Alcee Hastings of Florida is the latest legislator to be unmasked as an alleged sexual harasser, according to documents obtained by Roll Call.
Some $220,000 in taxpayer money is said to have been used to settle the lawsuit made against him by a former staffer, Winsome Packer.
Hastings on Friday denied harassing Packer — a former staffer on a congressional international human rights commission — and said he had no idea the Treasury Department paid her off in a 2014 settlement.
“Until this evening, I had not seen the settlement agreement between the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and Ms. Packer,” Hastings said.
He said it was the Senate Chief Counsel for Employment that decided to make the pay-out.
“At no time was I consulted, nor did I know until after the fact that such a settlement was made,” he added.
The congressman said that the lawsuit 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.



