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Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace

Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace: Conflict of Interest
Decisionmaking clouded by undisclosed stakeholding

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in chronological order

  William Ellerton Alger (1856-1917) — also known as William E. Alger — Born in Boston, Suffolk County, Mass., September 1, 1856. U.S. Consular Agent in Puerto Cortes, 1891-1902; U.S. Consul in Puerto Cortes, 1902-04; Tegucigalpa, 1904-09; Mazatlan, 1909-16; Fernie, 1917; Guatemala City, 1917, died in office 1917; in 1909, he was accused, in a petition signed by Americans in Puerto Cortez, of conflict of interest, due to his marriage to a Honduran woman, the sister of a provincial governor, owning lands and cattle due to his marriage, and raising children in Honduras; the State Department investigated these accusations. Died in Guatemala City, Guatemala, March 9, 1917 (age 60 years, 189 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Anne Langdon 'Annie' (Lodge) Alger and William Rounseville Alger; married 1888 to Lucille Violantte DeLeon; married 1896 to Mucia Paz.
  Robert Wodrow Archbald (1848-1926) — also known as Robert W. Archbald — of Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pa. Born in Carbondale, Lackawanna County, Pa., September 10, 1848. Lawyer; common pleas court judge in Pennsylvania, 1884-88; district judge in Pennsylvania, 1888-1901; U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1901-11; Judge of U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, 1911-13; removed 1913. Impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1912 on conflict of interest charges; convicted (removed from office) by the U.S. Senate on four articles of impeachment. Died, from a heart attack, in Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Mass., August 19, 1926 (age 77 years, 343 days). Interment at Dunmore Cemetery, Dunmore, Pa.
  Relatives: Son of James Archbald and Augusta (Frothingham) Archbald; married, January 21, 1875, to Elizabeth Baldwin Cannon.
  See also federal judicial profile — Find-A-Grave memorial
Edward E. McCall Edward Everett McCall (1863-1924) — also known as Edward E. McCall — of Manhattan, New York County, N.Y. Born in Albany, Albany County, N.Y., January 6, 1863. Democrat. Lawyer; Justice of New York Supreme Court 1st District, 1903-13; resigned 1913; candidate for mayor of New York City, N.Y., 1913; chair, New York State Public Service Commission, 1913-15; removed from office in November, 1915, because he owned stock in a company under commission jurisdiction; president, New Jersey Life Insurance Company, 1916. Died, of pneumonia, in Manhattan, New York County, N.Y., March 12, 1924 (age 61 years, 66 days). Burial location unknown.
  Presumably named for: Edward Everett
  Relatives: Son of John McCall and Katherine McCall; brother of John A. McCall; married 1886 to Ella Frances Gaynor.
  Image source: Library of Congress
  William H. Reynolds (1868-1931) — of Long Beach, Nassau County, Long Island, N.Y. Born in Brooklyn, Kings County, N.Y., February 29, 1868. Republican. Builder; real estate developer; member of New York state senate 3rd District, 1894-95; indicted by a grand jury in August 1917 for perjury, over his 1912 expert testimony on the value of land sought by the city for a park; the grand jury alleged that he falsely denied any personal interest in the realty company which owned the property; also indicted in October 1917, with three others, for conspiracy defraud the city of $500,000 by inflating the appraisal; the indictments were dismissed in May 1920 over the prosecutor's delay of the trial; village president of Long Beach, New York, 1921-22; mayor of Long Beach, N.Y., 1922-24; removed 1924; defeated, 1925; indicted on May 1, 1924, along with the Long Beach city treasurer, for misappropriating city funds in connection with a bond issue; tried in June 1924, convicted, sentenced to six months in the county jail, and automatically removed from office as mayor; released pending appeal; the Appellate Division reversed the conviction in June 1925 and ordered a new trial; the indictment was dismissed in June 1927. English and Scotch-Irish ancestry. Member, Elks; Freemasons. Died, from heart disease, in Manhattan, New York County, N.Y., October 13, 1931 (age 63 years, 0 days). Interment at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  Relatives: Son of William Reynolds and Margaret (McChesney) Reynolds; married to Elise Guerrier.
