FEDERAL Way, Wash. - A Federal Way judge who resigned over a sex scandal is facing additional allegations.

KING 5 has learned that a damaging tape recording has surfaced, allegedly evidence she was orchestrating a cover-up.

After Judge Colleen Hartl worked as a municipal court judge in Des Moines, she was hired to sit on the bench in Federal Way - a powerful and lucrative position at nearly $130,000 a year.

But just seven months into the job she abruptly resigned, after allegedly getting drunk at a staff Christmas party at her house, and then bragging to her staff that she was having an affair with public defender Sean Cecil, who appeared in her court several times a week.

KING 5 has learned the Commission on Judicial Conduct has launched an investigation into those allegations, and accusations that the judge tried to orchestrate a cover-up.

Sources tell the KING 5 Investigators she called a staffer's cell phone the day after the party. KING 5 learned she left a voice mail, urging that city employee to make sure everyone's stories were straight – that she didn't have sex with a public defender.

Residing Judge Mike Morgan wouldn't confirm the existence of a tape, but said all the accusations are stressful at the courthouse.

"Every week there seems to be some sort of new twist or allegation or sub-plot to the story and it is distracting," he said.

Morgan is busy reassigning attorneys for clients who are represented by the public defender in Judge Hartl's court. He says it could affect hundreds of cases and is urging the judge to come forward with information that may help the process.

"And then you can move forward with your life, our court can then identify what the cases are that we need to look at, and stop looking at cases we don't," he said.

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Colleen Hartl

KING 5 attempted to get a comment from Judge Hartl through her attorney, but those attempts were unsuccessful.

As for the audio recording, KING 5 has learned that a copy of it is at the Federal Way Police Department.

The public defender has an order against him, barring him from appearing from any of the judges in Federal Way.

Update Jan. 18, 2008:

A superior court judge ordered the City of Federal Way to hand over documents involving the sex scandal to the KING 5 Investigators.

Judge Hartl fought to keep these documents from KING 5 saying they would be highly offensive to the average person and were not of public concern. But the superior court judge disagreed ordering the city to hand them over. They contain additional allegations against the judge already under fire.

The documents include e-mails, internal memos and notes that bring up new allegations against former Federal Way judge Colleen Hartl who resigned from the bench just seven months into the job.

Many of the documents obtained Friday are e-mails written by the Federal Way presiding judge Mike Morgan to city officials, divulging what staff members reported to him about the party: that Judge Hartl was intoxicated and disclosed the affair, including having sex with the public defender during the lunch hour.

He also writes Hartl admitted to staff she had made a pass at a police chief, but he wasn't interested.

Judge Morgan told KING 5 it would be best for the city if Judge Hartl came forward with information.

"If the allegations are true, or partly true, come forward, then you can move on with your life and we can know what cases we have to look at," he said.

In other e-mails, the presiding judge brings up concerns of "substance abuse" by Judge Hartl and writes he wouldn't be surprised if illegal drug use is an issue in this matter.

A few e-mails written by Judge Hartl were part of the 100 pages or so KING 5 obtained. In one she is defending herself to her attorney saying she doesn't do drugs, she didn't make a pass at a police chief and she didn't have an affair with the public defender.

Thursday, KING 5 learned the alledged affair could affect hundreds of cases for the next few years in Federal Way as the court is having to pay for new attornies for clients represented by that public defender in front of Judge Hartl.