Rep. Barney Frank, whose personal and professional relationship with a male prostitute is being investigated by the House ethics committee, said Wednesday that he will decide soon whether to seek a sixth term. The Massachusetts Democrat had said he would make no political announcement until the committee discloses its findings into his relationship with Stephen Gobie. However, Frank said he would begin raising campaign funds. ``You reach the point where if you don't do anything, you've decided by default,'' Frank said. Congressional candidates must formally submit nomination papers by May 8. A closed-door session of the ethics committee was set for Wednesday afternoon and there was speculation that an announcement would be made on the Frank case. Rep. Chester Atkins, D-Mass., a member of the panel, planned to attend the meeting. His attendance has been taken as a sign that Frank was not on the agenda because Atkins said last fall he would not attend meetings in which the Frank case was discussed. Atkins said his friendship with Frank and his role as the Democratic State Committee chairman in Massachusetts made him unable to remain impartial. Frank plans weekend fund-raisers in Boston and other towns to mark his 50th birthday Saturday. No Democrats have announced plans to run for Frank's seat. Two relatively unknown Republicans, lawyer John Soto and physician Jim Nuzzo, are running. The committee is investigating whether Frank violated House ethics regulations in his relationship with Gobie. Gobie alleges that Frank was aware he was running a sex-for-hire ring out of the congressman's Capitol Hill apartment. Frank said he fired Gobie from his job of personal assistant in 1986 after he learned of the prostitution ring. Frank has said he initially paid Gobie for sex, but later befriended him and gave him the job in an effort to change Gobie's life. Frank said he has testified before the ethics committee and has supplied it with all the documents and other information requested.
