Disgraced Representative Eric Massa (D-NY) paid his chief of staff $40,000 from campaign funds just prior to resigning his Congressional seat.

The mystery payment to Joe Racalto came on March 4th, the day before Massa resigned. It was marked as a “campaign management fee” but was the only payment made to Racalto since Massa took office last January.

Racalto is relevant for reasons other than simply being chief of staff:

Racalto is a central player in the still-unfolding saga of whether Massa sexually harassed several junior aides and how congressional staff, including, Racalto, handled those allegations.

Though Massa’s March resignation put him out of the ethics committee’s jurisdiction, the panel is still investigating whether lawmakers and aides appropriately handled the situation.

Racalto was the top aide in an office where junior aides complained to senior management that they were subjected to various forms of sexual harassment by the congressman as far back as March 2009, according to lawyers for a former Massa aide who has filed an official complaint with the congressional Office of Compliance.

Racalto was told of the first sexual harassment allegations in March of 2009 but nothing was done. Massa simply denied any wrongdoing. Racalto would go on to notify the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in October 2009, but again nothing was done.

Racalto received $135,00 as salary — on the taxpayer dime — last year alone. The Politico notes that aides making more than about $119,000 per year are limited to no more than $26,550 of outside income. Racalto remains employed in the Capitol Hill office, though it has since been taken over by the Office of the House Clerk.