  John Charles Doerfer (1904-1992) — also known as John C. Doerfer — of West Allis, Milwaukee County, Wis.; Miami, Miami-Dade County, Fla.; Boston, Suffolk County, Mass. Born in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wis., November 30, 1904. Republican. Lawyer; member, Federal Communications Commission, 1953-60; chair, Federal Communications Commission, 1957-60; in 1960, he spent a week-long Florida vacation on the yacht Lazy Girl, owned by his friend George B. Storer, president of Storer Broadcasting; as a result, he was accused of conflict of interest and forced to resign. Died in Boston, Suffolk County, Mass., June 5, 1992 (age 87 years, 188 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Married to Ida Page.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Thomas Francis Johnson (1909-1988) — also known as Thomas F. Johnson — of Snow Hill, Worcester County, Md. Born in Snow Hill, Worcester County, Md., June 26, 1909. Democrat. Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1936, 1940 (alternate); member of Maryland state senate, 1939-50; U.S. Representative from Maryland 1st District, 1959-63; defeated, 1950. Episcopalian. Convicted of conspiracy and conflict of interest, 1968. Died in Seaford, Sussex County, Del., February 1, 1988 (age 78 years, 220 days). Interment at All Hallows Cemetery, Snow Hill, Md.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  William T. Hiering — of Toms River, Ocean County, N.J. Republican. Land title agent; member of New Jersey state house of assembly from Ocean County, 1960-65; member of New Jersey state senate, 1966-71 (District 5 1966-67, District 4-A 1968-71); delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1968; Sponsor of a proposed state constitutional amendment in 1969 which would have stripped the state's title to hundreds of square miles of tidelands; summoned for an inquiry by a legislative commission into possible conflict of interest because he might personally benefit from this change; he denied having any financial interest in tidal land properties. The amendment, strongly opposed by Gov. Richard J. Hughes, was withdrawn a few days later. Still living as of 1971.
  Hulan Edwin Jack (1906-1986) — also known as Hulan E. Jack — of Manhattan, New York County, N.Y. Born in St. Lucia, December 29, 1906. Democrat. Paper box manufacturer; member of New York state assembly, 1941-53, 1968-72 (New York County 17th District 1941-44, New York County 14th District 1945-53, 70th District 1968-72); defeated in primary, 1972; borough president of Manhattan, New York, 1954-61; delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1956; indicted in 1960 on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and violation of the City Charter, over acceptance of $4,400 from a real estate developer; the indictment was dismissed, but then reinstated on appeal; a trial, in June and July 1960, resulted in a hung jury; at a second trial was convicted; his sentence was suspended, but he was automatically removed from office as Borough President; indicted in 1970 on federal charges of conspiracy and conflict of interest; tried, convicted, and sentenced to three months in prison, and fined $5,000. Catholic. African ancestry. Member, Phi Beta Sigma; Elks. Died, in St. Luke's Hospital, Manhattan, New York County, N.Y., December 19, 1986 (age 79 years, 355 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Married to Almira Wilkinson.
  Bertram L. Podell (1925-2005) — of Brooklyn, Kings County, N.Y.; Manhattan, New York County, N.Y. Born in New York, 1925. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; lawyer; member of New York state assembly, 1955-67 (Kings County 21st District 1955-65, 53rd District 1966, 44th District 1967); U.S. Representative from New York 13th District, 1968-75; charged in 1974 with conspiracy, the solicitation and acceptance of bribes, criminal conflict of interest, and perjury; on the tenth day of his trial, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and conflict of interest; sentenced to six months in prison; the prosecutor was Rudolph W. Giuliani. Jewish. Died, of kidney failure, at Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan, New York County, N.Y., August 17, 2005 (age about 80 years). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Married to Bernice Posen.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Robert Lee Fulton Sikes (1906-1994) — also known as Robert L. F. Sikes — of Crestview, Okaloosa County, Fla. Born in Isabella, Worth County, Ga., June 3, 1906. Democrat. Newspaper publisher; member of Florida state house of representatives, 1937-40; U.S. Representative from Florida, 1941-44, 1945-79 (3rd District 1941-44, 1945-63, 1st District 1963-79); resigned 1944; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 1956 (delegation chair). Methodist. Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars; American Legion; National Rifle Association; Freemasons; Knights Templar; Shriners; Grotto; Knights of Pythias; Moose; Kiwanis; Military Order of the World Wars; Phi Kappa Phi; Sigma Delta Chi; Alpha Zeta; Alpha Gamma Rho; Elks. Reprimanded by the House of Representatives in 1976 over conflicts of interest. Died while suffering from Alzheimer's disease, September 28, 1994 (age 88 years, 117 days). Interment at Liveoak Park Memorial Cemetery, Crestview, Fla.
