Rep. Alcee Hastings Sued for Sexual Harassment of Former Aide

A conservative group with a proclivity for filing lawsuits has sued Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings, accusing the 74-year-old Democrat of sexual harassment of a woman who worked for a commission he once led.

Judicial Watch says Hastings made "unwelcome sexual advances" on policy adviser Winsome Packer between January 2008 and February 2010, when he co-chaired the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Washington Post reports. Hastings, who is divorced, denies the allegations.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, also accuses Hastings of retaliating against Packer after she rebuffed him -- threatening her job with the panel and marginalizing her. The harassment allegedly included unwanted hugs, "humiliating and inappropriate" questions in public settings and an invitation to accompany him alone to his hotel room.

"Ms. Packer was particularly vulnerable to such threats because she was a Republican working for the Democratically-controlled commission," the lawsuit asserts. ". . . Eventually, the emotional distress, anxiety and humiliation caused by the sexual harassment and retaliation caused Ms. Packer to suffer severe health problems and forced her to leave her prestigious position."

The commission, also known as the Helsinki Commission, and its former staff director Fred Turner, are also named as defendants. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a public admission from Hastings that he violated Packer's rights.

Hastings, who gave up the commission leadership after Democrats lost control of the House last year, said a draft of the complaint that he'd seen was filled with "numerous inaccuracies and untruths." He told the Post, "I have never sexually harassed anyone. In fact, I am insulted that these ludicrous allegations are being made against me. When all the facts are known in this case, the prevailing sentiment will be, 'How bizarre.' "

In its 16-year history, Judicial Watch has filed dozens of lawsuits, mostly against Democrats, including at least 18 against the administration of former President Bill Clinton. Packer, a native of Jamaica, self-published a novel last year titled "A Personal Agenda," which was "inspired by her own experiences" and "offers a unique look at political relationships and aims to show that racial, cultural and sexual harassment knows no color," according to a publicist's news release.

Hastings, too, has a history. Now in his 10th term, he was accused of bribery and perjury, impeached by the U.S. House and removed from his post as a federal judge in 1989.