A Florida Democrat congressman, described as “dark and depraved” by his alleged former lover, began an affair with a former member of his taxpayer-funded staff while campaigning for Congress to make the world “more moral” in the wake of the Mark Foley scandal.

ABC News reports that the congressman, Tim Mahoney, then paid the woman $121,000 in hush money and worked with Democrat leaders in the House of Representatives to keep the sex and bribe scandal from hurting his reelection campaign.

The report indicates that Patricia Allen was fired by Mahoney after a profanity-laced telephone call, prompted when she ended the affair after learning “Mahoney was allegedly involved in other extra-marital relationships at the same time.”

In a February letter to Mahoney, Coleman alleged sexual harassment, intimidation, humiliation and charged that the Congressman’s behavior masked a “dark and depraved personality,” according to people who have seen the letter.

The two reached a monetary settlement in March.

In addition to the $61,000 payment, Mahoney agreed to pay $60,000 in legal fees to Allen’s lawyer, [sources] said.

The agreement between the Congressman and Allen, reportedly promises her a job for two years at Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle or another company, beginning January 2009. Fletcher Rowley, a Nashville-based political consulting firm that offers “crisis management and creative strategy,” lists Mahoney’s 2006 election victory as one of its “success stories,” according to its website.

The agreement between the Congressman and Allen, reportedly promises her a job for two years at Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle or another company, beginning January 2009. Fletcher Rowley, a Nashville-based political consulting firm that offers “crisis management and creative strategy,” lists Mahoney’s 2006 election victory as one of its “success stories,” according to its website.

ABC News says the settlement also contained a “hush” clause.

Friends of Allen say she was required to sign a back-dated letter of resignation to the campaign chairman, Charles Halloran, describing her departure as “amicable” and “nothing to do with you, the Congressman, the campaign, or any conduct by anyone associated with your congressional office of campaign.”

That’s when the Democrat cover-up began.

Senior Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives, including Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), the chair of the Democratic Caucus, have been working with Mahoney to keep the matter from hurting his re-election campaign, the Mahoney staffers said.

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