Washington Post documents Rep. Eric Massa’s inappropriate advances on gay male staffers
”Both the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff attempted to rein in the Congressman, but their efforts were ineffectual and by the fall of 2009, Congressman Massa’s behavior spiraled out of control…. This left my client and other gay men in the office even more vulnerable to Representative Massa’s predatory behavior…. staffers by and large are fearful of retaliation and career suicide if they file complaints or go outside of their offices to report sexual harassment.”
Debra Katz, an attorney for an unnamed male staffer of former US Congressman Eric Massa. Earlier this year, Massa, 50, raised eyebrows by quitting his fairly new post as an elected Representative for New York, and then defending himself against allegations of inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature toward his male staffers. He said in two televised interviews that he is not gay, and appeared to think his sexual banter and physical interactions with the men was just a type of friendly rough-housing similar to what said he had experienced in the Navy. He was then accused by some of his former Naval associates of trying to fondle them, too. In their report, the Post details some of the communications between Massa’s chief of staff, Joe Racalto, and the staffers. One paragraph claims Recalto sent out a memo “prohibiting staff from social relationships with staff interns,” and a warning to Massa’s three male roommate to be careful of their conduct and who they brought home in order not to put “EM” in a questionable situation. According to the Post, the issue boiled over when Massa allegedly hit on a bartender at the funeral of NY solider, and an anonymous comment was posted on a blogger’s site about that exchange. Republican leader John Boehner is asking for an investigation into what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi knew of the matter, and when. (Washington Post)
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