Published: Friday, September 9, 2011, 7:30 p.m.
Senator’s husband ordered to pay $50,000 to former campaign aide who accused him of groping her
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COUPEVILLE -- An Island County jury ruled Friday that the husband of state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen groped and sexually touched his wife's former campaign manager without her consent and ordered him to pay her $50,000 in damages.
The verdict against retired lawyer and lobbyist Basil Badley came down shortly before 4 p.m., ending a two-week civil trial surrounding events inside the Democratic senator's Camano Island home Dec. 2, 2008.
Jurors concluded Badley committed a battery against Courtney Jones that night by groping her and fondling her breasts. She sought $100,000 in damages but her attorney said she is happy with the outcome.
"We're pleased with the verdict," attorney Thomas Breen said. "The jury heard all the evidence, considered it carefully and determined at the end of the day that Basil Badley did touch Courtney Jones without her consent and that's very gratifying to have the truth come out."
Badley and his attorneys could not be reached for comment.
Neither Badley nor Haugen were in the Island County courtroom when the verdict was read. Haugen spent most of Friday in Olympia attending a meeting of the governor's Connecting Washington Task Force on transportation.
The trial centered on what happened in 2008 when Jones accepted Badley's invitation for dinner while the senator was in Olympia for legislative work.
She testified the 75-year-old Badley repeatedly tried to kiss her, fondle her breasts and grope her and she resisted.
Badley's lawyer said he kissed the 32-year-old Jones then stopped and asked her to leave. The attorney, Tyna Ek, characterized the evening as an "embarrassing event" involving two adults who drank too much.
Haugen and former Democratic state Sen. Jean Berkey of Everett, who hired Jones as a legislative aide in 2009, were among those who testified during the trial.
Jones was awarded $6,000 in economic damages and $44,000 in non-economic damages, according to Breen.
"I think she's glad she stood up for herself," Breen said. "It ends a difficult chapter and she's looking forward to putting this behind her and moving on."
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com
The verdict against retired lawyer and lobbyist Basil Badley came down shortly before 4 p.m., ending a two-week civil trial surrounding events inside the Democratic senator's Camano Island home Dec. 2, 2008.
Jurors concluded Badley committed a battery against Courtney Jones that night by groping her and fondling her breasts. She sought $100,000 in damages but her attorney said she is happy with the outcome.
"We're pleased with the verdict," attorney Thomas Breen said. "The jury heard all the evidence, considered it carefully and determined at the end of the day that Basil Badley did touch Courtney Jones without her consent and that's very gratifying to have the truth come out."
Badley and his attorneys could not be reached for comment.
Neither Badley nor Haugen were in the Island County courtroom when the verdict was read. Haugen spent most of Friday in Olympia attending a meeting of the governor's Connecting Washington Task Force on transportation.
The trial centered on what happened in 2008 when Jones accepted Badley's invitation for dinner while the senator was in Olympia for legislative work.
She testified the 75-year-old Badley repeatedly tried to kiss her, fondle her breasts and grope her and she resisted.
Badley's lawyer said he kissed the 32-year-old Jones then stopped and asked her to leave. The attorney, Tyna Ek, characterized the evening as an "embarrassing event" involving two adults who drank too much.
Haugen and former Democratic state Sen. Jean Berkey of Everett, who hired Jones as a legislative aide in 2009, were among those who testified during the trial.
Jones was awarded $6,000 in economic damages and $44,000 in non-economic damages, according to Breen.
"I think she's glad she stood up for herself," Breen said. "It ends a difficult chapter and she's looking forward to putting this behind her and moving on."
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com
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