressman.
The AP reported:
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says he received a report last month of allegations of misconduct against a New York congressman who has announced he will not seek a second term.
A statement from Hoyer’s office late Wednesday says he was told the week of Feb. 8 about the allegations by a staff member in Rep. Eric Massa’s office. Hoyer directed Massa to report the allegations to the House Ethics Committee within 48 hours. Hoyer says he received confirmation within 48 hours that the Ethics Committee had received the report and would review the allegations.
Massa, a freshman Democrat who represents western New York, had announced Wednesday that he will not seek a second term after a recurrence of cancer late last year. In a conference call, Massa dismissed a report that he had been accused of harassing a staffer.
