Dems Defeat Call for Formal Massa Probe

House Democrats easily turned back another Republican effort to force a formal ethics committee investigation into how House leaders and their aides handled allegations of sexual harassment against then-Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.).
The 235-157 vote to “refer” Minority Leader John Boehner’s resolution to the ethics committee carries no force in compelling the panel to act. Boehner and his Republican troops hoped the House would vote to adopt his resolution and force the ethics committee to begin a formal probe. But Democrats circumvented a direct vote on the resolution by moving to refer it to ethics.
The committee already has begun its own informal investigation into the Massa case, interviewing aides to Massa, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), according to sources.
The vote tally on Wednesday was noteworthy in part because Republicans voted against the referral motion. They were joined by three Democrats: Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Mike Quigley of Illinois. On March 11, a similar motion was approved 402-1 with only Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) defecting.
Republicans said they voted against the referral motion because it carries no official weight.

Read more: (Jonathan Allen, “Dems Defeat Call for Formal Massa Probe,” Politico, 04/14/10)