Congressman Eric Massa, from New York’s 29th District upstate, will not run for reelection, the Daily News reported this afternoon. At first the paper quoted sources pinning the decision to Massa’s health (he recently survived a bout with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), but not long after, Politico reported something far dishier: The House Ethics Committee has been informed that Massa allegedly sexually harassed a male staffer. The congressman, who is married and has two children, told Politico that no one has approached him with allegations of sexual misconduct. “When someone makes a decision to leave Congress, everybody says everything,” he told the site. “I have health issues. I’ll talk about it [later].” Massa is scheduled to address his decision with the press this afternoon. His sudden decision (he was elected for the first time in November) will leave open another Democratic House seat in a Republican-leaning district. Massa is now the fifteenth Dem in the House planning to leave his seat.
Dem Source: Massa Won’t Run [Daily Politics/NYDN]
Eric Massa to retire amid allegations he sexually harassed a male staffer [Politico]
