Former Rep. Eric Massa resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment.
(Creative Commons)

The House ethics committee will close its inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment by former Rep. Eric Massa because if wrongdoing was found, it could not punish Massa due to his resignation, sources told the Washington Post.

Former Rep. Eric Massa, D-N.Y., who resigned from Congress Monday under swirling accusations of sexual harassment, charged Democrats with driving him out of office because he voted against health care reform.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has called Massa's allegations "silly and ridiculous."

After The Washington Post broke the story of the committee's investigation, the upstate New York Democrat posted a letter on his congressional Web site acknowledging he had offended an aide.

Since then, Massa said on radio station WKPQ that Democrats forced him to resign so they could pass health care reform. He was one of 39 Democrats to vote against the health care bill last fall.

"They will stop at nothing to pass this health care bill," Massa said. "Now they have gotten rid of me, and it will pass."

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer denied that Democratic leaders brought pressure on Massa to step down, but acknowledged some have attempted to politicize the issue.

"I think there were some people that did jump in and try to use this for political purposes," Hoyer said.

Massa admitted on Glenn Beck's Fox News Channel show that he wrestled male staffers at his 50th birthday party, but denied the sexual harassment allegations.

"Not only did I grope him, I tickled him until he couldn't breathe and four guys jumped on top of me," Massa said. "It was my 50th birthday. It was kill the old guy"

Hoyer said one of his staffers told him on Feb. 8 that one of Massa's staffers complained of being harassed.

"'If you don't make the complaint, I will,'" Hoyer said he told the staffer.

Massa said he has not had any direct communication from the ethics committee.