In 402-1 vote, Fattah is lone vote on Massa resolution

When congress voted 402 to 1 last week on an ethics committee investigation of former congressman Eric Massa, the sole dissenting vote came from Philadelphia Democrat Chaka Fattah.
Fattah explained that he opposed Republican attempts to force an ethics committee investigation of whether Democratic leaders covered up sexual harassment allegations by Massa, a New York Democrat.

By Meggan Kole

When congress voted 402 to 1 last week on an ethics committee investigation of former congressman Eric Massa, the sole dissenting vote came from Philadelphia Democrat Chaka Fattah.

Fattah explained that he opposed Republican attempts to force an ethics committee investigation of whether Democratic leaders covered up sexual harassment allegations by Massa, a New York Democrat.

Thursday’s vote to allow the ethics committee to decide whether to investigate Massa effectively undercut the Republicans move.

Fattah said he was against the Republicans’ investigation, and believes any invovlement by the ethics committee is a waste of time and tax dollars..

Fattah: You know rather than to change my vote I just decided to stick with my view. Which was that this is a distraction and I think that there are probably many people  who think they’ve heard enough about Mr. Massa and his various activites.

Massa resigned last week amid accusations that he’d made improper advances on male staff members.