Car trouble for Massa

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By Tyler Briggs
The Evening Tribune
Wed Apr 21, 2010, 11:28 AM EDT

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Hornell, N.Y. -
On top of the sexual harassment complaints filed against Eric Massa, it seems the former 29th Congressional District representative is now having car trouble.

The Federal Election Commission is reviewing a complaint that Massa may have improperly used campaign funds to make a $31,896 payment on a leased vehicle just before resigning, according to Politico.

The complaint was filed Monday by the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative watchdog group.

The payment was made on March 4, according to Massa’s campaign finance report, a day after Massa announced he wasn’t seeking re-election and the day before he decided to resign.

Prior to March, Massa’s campaign was making monthly payments of $605 to GMAC to lease a vehicle. It’s unclear whether the nearly $32,000 payment was for terminating the lease or for purchasing the vehicle.

A spokesperson for the FEC told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that the commission considers complaints regarding vehicle use on a case-by-case basis, and it may take months or years before the investigation is complete.

The National Legal and Policy Center also complained about a $40,000 payment to Massa’s former chief of staff Joe Racalto.

Racalto has filed a sexual harassment complaint against Massa, who resigned amid allegations he harassed male staffers.

Racalto’s attorney, Camilla McKinney, said the $40,000 payment was for campaign consulting in 2009 and early 2010, and between Massa’s 2008 election and his swearing-in in January 2009.

Massa’s attorney, Milo Silberstein, did not return phone calls Tuesday seeking comment, but told the AP over the weekend that his client never authorized the $40,000 payment to Racalto.