Alcee Lamar Hastings ( ; September 5, 1936 – April 6, 2021) was an American politician and judge from the state of Florida.
Hastings was nominated to the
by President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
in August 1979. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
on October 31, 1979. In 1981, after an FBI sting operation, Hastings was charged with conspiracy to solicit a bribe. Following a 1983 criminal trial, Hastings was acquitted; however, he was
impeached
Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements.
In ...
for
bribery
Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Cor ...
and perjury by the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
in 1988 and was convicted by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
in his
impeachment trial on October 20, 1989. While Hastings was removed from the bench, the Senate did not bar him from holding public office in the future. Hastings was the first and only
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
impeached.
A
Democrat, Hastings was first elected to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
in 1992. He represented
Florida's 23rd congressional district from 1993 to 2013 and represented
Florida's 20th congressional district from 2013 until his death in 2021. The 20th district included most of the majority-black precincts in and around
Fort Lauderdale
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facer ...
and
West Palm Beach. Following Senator
Bill Nelson's departure from office in January 2019, Hastings became the
dean of
Florida's congressional delegation; he retained this title until his death.
Early life, education, and early career
Alcee Lamar Hastings was born in
Altamonte Springs, Florida
Altamonte Springs is a suburban city in central Florida in Seminole County, Florida, United States, which had a population of 46,231 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is in the northern suburbs of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metro ...
, the son of Mildred L. (Merritt) and Julius "J. C." Hastings.
He was educated at Crooms Academy in Goldsboro (Sanford), Florida, before going on to attend
Howard University in Washington, D.C. and
Fisk University
Fisk University is a private historically black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1930, Fisk was the first Africa ...
in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, an ...
and
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
from Fisk in 1958. After being dismissed from
Howard University School of Law
Howard University School of Law (Howard Law or HUSL) is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the ol ...
,
Hastings received his
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
from
Florida A&M University College of Law in 1963. While in school, he became a member of the
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never restricted membership on the basis of color, cree ...
fraternity. He was admitted to the bar in 1963, and began to
practice law.
1970 U.S. Senate election
Hastings decided to run for the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
in 1970 after incumbent
Spessard Holland
Spessard Lindsey Holland (July 10, 1892 – November 6, 1971) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 28th Governor of Florida from 1941 to 1945, and later as a US senator for Florida from 1946 to 1971. He would be the first per ...
decided to retire. He failed to win the Democratic primary or make the runoff election, finishing fourth out of five candidates, with 13% of the vote. Former Governor
Farris Bryant
Cecil Farris Bryant (July 26, 1914 – March 1, 2002) was an American politician serving as the List of governors of Florida, 34th Governor of Florida. He also served on the United States National Security Council as director of the Office of ...
finished first with 33% of the vote. State Senator
Lawton Chiles was second with 26%. Chiles defeated Bryant in the runoff election and won the November general election.
Judicial career (1977–1989)
In 1977, Hastings became a judge of the circuit court of
Broward County, Florida.
On August 28, 1979, President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
nominated Hastings to the
.
He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
on October 31, 1979, and received his commission on November 2, 1979. Hastings was the first black federal judge in the history of the state of Florida.
His service was terminated on October 20, 1989 due to impeachment and conviction.
Allegations and impeachment
Criminal trial
In 1981, after a sting operation by the FBI against attorney and alleged co-conspirator William Borders,
Hastings was charged with conspiracy to solicit a $150,000 bribe () in exchange for a lenient sentence for Frank and Thomas Romano on 21 counts of
racketeering
Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit.
Originally and ...
and the return of their seized assets. In his 1983 trial, Hastings was acquitted by a jury after Borders refused to testify in court, despite having been convicted in his own trial in 1982.
Borders went to jail for accepting the first $25,000 payment, but was later given a full pardon by President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
on his last day in office.
Impeachment trial
The
Judicial Conference of the United States investigated Hasting and brought its accusations, which it believed warranted an
impeachment
Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements.
In ...
, to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
.
In 1988, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives took up the case, and Hastings was impeached for bribery and
perjury by a vote of 413–3. He was then convicted in his
impeachment trial before the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
on October 20, 1989. At the time, the Senate was also controlled by a Democratic majority. Hastings became the sixth federal judge in the history of the United States to be removed from office by the Senate. The Senate, in two hours of roll calls, voted on 11 of the 17 articles of impeachment. It convicted Hastings of eight of the 11 articles. The vote on the first article was 69 for and 26 opposed.
[Senate Removes Hastings](_blank)
''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'', October 21, 1989. Retrieved March 14, 2012. He was removed from the bench, but the Senate did not preclude him from holding office in the future.
Appeal
Hastings filed suit in federal court claiming that his impeachment trial was invalid because he was tried by a Senate committee, not in front of the full Senate, and that he had been acquitted in a criminal trial. Judge
Stanley Sporkin ruled in favor of Hastings, remanding the case to the Senate, but stayed his ruling pending the outcome of an appeal to the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
in a similar case regarding Judge
Walter Nixon
Walter Louis Nixon Jr. (born December 16, 1928) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi who in 1989 was impeached by the House of Representatives and removed from offic ...
