Eric Massa To RETIRE: New York Congressman Leaving Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations

Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) announced on Wednesday that he will leave Congress after serving one term.

Politico reported that the House Ethics Committee has been told of allegations that Massa sexually harassed a male staffer, a charge that the congressman downplayed on a conference call with reporters Wednesday afternoon.

"There are blogs who are saying I'm leaving because there are charges of harassment against my staff," the New York Democrat said on the call. "Do I or have I ever used salty language? Yes I have and I have apologized to those where it is appropriate.

"But those kinds of articles -- unsubstantiated and without fact and backing -- are a symptom of what is wrong in this city," he added, a likely reference to the Politico story, which quoted anonymous sources discussing charges of harassment.

Massa also distanced himself from reports that he would be resigning from office immediately, telling reporters that he remained, "fully committed to helping the families of the 29th district."

The reason he was not running for reelection, Massa said, was a third re-occurrence of cancer, and subsequent orders from his doctor to tone down his intense schedule.

"This last December I underwent my third major re-occurrence scare," he said. "I was briefly hospitalized, kept it private to myself and my immediate family. It was a very intense and personal experience, especially in light of going through this before.

"I do not have the life's energy to fight all the battles all the time," he said of the charges of harassment and the intense partisanship in Washington. "I will now enter a final phase of my life at a more controlled pace."

Massa's decision to retire came as a complete surprise to many political observers. Democrats will now be left with the difficult task of finding another candidate in hopes of holding New York's 29th congressional district.

The New York Daily Newsfirst reported that Massa planned to call it quits.

Comments

[Earthmama1968]

09:40 AM on 03/07/2010

Eric Massa is our Congressman. He is one of the good guys. I am just sick about how this has gone down. I was so proud to have him representing our district. I respect his stance on HCR and the Afghan War. "Salty" language not withstanding, he had and has my full support and that of my husband (also a retired Navy Commander). Fair winds and following seas.

[jones]

06:06 PM on 03/04/2010

Massa was a good man. He was out there helping people and especially vets. I don't care what the staffer said about him. There is something strange about this whole story. It doesn't add up.

[Samalabear]

12:06 PM on 03/05/2010

I agree. I am devastated by this. He was also one of the only progressive Dems who stood up to Obama and refused to sign the water-down HCR bill in the House, whereas Gillbrand will sign whatever Obama and Schumer tell her to sign. Something is indeed wrong here.

[pudjr]

05:44 PM on 03/04/2010

For a little insight into Mr. Massa's past, please check out the following article:

http://lonsberry.com/writings.cfm?go=4

[Danny Sherwood]

03:25 PM on 03/04/2010

Either way this goes, My thoughts are with Rep.Massa for best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[aonemandog]

12:47 PM on 03/04/2010

Take a look at the staff make-up of just about every congressman and senator and you will find gay people working there. Massa probably made anti-gay remarks to or in front of a gay staffer who then reported him for sexual harrassment. As any lamebrain knows these days, you don't have to make advances or anything overt to be reported for harrassment. As he said, he used "salty language." As an exec, I've had to deal with sexual harrassment charges stemming from one male employee questioning whether a female employee's grumpiness was due to PMS. Massa's not gay, just didn't know when to hold his tongue.

[nylibgrrl]

02:45 PM on 03/04/2010

You've expressed pretty much what I was thinking about this incident, too, especially after Massa's admission to "salty language."

[Danny Sherwood]

03:24 PM on 03/04/2010

Agreed! Fanned!

[hbledlifetime]

11:03 AM on 03/04/2010

Politico reports that the issue is an allegation that “the New York Democrat, who is married with two children, made unwanted advances toward a junior male staffer. “ The ethics committee is said to have already interviewed another Massa staffer who brought the issue forward. It's the Democrat Mark Foley with a real filed complaint. It has nothing to do with being sick. Or actually it does, sick like a disease. You know what I mean.

[nylibgrrl]

02:57 PM on 03/04/2010

"Or actually it does, sick like a disease. You know what I mean."

Yes, I do. You make it very clear that you're a h0m0ph0be with outmoded ideas about hom0sexuality. Hadn't you heard? Even the American Psychiatric Association stopped believing this decades ago.

[BlackWidowPilot]

12:32 AM on 03/07/2010

Sick? You mean like this:

http://www.armchairsubversive.org

Do tell.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

One of the 47 Million Declared "...not profitable enough!"

[smhc]

10:03 AM on 03/04/2010

If you are holding out for the public option you are the enemy. It's the Chicago way -- arms and legs will be broken -- it will be a bloody few weeks ahead.

[smhc]

09:57 AM on 03/04/2010

It has nothing to do with sexual harrassment. Massa is a Dem from a Repub district. He did not want to vote his career away for a bill that he didn't believe in. He believed in the public option and thought this HC bill was not an affective bill. He would have voted for the public option because he believed in it strongly, even if that meant not being re-elected. He braved the town hall meetings and he bravely took his stand. But his own party is dragging him through the mud because he won't vote for their debacle of a bill. What happened to "draining the swamp" Pelosi? Forget about a swamp -- this is going to look more like the Chicago River over the next few weeks -- who's body will we find floating next?

[hbledlifetime]

11:05 AM on 03/04/2010

Those charges brought before the ethics committee, just a cleaver ruse.

[eahce]

09:34 AM on 03/04/2010

Another slimey politician bites the dust. Outside of a number of pols I can count on one hand our countries leadership is controlled by greedy self serving degenerates. The country gets the government it deserves, wake up and clean house.

