Questions About $40,000 Check to Massa's Aide

Just before Rep. Eric Massa reigned over allegations of sexual harassment, he allegedly wrote a check for $40,000 to his chief of staff, taken from his campaign funds. You may remember Massa from his roles in The Marine's Wake and Tickle Fight. According to the Washington Post, Massa claims that the lump payment was Joe Racalto's "campaign management fee," and that he had earlier agreed to deferred payment but reneged after learning of Massa's resignation. Racalto filed a complaint on March 23 that Massa had sexually harassed him.

Four former campaign staffers told the Post that Racalto was not doing any substantial campaign work at the time of the payment. All the other staffers were allegedly paid in regular increments, but reports show that Racalto was not paid before March 4th and was never reimbursed for any campaign-related expenses. Congressional lawyer Stanley Brand says that Congressmen may use their discretion on how much to pay staffers, but the Federal Election Commission says they must log time on the campaign good. "He can assert that he deferred payment and it may be fine; still, the question here is about the amount," he said. "If it ever came to an enforcement action in front of the FEC, they would ask for some documentation of how much time he spent. I don't know that they're just going to take his word for it."

However, Massa is claiming that the $40,000 check was forged, and denies authorizing the check from his campaign account. "Mr. Racalto never communicated the $40,000 amount of the payment to Mr. Massa," said Massa's attorney. His statement to the AP also alleges that "someone forged then-Congressman Massa's signature on forms raising Mr. Racalto's own salary as a member of the congressman's personal staff from $120,000 per year to the maximum permissible level of $160,000." Racalto's lawyer says the accusation of forgery is just a way for Massa to take the spotlight off his sexual harassment scandal. "The congressman is trying to discredit someone who is making a sexual harassment complaint against him"