Rep.Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., sued for alleged sexual harassment

USA Today said:

Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group, is accusing U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., of sexually harassing a former female staffer.

The group filed suit today against Hastings, first elected to Congress in 1992, on behalf of Winsome Packer. She is a former employee of the Helsinki Commission, which is based in Vienna, Austria. Hastings is a former chairman of the group, formally known as the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Hastings, in a statement, said he has "never sexually harassed anyone."

"I am insulted that these ludicrous allegations are being made against me," he said. "When all the facts are known in this case, the prevailing sentiment will be, 'How bizarre!' "

In the lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Packer alleges she was "forced to endure unwelcome sexual advances, crude sexual comments, and unwelcome touching by Mr. Hastings" from January 2008 through Feb. 19, 2010.

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http://content.usatoday.com/communi...p-alcee-hastings-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-/1

Alcee Hastings, for those who do not remember (I didn't), was impeached by the Senate in 1989 and was removed from the bench as a Federal Judge for bribery and perjury. One of only six Judges ever to be removed from the bench. The allegations do seem serious enough to warrant an investigation and the lawsuit was only filed today. This begs the question: A legitimate lawsuit or a convenient patsy? We'll find out more hopefully in the coming days, though... only a few news outlets are carrying this story.

Ockham said:

Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., sued for alleged sexual harassment - On Politics: Covering the US Congress, Governors, and the 2012 Election - USATODAY.com

Alcee Hastings, for those who do not remember (I didn't), was impeached by the Senate in 1989 and was removed from the bench as a Federal Judge for bribery and perjury. One of only six Judges ever to be removed from the bench. The allegations do seem serious enough to warrant an investigation and the lawsuit was only filed today. This begs the question: A legitimate lawsuit or a convenient patsy? We'll find out more hopefully in the coming days, though... only a few news outlets are carrying this story.

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I'm not entirely sure where I lay on the issue of sexual harrassment in general. I have worked in a managerial capacity where I have had to deal with sexual harrassment claims on many occassions. The difficulty lies in a couple key areas, in my belief. Firstly, quite often, even with excessive (and I mean EXCESSIVE) training, harrassment is VERY situational. I've heard incredibly grotesque jokes and advances go completely unnoticed while I have, in the same place of employment, had complaints stemming from innocent crushes. This is not to say true sexual harrassment doesn't exist, but unfortunately, like in so many other situations, extremism and our sue happy culture has taken over.

In this situation, specifically, I choose to wait until I know more before determining whether Hastings has done anything wrong. True sexual harrassment is a terrible thing, and one that should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, but I feel like one must step back, breathe, and really hear the whole story.

He said, she said. Got to wait until evidence unfolds at trial before I have any opinion at all on this.

Ockham said:

Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., sued for alleged sexual harassment - On Politics: Covering the US Congress, Governors, and the 2012 Election - USATODAY.com

Alcee Hastings, for those who do not remember (I didn't), was impeached by the Senate in 1989 and was removed from the bench as a Federal Judge for bribery and perjury. One of only six Judges ever to be removed from the bench. The allegations do seem serious enough to warrant an investigation and the lawsuit was only filed today. This begs the question: A legitimate lawsuit or a convenient patsy? We'll find out more hopefully in the coming days, though... only a few news outlets are carrying this story.

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I was thinking the same thing as I read the story. I do remember Hastings and was amazed that he could be elected trash man after his impeachment.

Also it's easy to file a sexual harassment suit or make the charges because it's a he said she said unless there is a witness or some king of evidence.

We will find out in court I guess if there is any substance to the charges.

Oh OH OH OH!! I can't wait to watch MSNBC's Rachele Maddow tomorrow! I know she'll cover this. She spent half her show talking about Republican Sen John Ensign tonight. Remember him? He had an affair with a staffer and wife of a friend? She mentioned Republican Vitter too. (prostitutes).
So anyways she's going to go crazy on this and spend a good portion of her show on him. I bet she's preparing for her show at this very moment.

Barbbtx said:

Oh OH OH OH!! I can't wait to watch MSNBC's Rachele Maddow tomorrow! I know she'll cover this. She spent half her show talking about Republican Sen John Ensign tonight. Remember him? He had an affair with a staffer and wife of a friend? She mentioned Republican Vitter too. (prostitutes).
So anyways she's going to go crazy on this and spend a good portion of her show on him. I bet she's preparing for her show at this very moment.

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Don't wait for some one to do something Barb, accuse them in advance. If you are right, YAY, but if you are wrong, you just say oops and still got to take your shots at the people entirely and completely unrelated in any way, shape or form to this story.

On the story: can't really say much until the facts come out.

Barbbtx said:

Oh OH OH OH!! I can't wait to watch MSNBC's Rachele Maddow tomorrow! I know she'll cover this. She spent half her show talking about Republican Sen John Ensign tonight. Remember him? He had an affair with a staffer and wife of a friend? She mentioned Republican Vitter too. (prostitutes).
So anyways she's going to go crazy on this and spend a good portion of her show on him. I bet she's preparing for her show at this very moment.

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Looks back …. damn it Barb why make this controversial …..with s**t like that ? We have a liberal, an independent, and a conservative all talking without finger pointing, no one playing the blame game, no one saying see it's a democrat, or no one saying conservatives will look for anything …....sometimes it's nice to just have a rational discussion, without all the junk getting in the way. I've read a lot of your posts .. and damn it .. you are better then this .

Ah maybe I'm just in one of them moods tonight . …..

redress said:

don't wait for some one to do something barb, accuse them in advance. If you are right, yay, but if you are wrong, you just say oops and still got to take your shots at the people entirely and completely unrelated in any way, shape or form to this story.

On the story: Can't really say much until the facts come out.

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lol

..........