Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) says $220K sex-harassment claim settled without his knowledge. | AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Hastings says never told of $220K settlement for sex harassment claims against him

The U.S. Treasury Department settled a $220,000 sexual-harassment lawsuit on behalf of Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) in 2014, according to Roll Call.

But the South Florida lawmaker said he was never informed of any settlement.


“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," said Hastings in a written statement to POLITICO Florida.

"I am outraged that any taxpayer dollars were needlessly paid to Ms. [Winsome] Packer," he said.

Hastings said the original lawsuit was dismissed in 2012 and that he was cleared in 2014 by the House Committee on Ethics.

The lawsuit was filed in 2011 by Judicial Watch, a public interest group. In the lawsuit, a former staffer on the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Packer, alleges she was the victim of “unwelcome sexual advances” and “unwelcome touching” by then-chairman Hastings.

Packer also claimed retaliation by the congressman and his staff director, Fred Turner, who also was named in the suit. The conservative judicial watchdog charged that Packer was unfairly targeted because she was a Republican serving in a commission ruled by Democrats.

The news about the purported settlement with Hastings' accuser comes as sexual harassment allegations have engulfed Capitol Hill.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) became the third lawmaker this week alone to announce that he will step down after being accused of sexual misconduct. He originally announced that he would resign on Jan. 31, 2018. But just hours after POLITICO inquired about the allegations, he sped up his resignation and left office on Friday.

Sen. Al Franken said Thursday he would resign after seven women came forward in recent weeks and said he groped or tried to forcibly kiss them.

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) of Michigan, the longest-serving member of the House, also resigned this week amid recent allegations that he had sexually harassed female staffers for years. He allegedly harassed several former aides, including an ex-staffer who received a $27,000 settlement using taxpayer funds.