, who had also been impeached and removed.
The Supreme Court ruled in ''
Nixon v. United States
''Nixon v. United States'', 506 U.S. 224 (1993), was a United States Supreme Court decision that determined that a question of whether the Senate had properly tried an impeachment was political in nature and could not be resolved in the courts if ...
'', again referring to Walter Nixon, that procedures for trying an impeached individual cannot be subject to review by the judiciary. Judge Sporkin changed his ruling accordingly, and Hastings's conviction and removal were upheld.
1990 Secretary of State election
Hastings attempted to make a political comeback by running for
Secretary of State of Florida
The Secretary of State of Florida is an executive officer of the state government of the U.S. state of Florida, established since the original 1838 state constitution. Like the corresponding officials in other states, the original charge of the ...
, campaigning on a platform of legalizing
casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...
s. In a three-way Democratic primary, he placed second with 33% of the vote, behind newspaper columnist Jim Minter's 38% of the vote. In the
runoff
Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to:
* RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program
* Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed
* Runoff or run-off, a stock marke ...
, which saw a large dropoff in turnout, Minter defeated Hastings, 67%–33%. Hastings won just one of
Florida's 67 counties:
Miami-Dade.
U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2021)
Elections
Hastings was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1992, representing
Florida's 23rd district. After placing second in the initial Democratic primary for the post, he scored an upset victory over state representative
Lois J. Frankel in the runoff, and went on to easily win election in the heavily Democratic district. He did not face a serious challenge for reelection thereafter. Following redistricting, Hastings represented
Florida's 20th district from January 2013 until his death. His death triggered a
special election in 2022.
Tenure
Hastings was a member of the
Congressional Black Caucus and was elected president of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in July 2004. As a senior Democratic whip, Hastings was an influential member of the Democratic leadership. He was also a member of the
House Rules Committee. He was previously a senior member of the
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). On the HPSCI, Hastings was the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Hastings voted to impeach Texas federal judge
Samuel B. Kent
Samuel B. Kent (born June 22, 1949) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, whose term ended in resignation in 2009 following charges of sexual abuse.
Kent served in the si ...
on all four counts presented against him on June 19, 2009.
On December 18, 2019, Hastings voted to impeach President Donald Trump. On January 13, 2021, he voted to impeach Trump for a second time.
Objection to the 2000 presidential election
Hastings and other members of the House of Representatives objected to counting the 25 electoral votes from Florida which
George W. Bush narrowly won after a contentious
recount
An election recount is a repeat tabulation of votes cast in an election that is used to determine the correctness of an initial count. Recounts will often take place if the initial vote tally during an election is extremely close. Election reco ...
. Because no senator joined his objection, the objection was dismissed by Vice President
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic ...
, who was Bush's opponent in the
2000 presidential election.
Objection to the 2004 presidential election
Hastings was one of the 31 House Democrats who voted not to count the 20
electoral votes from
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
in the
2004 presidential election, despite Republican President George W. Bush winning the state by 118,457 votes. Without Ohio's electoral votes, the election would have been decided by the U.S. House of Representatives, with each state having one vote in accordance with the
Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Bid for chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee
After the
2006 United States House of Representatives elections
The 2006 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 7, 2006, to elect members to the United States House of Representatives. It took place in the middle of President George W. Bush's second term in office. All 435 se ...
, Hastings attracted attention after it was reported that incoming
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
might appoint him as head of the
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He had support from the
Congressional Black Caucus but was opposed by the
Blue Dog Coalition. Hastings attacked his critics as “misinformed fools.” Pelosi reportedly favored Hastings over the ranking Democrat,
Jane Harman, due to policy differences and the Congressional Black Caucus's support. On November 28, 2006, Pelosi announced that Hastings would not be the Committee's chairman, and she later chose
Silvestre Reyes
Silvestre "Silver" Reyes (born November 10, 1944) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for , serving from 1997 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he was Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence ...
(D-TX). While Hastings was passed over to chair the committee, he became chair of a subcommittee. He told the ''
National Journal
''National Journal'' is an advisory services company based in Washington, D.C., offering services in government affairs, advocacy communications, stakeholder mapping, and policy brands research for government and business leaders. It publishes d ...
'', “I am not angry. At some point along the way, it became too much to explain. That is legitimate politics. But it’s unfortunate for me.”
Comments about Sarah Palin
On September 24, 2008, Hastings came under fire for comments he made about
Republican vice-presidential candidate
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...
. Speaking in Washington, D.C., to a conference sponsored by the
National Jewish Democratic Council
The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) was a political lobbying organization that advocated within the Democratic Party for viewpoints aligned with the American Jewish community and in support of the state of Israel, and within the politi ...
, he said, "If Sarah Palin isn't enough of a reason for you to get over whatever your problem is with
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, then you damn well had better pay attention. Anybody toting guns and stripping moose don't care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks. So, you just think this through."
