The former general counsel at several Tampa, Florida, agencies was arrested early Wednesday on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.

According to information contained in an email from the Tampa Police Department's media relations office, an adult woman alleged that Steven Anderson hit her across the face with a hat and then threw it at her. While the woman was sleeping, she told police, Anderson, 70, came into her room and pulled her out of bed by the arm.

The police department said the woman fears for her life. Anderson denied hitting her, the police added.

Anderson was booked into the Hillsborough County jail shortly after 4 a.m. on Wednesday and remained there Thursday afternoon on a $500 cash bond, according to online jail records, which do not indicate a retained attorney who could be contacted for comment on his behalf.

According to his online firm bio, Anderson served as GC at the Tampa Port Authority, the Tampa Sports Authority, the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's office and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority.

The politically-connected Anderson was a Democratic fundraiser for Lawton Chiles, who served as Florida governor from 1991 to 1998 and as a U.S. senator for nearly 20 years before that.

Now in private practice, Anderson continues to focus on government representation, as well as administrative law, construction issues and commercial litigation, having represented clients before the governor, cabinet, Legislature, administrative agencies, city, county and all other units of local Tampa government, his online bio said. He is a member in good standing of the Florida Bar, according to online State Bar records.

“Because of his broad experience in governmental issues, Mr. Anderson is frequently called upon to help develop both long and short range strategies and proposals at both the local and state levels,” the bio said.