A decade ago, Vincent Gentile's then-chief-of-staff accused the Brooklyn councilman of sexual harassment, including filing a complaint with the city's Human Rights Commission. That complaint was never heard of again. Now, though, as Gentile runs for Congress, we take a closer look at what the commission found. NY1's Courtney Gross filed this report. 

"It's never fun to be falsely accused," says Brooklyn Councilman Vincent Gentile in 2004.

Some 11 years ago, the chief of staff for Gentile accused the councilman of sexual harassment.

"There has been nothing that was done that would constitute harassment of any kind," Gentile said back in 2004.

That was a long time ago. 

"It was investigated not by one but two panels and each panel independently found there was no evidence of wrongdoing," says Gentile.

Through a Freedom of Information Law request. NY1 obtained the final report of that investigation. It was a report the Human Rights Commission issued very quietly in 2008—more than two years after the complaint was filed. 

In fact, a spokesman for Gentile told us the councilman had never seen the document. 

It dismisses the charges, but it provides new details about the investigation. 

Gentile was accused of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment for his former chief of staff, John Martin.

On one occasion, Gentile allegedly tried to get into the Martin's apartment after they visited a local bar, first saying he knew the building owner, then by asking to use the bathroom.

On a separate occasion, Gentile suggested tagging along on a trip to Maine the staffer was taking. He allegedly said, "no one would have to know he was there."

When the behavior made the staffer uncomfortable, Gentile told him, "leadership require[s] that you be involved with the lives of those in your office.’”

The investigation ultimately found the councilman's behavior was "harmless."

In fact, it quoted one staffer saying: "Gentile ‘lacked awareness or refused to recognize that staff members were hired employees, not friends.’”

Gentile would not speak to us on camera for this story but a spokesman told us: "Councilmember Gentile has been an elected official for nearly 20 years and has had dozens of employees, many of whom he's been lucky enough to consider as friends."

The City Council has not released the details of its own investigation into the matter, but we do know it absolved the councilman of any wrongdoing.