WASHINGTON — A male staffer has accused Rep. Eric J.J. Massa, D-Corning, of making

unwanted sexual advances, two sources with knowledge of the situa

tion said Thursday, and the staffer's allegations initiated an ethics inquiry of the

first-term lawmaker.

A day after Massa cited a cancer recurrence as the reason he decided not to run for re-election and denied that he harassed an employee, Capitol Hill sources offered more details of the allegations.

The sources, who asked not to be identified, confirmed that a male Massa staffer had complained about comments the congressman allegedly made that the aide perceived as sexually suggestive.

The House ethics committee is interviewing members of the congressman’s staff as it tries to determine the veracity of the allegations, the sources said.

Massa was nowhere to be seen at the Capitol on Thursday. He missed eight House votes, including one on a major jobs bill.

"He is sick," Joseph Racalto, Massa's chief of staff, said early today.

"He is missing votes because he is under his doctor's care," Racalto said.

Racalto reiterated that Massa had decided to retire because of his health. A survivor of

non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Massa said this week he had his "third major cancer recurrence scare"

in December.

And Racalto said he recently told Massa he faced one of two choices in order to preserve

his health: slow down the frantic pace at which he worked, or retire from Congress.

As for the allegations of impropriety, Racalto acknowledged that Massa staffers were being

intereviewed as part of the probe.

But he added: "I've not seen what he's been accused of."

While House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s office had known about the allegations since the week of Feb. 8, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters that her staff had not informed her of the situation.

“I asked my staff. I said, ‘Have there been any rumors about any of this before?’ ” Pelosi said. “There had been a rumor, but just that. There was no formal notification to our office that anything happened.”

Pelosi did not address the specifics of the situation.

“It was a one-, two-, three-person rumor that had been reported to Mr. Hoyer’s office, that they reported to my staff, which they did not report to me because, you know what, this is rumor city,” she said. “There are rumors.”

As for Massa’s decision against seeking re-election, that came as a surprise to Pelosi as well.

“Mr. Massa called me yesterday and told me he had been diagnosed with cancer and that he may not be seeking re-election,” she said. “That was the first I heard of that.”

While Hoyer’s office had pressed Massa’s staff into taking the harassment allegations to the bipartisan ethics committee, Hoyer, D-Md., said Thursday that he did not know exactly what Massa stands accused of doing.

Asked if the allegations rose to the level where Massa should resign, Hoyer said: “I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t know the specific allegation.”

Similarly, when asked if there was a move to get Massa to resign, Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, said: “Not yet. If there is one, it hasn’t gotten to me yet.”

Slaughter, who repeatedly stressed her concern for Massa’s family, said it’s “his decision” whether to resign.

Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, stressed that an investigation is under way regarding Massa’s supposed actions, meaning there is still uncertainty “about what is legitimate and what is not,” he said.

The ethics committee issued a statement Thursday acknowledging it is “investigating and gathering additional information concerning matters related to allegations involving Rep. Massa.”

Meanwhile, a flurry of activity is under way over replacing Massa, with most attention focused on Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, a Republican. And she did not shy away from expressing her interest.

“I have received dozens of calls from my colleagues in Monroe County, across New York State and in Washington who have asked me to run,” she said.

One Republican involved in the succession discussions called Brooks a “top-seed, A-list candidate” with access to the Monroe County money needed for such a campaign, which would cost up to $3 million.

Other Republicans receiving mention are State Sens. George H. Winner Jr. of Elmira and Catherine M. Young of Olean, along with Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb of Canandaigua and Chemung County Executive Thomas J. Santulli.

Complications would surround Winner or Young, since their congressional candidacies would force State Senate Republicans to spend more money than planned to retain their seats in a year when the battle to control the Senate will loom large.

Young confirmed her interest. “I have been urged to run by many, many people, and I am concerned about the direction Washington is taking,” she said. “On the flip side, we need to take back the Senate majority.”

Former Rep. Randy Kuhl, RHammondsport, who narrowly beat Massa in 2006 and then narrowly lost to Massa in 2008, also expressed interest. And former Corning Mayor Thomas Reed has been running for months and already enjoys strong support from the Conservative Party.

Democrats mentioned include Assemblyman David Koon and Assemblywomen Susan V. John and Barbara Lifton of Monroe County, and Hornell Mayor Shawn D. Hogan, who said Wednesday Massa had urged him to seek the seat.

The Cook Political Report now lists the 29th District as “leaning Republican” after Massa’s retirement announcement. Previously it was listed as “leaning Democrat.”

jzremski@buffnews.com and rmccarthy@buffnews.com