A 29-year-old Coupeville woman who is the former campaign manager for state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen claimed in a lawsuit that the Democratic lawmaker’s husband sexually assaulted her.
Courtney Jones’ attorney filed the lawsuit against Basil Badley in Island County Superior Court Nov. 20. The claim states that Badley is liable for sexual harassment, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and sexual assault and battery. It asks for an undisclosed amount of damages.
Reached at his home Wednesday, Badley said he had no comment. Sen. Haugen didn’t immediately return a call for comment. Jones also didn’t return a call for comment.
According to the lawsuit, Jones worked as Haugen’s campaign manager in 2008 and lived at the couple’s home on Camano Island. Following a Nov. 23, 2008, campaign appreciation dinner, Badley allegedly tried to kiss her, but she turned so that the kiss landed on her cheek.
On Dec. 2, 2008, Badley invited Jones to the house to pick up campaign-related items and have dinner. Sen. Haugen was in Olympia at the time, the claim states.
The lawsuit claims that Badley had several drinks and again tried to kiss Jones, who resisted and “rebuffed his actions by suggesting they eat dinner.” Badley continued to try to kiss Jones, then fondled her “breasts and buttocks and put his hands down her shirt and between her legs,” the lawsuit alleges.
During the incident, Badley told Jones “how much he could help her career in politics because of his connections,” the lawsuit states. Jones claims she was stunned, embarrassed and upset; she left the residence.
The next day, Badley allegedly sent Jones an apologetic email.
“He insisted he was ‘not a dirty old man’ unless he was drinking and insisted he wanted to be ‘her friend not her lover,'” the lawsuit states.
The claim states that Jones accepted the apology, but later became “increasingly upset” and grew concerned about her career if Haugen found out what happened.
“She was and remains concerned about her career in Washington given the influence and power of the defendant (Badley) and Senator Haugen,” the lawsuit claims.
According to a spokesman for the Island County Sheriff’s Office, Jones did not report the alleged sexual assault and officers have not investigated the case.
The lawsuit asks for an undisclosed amount of damages for impaired earning capacity, emotional distress, mental pain and suffering, anxiety, humiliation and embarrassment, and health care expenses related to the harassment.
The plaintiff is identified in the lawsuit, written by Seattle attorney Rebecca Roe of Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, only as “C.J.” The details of the plaintiff’s employment make it clear that Jones is the plaintiff.
According to the lawsuit, Jones first worked for Haugen as a policy intern in 2005. In 2006 and 2007, she was a staff member for the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee, which has long been chaired by Haugen.
Jones went to work as Haugen’s campaign manager in 2008 and worked closely with Badley, the lawsuit indicates. She considered him “a grandfatherly figure,” according to the lawsuit.
The Washington State Democrats’ Web site indicates that Jones now works as a legislative aide for Sen. Jean Berkey of Everett.
Badley was an influential lobbyist in Olympia for the insurance industry before he retired five years ago. He married Sen. Haugen 1990. He’s a graduate of Gonzaga Law School, a former assistant attorney general and a founding partner of the Seattle law firm Carney Badley Spellman.
Haugen, a lifelong Camano Island resident, has been a state senator since 1993. She currently chairs the powerful Senate Transportation Committee.
