Pelosi Informed of Massa Concerns Months Ago

It's not clear if Speaker acted on 'gay cruising' concerns
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 11, 2010 3:42 AM CST
Updated Mar 11, 2010 5:13 AM CST
Pelosi Informed of Massa Concerns Months Ago
Rep. Eric Massa's top aide call the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last October to report concerns that his boss was spending time with male staffers unrelated to work.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was informed of concerns that NY Rep. Eric Massa was cruising congressional male staffers 5 months ago. Massa's top aide called Pelosi's office last October to report his worries about the congressman's practice of spending time with young gay staffers that had nothing to do with work, sources told the Washington Post. Aide Joe Racalto was uncomfortable with the fact that the married dad of 2 was using sexually explicit language with young, single male workers with whom he shared his DC row house.

Racalto was finally prompted to call Pelosi's office after Massa, 50, made a lunch date with a young staffer in Rep. Barney Frank's office. It's not known what, if anything, Pelosi did about the call. No one from her office immediately responded to requests for comment from the Post. The House Ethics Committee closed its investigation into complaints from staffers that they were groped and sexually harassed by Massa, saying the congressman's resignation this week made any probe moot.
(More Eric Massa stories.)

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