Dominique Strauss-Kahn has filed a countersuit against a housekeeper at a Midtown Manhattan hotel who accused him last year of rape, saying her statements about him had damaged his political career.

In the lawsuit, which asks for an award of $1 million, Mr. Strauss-Kahn characterized the claims by the hotel employee, Nafissatou Diallo, as baseless accusations that had cost him his job as managing director of the International Monetary Fund and “other professional opportunities.”

Many political observers in France thought last year that Mr. Strauss-Kahn was best equipped to run as the Socialist Party candidate against the incumbent president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

But that perception changed last May after Ms. Diallo accused Mr. Strauss-Kahn of rape. He was arrested at Kennedy International Airport, indicted by a grand jury and photographed coming in and out of court by a horde of photographers. The Socialist nomination ended up going to François Hollande, who defeated Mr. Sarkozy last week and was sworn in on Tuesday.