On September 29, 2008, Hastings issued a written apology, while standing by its core message: "I regret the comments I made last Tuesday that were not smart and certainly not relevant to hunters or sportsmen. The point I made, and will continue to make, is that the policies and priorities of a McCain-Palin administration would be anathema to most African Americans and Jews. I regret that I was not clearer and apologize to Governor Palin, my host where I was speaking, and those who my comments may have offended."
Lexus lease
In May 2009, ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported that Hastings spent over $24,000 in taxpayer money in 2008 to lease a luxury
Lexus hybrid sedan. The ''Journal'' noted that the expenditure was legal, properly accounted for, and drawn from an expense allowance the U.S. government grants to all lawmakers.
Sexual harassment allegation
In June 2011, one of Hastings's staff members, Winsome Packer, filed a lawsuit alleging that he had made repeated unwanted sexual advances and threatened her job when she refused him.
A congressional ethics panel investigated these claims.
Packer was represented by the conservative legal group
Judicial Watch
Judicial Watch (JW) is an American conservative activist group that files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits to investigate claimed misconduct by government officials. Founded in 1994, JW has primarily targeted Democrats, in particu ...
. Hastings denied the allegations and called them "ludicrous." He said, "I will win this lawsuit. That is a certainty. In a race with a lie, the truth always wins. And when the truth comes to light and the personal agendas of my accusers are exposed, I will be vindicated.” In February 2012, it was reported that Hastings would be released from the lawsuit, and it would only continue against the
Helsinki Commission which Hastings chaired and Packer represented in Vienna. In December 2017, it was reported that the Treasury Department paid $220,000 to settle the lawsuit. Hastings later complained that he played no role in the settlement negotiations but the way they had been framed implied that he had.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Rules (Vice Chair)
**
Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process
*
Helsinki Commission (Chair)
Leadership positions
* Florida Congressional delegation (co-chairman)
* Senior Democratic whip
*
Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety (co-chairman)
*
International Conservation Caucus
* Sportsmen's Caucus
Caucus memberships
*
Congressional Arts Caucus
*
Afterschool Caucuses
*
Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
*
United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
*
Veterinary Medicine Caucus
The Congressional Veterinary Medicine Caucus is a Congressional Member Organization within the United States Congress and is officially recognized by the Committee on House Administration.
Information and purpose
According to the Caucus's offici ...
*
U.S.-Japan Caucus
*
Medicare for All Caucus
*
Blue Collar Caucus
The Blue Collar Caucus is a Democratic Party (United States), United States Democratic Party congressional caucus that advocates for labor and working class priorities. It was founded in 2016 to focus the Democratic Party on blue-collar issues. ...
Political positions
Foreign policy
Hastings opposed President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's decision to
recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. He stated: "I believe that Jerusalem is and should remain the undivided capital of Israel. To deny the Jewish connection to Jerusalem would be to deny world history. That being said, the manner in which the Trump Administration has announced its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is of great concern."
Gun policy
Hastings said that gun control is a "critical element" in addressing the United States' crime problem. He favored reinstating the
Federal Assault Weapons Ban
The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, popularly known as the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB), was a subsection of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a United States federal law which includ ...
and supported a federal ban on
bump stocks. He supported raising the minimum age to buy a rifle from 18 to 21. In 2017, he voted against the
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. His last rating from the
NRA
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent gun rights lobbying organization while contin ...
was an F, indicating that the organization believed that he did not support gun rights legislation.
Following the 2018
Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Miami suburban town of Parkland, Florida, murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others. Cruz, a former student at ...
, Hastings released a statement in which he said, "The stranglehold of the gun lobby has gone on long enough."
Hastings wrote a letter to the Speaker of the Florida House and President of the Florida Senate urging them to repeal the state's
preemption law, which prohibits communities in Florida from passing their own gun regulations.
Personal life and death
Hastings was married three times and had three children; his first two marriages ended in divorce. He married Patricia Williams in 2019, and they remained together until his death.
[
In January 2019, Hastings was diagnosed with ]pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancr ...
, and he died from the disease on April 6, 2021, at the age of 84.
See also
* List of African-American United States representatives
* List of United States Congress members who died in office (2000–)
References
Sources
;Books
*
External links
U.S. House website
(archived)
*
*
April 2021
*
In Black America; The Honorable Alcee Lamar Hastings
1986-09-30, KUT Radio, American Archive of Public Broadcasting
Alcee Hastings Collection, African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Broward County Library
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, -
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hastings, Alcee
1936 births
2021 deaths
20th-century American judges
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American politicians
21st-century African-American people
21st-century American politicians
African-American Methodists
African-American judges
African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
African-American people in Florida politics
Deaths from pancreatic cancer
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
Fisk University alumni
Florida Democrats
Florida state court judges
Howard University alumni
Impeached United States federal judges
Impeached United States officials removed from office
Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida
People from Altamonte Springs, Florida
People from Miramar, Florida
United States district court judges appointed by Jimmy Carter