More Accusations Against Eric Massa

Former Rep. Eric Massa has been out of office for almost a month, but fresh allegations of his sexual advances towards male staffers continue to come out.

Beginning in March 2009 and over the next several months, male staffers complained that their boss had touched them in a sexual manner, came up with reasons to have staffers travel alone with him on overnight trips, and expressed a desire to have sex with the men in the office. [SNIP] One gay male staffer said he complained to [Massa chief of staff] Racalto in spring 2009 that Massa routinely made sexualized remarks to him. The staffer told Racalto he had grown distressed, because of two incidents he had heard about involving Massa allegedly making unwelcome sexual advances when sharing a hotel room with staffers. The staffer said that Racalto assured him that Racalto would talk to Massa and put a stop to this kind of conversation. But by summer, according to several sources, Massa's sexual commentary had escalated and some of it was directed at an intern.

The House Ethics Committee is now investigating when Democratic leaders first heard about the complaints and why they apparently never acted on them.