Massa Contradicts Himself about Harassing Male Staffers

MEREDITH VIEIRA, co-host:
But we begin this morning with the latest fallout over New York Congressman Eric Massa’s resignation. NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell is on Capitol Hill with the latest.
Good morning to you, Kelly.
KELLY O’DONNELL reporting:
Good morning, Meredith. Here we go with another turn in what has been an unusual drama. Eric Massa is a Democrat from New York state, and he went on cable and gave two interviews where he poured out details about his abrupt resignation, his cancer and his behavior towards staffers that he called inappropriate.
Mr. LARRY KING: (From “Larry King Live”) Admitting that he groped a staffer.
O’DONNELL: An unfolding scandal made for cable.
Mr. GLENN BECK: (From “Glenn Beck”) He could be an angel, he could be a complete dirtbag.
O’DONNELL: House after additional allegations surfaced suggesting there were many incidents of harassment, former Congressman Eric Massa made this surprising admission to Glenn Beck on Fox News.
Former Representative ERIC MASSA: (From “Glenn Beck”) Now they’re saying I groped a male staffer. Yeah, I did. Not only did I grope him, I tickled him until he couldn’t breathe and then four guys jumped on top of me.
O’DONNELL: Massa said that happened at his 50th birthday party last fall while the New York congressman was rooming in DC with bachelors on his staff to save money.
Rep. MASSA: My chief of staff had a conniption and said, `You can’t live there. That’s not congressional.’ So I moved into my office.
O’DONNELL: But later, in a second interview with CNN’s Larry King, Massa backtracked and said he had not groped a staffer.

Read more: (Kelly O’Donnell, “Former New York Representative Eric Massa Contradicts Himself about Harassing Male Staffers,” NBC News, 03/10/10)