By Greg McDonald, CQ Staff

Democrat Alcee L. Hastings of Florida abruptly resigned from the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday, citing increased activities as chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and his work on the Rules Committee.

“Now, I will devote even more time to my continued work for the people of my congressional district by ratcheting up my work as chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, as a senior member of the House Rules Committee, and as co-chairman of Florida’s congressional delegation,” Hastings said in a statement released by his office.

But Hastings held out the possibility he might return to the panel, where he has served for nearly nine years.

His resignation took top House Democratic leaders by surprise. Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer , D-Md., said he learned of Hastings’ move from reporters.

But some panel members thought he might leave in March when Robert E. “Bud” Cramer of Alabama quietly assumed the chairmanship of the of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. Hastings had been appointed to lead the panel just six weeks before.

Aides said Hastings simply realized he would not have enough time to head the subcommittee and attend to his responsibilities at the Helsinki Commission, which monitors compliance with commitments of members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Hastings denied that his decision was related to being passed over for the chairmanship of the full Intelligence Committee in favor of Silvestre Reyes of Texas. Reyes was hand-picked to lead the panel by Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California in January.

“He’s chosen to put a greater emphasis on other parts of his legislative portfolio,” spokesman David Goldenberg said.

It’s no secret, though, that Hastings has been brooding for some time over the move. In an interview with Congressional Quarterly in April, Hastings expressed some anger at “Democrats in high places” who made an issue — during his bid for the chairmanship — of the fact that he was impeached and removed from office as a federal judge in 1989 on corruption and perjury charges.

Hastings said it didn’t matter that he was found innocent of the charges in a criminal trial. Some Democrats, he said, told him the impeachment alone would be an embarrassment after the party made ethics a centerpiece of its 2006 election efforts.

He said he withdrew his bid for the chairmanship on the advice of former President Bill Clinton, who told him a bitter struggle for the post might split the party.

Alan K. Ota, Edward Epstein, Tim Starks and Jeff Stein contributed to this story.