Another Democrat Rep, Another Improper Relationship

Right on the heels of last month’s Katie Hill fiasco, another Democratic Rep. is now facing scrutiny regarding an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

Alcee Hastings in a Relationship with a Staffer

A Thursday press release from the House Ethics Committee said several investigations are going on, with one of them being Rep. Alcee Hastings’ (D-FL) relationship with his top staffer.

“The Committee is aware of public allegations arising out of Representative Alcee Hastings’ personal relationship with an individual employed in his congressional office. On May 14, 2019, the Committee began an investigation regarding the allegations,” the statement said.

It added that the investigation is focusing on whether or not the relationship is in violation of House Rule XXIII, clause 18(a), stating that lawmakers are not permitted to have a “sexual relationship with any employee of the House who works under the(ir) supervision.”

“As they continue to conduct their work, I stand ready to fully cooperate with their inquiry,” the South Florida Sun Sentinel was told by Hastings.

While the staffer was not named in the statement, it’s believed to be Patricia Williams, Hastings’ highest-paid staffer, who has worked with him since he was elected, and even before, as she represented him in court more than a decade before he joined the House of Representatives.

Hastings has been in House of Representatives since 1993. Previously, Hastings' time as a federal judge ended through impeachment in 1981. On charges of conspiracy and perjury, he was convicted with the necessary two-thirds votes on eight articles.