Washington Post Story Describes An Out of Control Eric Massa
April 14, 2010 09:14:00 Font size:
Aide who has now filed legal action was himself one of several homosexual men working for Massa

The aide in former congressman Eric Massa's office whose complaints led to Massa's resignation is himself a homosexual. The attorney for the aide, who has now filed legal action against Massa, told the Washington Post that Massa began making advances on his own staff members within months of taking office in January of 2009.

Staffers in the Massa office told the Post that they had no faith "in their workplace protections" and were concerned that senior staffers protected Massa. Attorney Debra Katz told the Post that both the "chief or staff and the deputy chief of staff" attempted without success to "rein in the congressman" and by the fall of 20=09 Massa's behavior "spiraled out of control."

The Post says that for months Massa's aides tolerated "a frat house environment full of sex talk and lewd behavior." According to the Post account Massa's chief of staff, Hornell native Joe Racalto told staffers he himself had been a victim of Massa's advances.

The Post and the Hornell Tribune reports that a male bartender at the Knights of Columbus alleges Massa made unwanted sexual advances toward him at that Main St. club following the funeral of fallen Marine Zach Smith.

Massa resigned in disgrace in early March. House Republican leader John Boehner has been trying to get facts about the Massa case and is asking how long Democrat leadership in the House of Representatives knew about Massa's conduct.