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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| Taxpayers Paid $220K to Settle Case Involving Rep. Alcee Hastings |
| 2017-12-09 |
| Remember this dirtbag? Former disgraced judge - elected Democrat? [Rollcall] The Treasury Department paid $220,000 in a previously undisclosed agreement to settle a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment that involved Florida Democrat Alcee L. Hastings, according to documents obtained by Roll Call. Winsome Packer, a former staff member of a congressional commission that promotes international human rights, said in documents that the congressman touched her, made unwanted sexual advances, and threatened her job. At the time, Hastings was the chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, where Packer worked. Hastings has called Packer's charges "ludicrous" and in documents said he never sexually harassed her. "Until this evening, I had not seen the settlement agreement between the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and Ms. Packer," the congressman said in a statement Friday night. "This matter was handled solely by the Senate Chief Counsel for Employment. At no time was I consulted, nor did I know until after the fact that such a settlement was made." Hastings said that the lawsuit that Packer filed against him and an investigation by the House Ethics Committee were ultimately dismissed. "I am outraged that any taxpayer dollars were needlessly paid to Ms. Packer," he said. The 2014 payment to settle the case involving Hastings was not apparently included in a breakdown of payouts to settle discrimination complaints against House lawmakers from the past five years released last month by the Office of Compliance, which approves the payouts. That total included only one payment to resolve a sexual harassment claim ‐ $84,000 paid to settle a complaint against Texas GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold. The Senate hasn't released similar numbers. |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #4 Isn't Alcee Hastings a convicted felon? By virtue of being impeached and removed from the bench of a Federal judgeship? |
| Posted by: Unolurong Bluetooth5104 2017-12-09 21:52 |
| #3 Because of all the hanky-panky in D.C., Congresscritters don't get much work done. Every cloud has a silver lining,JQC. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2017-12-09 15:10 |
| #2 These payments should not come out of taxpayer's money. These guys (and any gals) should have to pay for these settlements themselves. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2017-12-09 10:39 |
| #1 Because of all the hanky-panky in D.C., Congresscritters don't get much work done. Damn, it would be a good place to work if work didn't interfere with all the sexual shenanigans (sarc on). |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2017-12-09 10:34 |