This year has seen its share of political sex scandals. Now a Florida congressman is facing allegations that he sexually harassed and retaliated against a female employee. A congressional ethics panel is now taking a look into the matter.

The woman accused Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings of sexual harassment, which relates to various incidents between January 2008 and February 2010, she says. She claims she was pressured by the congressman to stay with her when he visited Vienna, where she was stationed.

He also allegedly made inappropriate remarks toward her, including asking her what kind of underwear she had on, in front of others. She also says Hastings retaliated against her when she attempted to report the harassment to the Office of Compliance and the staff of other members of Congress. In addition, she says Hastings pressured her to make financial contributions to his re-election campaign.

The two reportedly worked together on the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Hastings was the chairman of the organization at the time. He was first elected to congress in 1992.

The investigation into Hastings' behavior is a preliminary step, according to the Wall Street Journal. It was prompted by a lawsuit filed in March by Judicial Watch, a conservative group.

Hastings is vehemently denying the staffer's allegations. The ethics office reportedly has three months to investigate. The focus of the investigation is not totally clear. When it's finished, the ethics office will either recommend an independent investigation by the House Ethics Committee, or drop the matter, at which point its findings would go public.

Source: Wall Street Journal, "Florida lawmaker faces ethics review," Gary Fields and Brody Mullins, 22 June 2011