No Full-Scale Investigation of Alcee Hastings Over Sexual Harassment Charge

The House Ethics Committee has voted not to conduct a full-scale investigation into allegations that Rep. Alcee Hastings sexually harassed a former aide and retaliated against her when she complained about his actions, but a federal civil lawsuit over the case is still pending.

According to Politico.com, Jo Bonner, R-Ala., and Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., the chairman and ranking member of the Ethics Committee, issued a statement Wednesday, saying they will continue to review the Hastings case, although there will be no formal probe of the Florida Democrat at this time.

Hastings has issued the following statement:

As I have said repeatedly since this matter first came to my attention, I unequivocally deny the allegations made by Ms. (Winsome) Packer. The acts alleged are contrary to my character and to the main objective of my career in Congress, advancing the civil rights of all people.

Furthermore, Ms. Packers allegations are completely false. I never had a romantic or sexual interest in her, nor did I ever express or otherwise suggest that I had any such interest.

After having months to investigate these very serious -- and false -- claims, the Office of Congressional Ethics did not find any evidence to substantiate Ms. Packers allegations. The OCEs report parrots Ms. Packers allegations, but it does not credit her statements as truthful or point to any evidence that corroborates her claims. Instead, the OCE referred the matter to the Committee on Ethics on the chance that the Committee might be able to uncover some evidence to which the OCE was not privy.

"The OCEs report ignores the contradictions in the various versions of Ms. Packers stories.It also disregards the testimony of disinterested third parties that directly contradicts Ms. Packers allegations.

The OCE also completely failed to assess Ms. Packers motivations. Ms. Packer has a self-published book entitled, 'A Personal Agenda,' which she has stated seeks to provoke its readers by examining sexual harassment in Congress and supposedly was inspired by her own experiences.

Ms. Packer began publicizing her book in June 2010, shortly before she lodged her complaint against me. And in her personal offerings she has indicated that she plans to write a sequel. The OCE did not explore the connection between the complainants allegations and her side career as a novelist.

It is also no coincidence that Ms. Packer is represented by Judicial Watch, a conservative organization that has targeted Democrats in general and me in particular. Judicial Watchs representation of Ms. Packer is a marriage of convenience. Ms. Packers lawsuit, like her book, is a fictitious effort to promote her personal agenda including increasing sales of her novel. This effort will fail as no amount of political maneuvering can obscure the truth; Ms. Packers allegations are false and without merit.

I look forward to the Committee on Ethics review of these bogus charges, and am confident that it will conclude, as have the General Council of the U.S. House of Representatives, Counsel of the House Employment Counsel, and the United States Justice Department, that the claims are false.