Rep. Alcee Hastings, impeached as judge, dies at 84
United States Representative for Florida’s 20th congregational district, Alcee Hastings, died on Tuesday. The 84-year-old fiercely liberal longtime Florida congressman was dogged throughout his tenure by an impeachment that ended his fast-rising judicial career.
Hastings’ death was confirmed by his chief of staff, Lale M. Morrison. The Democrat had announced two years ago that he suffered from pancreatic cancer.
A resident of the Fort Lauderdale area, Hastings was a known advocate for minorities, a defender of Israel, and a voice for gays, immigrants, women, and the elderly. Hastings, a Democrat from the Fort Lauderdale area, announced two years ago that he had pancreatic cancer.
He held senior posts on the House Rules Committee and the Helsinki Commission, which works with other countries on a variety of multinational issues.
His impeachment, however, was always a nagging footnote that repeatedly invoked news accounts and seen as derailing his ambitions for a greater leadership role.
“That seems to be the only thing of significance to people who write,” Hastings told The Associated Press in 2013, predicting that his obituary would be lead by the impeachment.
