LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Audubon Machinery Corporation is known for producing a machine that sterilizes hospital equipment like clothes, test tubes and bottles, but former employee Stanley Culverwell said the social environment in the North Tonawanda factory was far from clean, thanks almost entirely to one supervisor.

"The very first week I started there, he asked me questions about bringing in pictures of my wife nude and he asked about my daughter, if he could have sex with her," Culverwell said.

Culverwell said the harassment went on nearly every day, multiple times a day and aimed at nearly everybody on the factory floor from January 2006 to January 2010.

"I hated it," he said. "I couldn't stand going into work because I know it affected my work. You didn't know what was going to be said."

Culverwell needed the job so he couldn't quit but he said he complained at least six times, to the floor managers, human resources and eventually company president Joe McMahon.

"I said something should be done and then it was over with and he just nodded his head like and says okay,” Culverwell said. “He really didn't look enthused or nothing and then I left and a month later I was terminated.”

One person Culverwell said he never told about the situation was Chris Collins, a part-owner of the company who was Erie County executive for most of the time Culverwell worked there.

"Congressman Collins is a minority investor in Audubon and has not been involved in daily operations for more than a decade," campaign spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre said.

Collins’ most recent Congressional financial disclosure statement indicates the value of his stake in Audubon is between $1 million and $5 million dollars. He is listed as the company's director and chairman.

Attorney Jon Ross Wilson said it’s hard to make a judgment about how much responsibility the congressman should assume.

"Certainly if Mr. Collins was involved and there, attending meetings, checking in on his investments and his company, I think that he should've known about it as well," he said.

The company told Culverwell they let him go because of the economic downturn but Culverwell believes he wouldn't have been chosen if not for the complaints.

"I had all the expertise and more of anybody out there on the floor,” he said. “I had over 12 years of experience of anybody on the floor and I taught some of them guys out there," he said.

Culverwell began pursuing a lawsuit in 2010, filed a complaint in state Supreme Court in 2013 and finally could see his case go to trial.

However, Audubon has asked the judge to dismiss the case for lack of facts and a hearing is scheduled in Niagara County on October 12.

"With a pending dispositive motion, out of respect for the judicial process, we cannot comment, except in court, to the court," defense attorney Gerald Walsh said.

Wilson said he believes it would be very clear it is a valid hostile work environment claim. They have five signed affidavits from witnesses, including one who said the supervisor made a lewd comment about his 16-year-old daughter.

"It's bothersome to me that just because both sides are men, that there's some sort of question to the legitimacy of the claim," the attorney said.

Wilson also said he recognizes there is a political component to any litigation connected to Collins right now. However, he pointed out the circumstances surrounding the suit are alleged to have happened even before Collins was elected to Congress and the summary judgment hearing was scheduled prior to his August indictment.

Full statement from Audubon Machinery President Joe McMahon:

"With respect to the specifics of the litigation I will defer our response to our corporate counsel (Mr. Gerry Walsh and Mr. Daniel Bobbett) who will responding separately.

As for Mr. Collins, I confirm here that he is a minority investor in the Audubon Machinery Corporation, but has not played any active role in the business in well over a decade since he decided to run for Erie County Executive and subsequently for the US Congress.

As the President of this company I am responsible for this organization, and I look forward to our day in court.  I believe that any attempt to associate Mr. Collins with this case is inappropriate and unfounded."