[Louisknyc]

10:58 AM on 03/04/2010

No presumption of innocence for the Congressman? How would you feel eahce if you were convicted by the narrow-minded before being tried?

[eahce]

12:13 PM on 03/04/2010

Sory, he just sounds like the typical politician. Maybe that's why the country is in the state it's in. Hope your happy though.

[AntiSheep13]

12:56 PM on 03/04/2010

Did you give Larry Craig that presumption of innocence?

[hbledlifetime]

09:23 AM on 03/04/2010

Hoyer knew of Massa allegations of se ual harassment.

[smhc]

10:20 AM on 03/04/2010

Hoyer forced the alleged "victim" to file the complaint. Do you think Hoyer suddenly cares so much about ethics and "sexual harrassment" (alleged -- we'll see what was said ultimately)? Hoyer's just the Muscle here. How many more get bought or clipped before Good Friday?

[Janine547]

09:05 AM on 03/04/2010

More SCANDAL in the party of A$$E$, I'm shocked !

[hbledlifetime]

09:24 AM on 03/04/2010

Culture of corr........

[ljc]

10:02 AM on 03/04/2010

You mean like this ?

A California Republican family values legislator who was arrested early Wednesday morning for drunk driving had recently left a gay club, sources tell a local news channel.

State senator Roy Ashburn was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol on Wednesday at 2am in Sacramento, after police saw the car he was driving swerving erratically. An unidentified male passenger was in the car with Ashburn.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/sources_family_values_goper_was_at_gay_club_before.php#more

oops.....More SCANDAL in the party of A$$ES, I'm shocked !

[tomjack]

08:15 AM on 03/04/2010

..and another one bites the dust.
As a first term Congressman he must not yet have enough dirt on the rest of the gang. If you're there long enough, you can get away with almost anything. Without political capital in your bank (or freezer) they can bounce you for whatever reasons they cook up.

[RandyMacon]

08:02 AM on 03/04/2010

I worked on Massa's campaign, and met him numerous times. I continue to be impressed with his honesty and forthrightness, and I must say that the allegations so hysterically trumpeted as the headline of this piece seem totally out of character for the man.

Although I, like every other commenter, don't have a clue about what happened (despite the condemning comments contained in several posts), I can say that my knowledge of Mr Massa would lead me to be very surprised if there were a real offense here.

It would be ironic if Massa were replaced by his predecessor, Randy Kuhl, who, based on the divorce papers served by his wife, pulled a shotgun on her at a dinner party and threatened her life.

[corwin]

08:34 AM on 03/04/2010

This is an inane post. If you have no knowledge on the allegations,you are reduced to saying , "I like him." SO? And I've yet to hear anyone trumpet Randy Kuhl as his replacement. Manufacturing scenarios is best left to publicists. ANd, diffidently, I point out , the National Enquirer -although not the NYT may be investigating.

[RandyMacon]

10:50 AM on 03/04/2010

According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Randy Kuhl says he has been contacted about running again by phone and email numerous times, and that he says "I will address any political decisions in the future". There are numerous other speculative comments about who might run beyond the current candidate. Manufactured scenarios to be sure, but based on some likelihood that they might happen.

I do like him, and my knowledge of the man would, in fact, cause me to be surprised if these allegations were for conduct of a serious nature. They could be, and it would be a great disappointment to me and his many supporters. Does my knowledge of him make my comments less valuable than those from people who don't know him at all?

I don't quite understand your last sentence fragment. 'Diffidently' means 'in a manner lacking self-confidence'. Your unnecessary assertion that my post is 'inane' is hardly that of a diffident person. You write more like an angry person.

[pudjr]

05:46 PM on 03/04/2010

Did you ever share a single bed in a hotel with him?

[Paulo1]

07:46 AM on 03/04/2010

I've met Massa many times, donated to his campaign and watched him run repeatedly for that seat.

Unless someone steps forward with a hell of a lot more facts I am going with his explanation of Cancer. Eric Massa is one of the few people in the world who, if guilty, would have stood up and said so point blank. The guy has an almost terminal case of honesty. More than once I have asked him political questions where he could have dodged with a polite meaningless nothing, like most other politicians would. Massa was always earnestly direct with me even knowing it wasn't what I wanted to hear.

[smhc]

10:28 AM on 03/04/2010

The explanation is -- Chicago style shake-down. He want'ed the PO or nothing at all. Sounds like integrity to me -- but that doesn't fly with these guys.

[nylibgrrl]

02:40 PM on 03/04/2010

Actually, he wanted single-payer, or nothing at all, as he explained on his website and in a letter I received from him (the latter with a hand-written salutation and signature; now how many pols will do that?)

I am sorry to hear his cancer has recurred. I also give him the benefit of the doubt. It's my belief that the allegations are smear tactics because Rep. Massa is very progressive on several issues (net neutrality being another) and the Repubs would love to get Kuhl or someone like him back in that seat. Which, sadly, would not be difficult as this is a pretty "red" area and Massa won by a very small number of votes.

I hope that as more facts come to light he will be proven innocent.

Thank you, Rep Massa, for standing up for what you thought was right and best for your district and the country.

[pudjr]

05:47 PM on 03/04/2010

I am stepping forward with some more facts:

http://lonsberry.com/writings.cfm?go=4

[rain33]

07:10 AM on 03/04/2010

what the hell is going on? does it have to do with money? what is the real reason?