  Relatives: Son of Benjamin Franklin Sikes and Clara Ophelia (Ford) Sikes; married to Inez Tyner.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — NNDB dossier
  Joshua Eilberg (1921-2004) — of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa. Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., February 12, 1921. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; lawyer; member of Pennsylvania state house of representatives, 1952-66; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1960, 1964, 1968; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 4th District, 1967-79; defeated, 1978. Jewish. Member, B'nai B'rith; American Bar Association; American Judicature Society; American Legion; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Jewish War Veterans; Disabled American Veterans; Knights of Pythias; Freemasons. Pleaded guilty in federal court to conflict of interest charges, February 1979; sentenced to five years probation and fined $10,000. Died, of Parkinson's disease, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., March 24, 2004 (age 83 years, 41 days). Interment at Montefiore Cemetery, Jenkintown, Pa.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  John Michael Murphy (1926-2015) — also known as John M. Murphy — of Staten Island, Richmond County, N.Y. Born in Staten Island, Richmond County, N.Y., August 3, 1926. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict; U.S. Representative from New York, 1963-81 (16th District 1963-73, 17th District 1973-81); defeated, 1960 (15th District), 1980 (17th District); delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1964; Parliamentarian, 1968. Catholic. Member, American Legion; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Knights of Columbus. Implicated in the Abscam sting, in which FBI agents impersonating Arab businessmen offered bribes to political figures; indicted June 18 and convicted December 3, 1980, of conspiracy, conflict of interest, and accepting an illegal gratuity; sentenced to three years in prison and fined $20,000; paroled in 1985. Died in Staten Island, Richmond County, N.Y., May 25, 2015 (age 88 years, 295 days). Burial location unknown.
  Cross-reference: Eric N. Vitaliano
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — NNDB dossier
  Harrison Arlington Williams Jr. (1919-2001) — also known as Harrison A. Williams; Pete Williams — of Westfield, Union County, N.J.; Bedminster, Somerset County, N.J. Born in Plainfield, Union County, N.J., December 10, 1919. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; lawyer; candidate for New Jersey state house of assembly, 1951; U.S. Representative from New Jersey 6th District, 1953-57; U.S. Senator from New Jersey, 1959-82; resigned 1982; delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1964, 1968, 1980. Member, Elks; Americans for Democratic Action. Implicated in the Abscam sting, in which FBI agents impersonating Arab businessmen offered bribes to political figures; allegedly accepted an 18% interest in a titanium mine; indicted on October 30, 1980; convicted on May 1, 1981, of nine counts of bribery, conspiracy, receiving an unlawful gratuity, conflict of interest, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering; resigned his seat March 11, 1982, when it appeared that the Senate would vote to expel him; sentenced to three years in prison and fined $50,000; released in 1986. Died, of cancer and heart ailments, in St. Clare's Hospital, Denville, Morris County, N.J., November 17, 2001 (age 81 years, 342 days). Burial location unknown.
  Cross-reference: Gerry E. Studds
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — NNDB dossier
  James Patrick Moran Jr. (b. 1945) — also known as James P. Moran, Jr.; Jim Moran — of Alexandria, Va. Born in Buffalo, Erie County, N.Y., May 16, 1945. Democrat. Mayor of Alexandria, Va., 1985-91; U.S. Representative from Virginia 8th District, 1991-; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Virginia, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008. Catholic. Irish ancestry. Pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor conflict of interest charge and was forced to resign as vice mayor of Alexandria, in June 1984. Still living as of 2014.
  Relatives: Brother of Brian Joseph Moran.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — NNDB dossier
  Charles Quackenbush (b. 1954) — also known as Chuck Quackenbush — Born in 1954. Republican. Member of California state assembly 22nd District, 1986-94; California insurance commissioner, 1995-2000; resigned 2000; news media in 2000 reported that he had received large campaign contributions from the insurance companies his office regulated; rather than fine companies who underpaid claims following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, he persuaded them to donate to an "educational fund" which promoted his own political ambitions; under threat of impeachment and recall, he resigned, and left office in July 2000. Still living as of 2000.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Eddie Alberto Perez (born c.1957) — also known as Eddie A. Perez — of Hartford, Hartford County, Conn. Born in Corozal, Corozal Municipio, Puerto Rico, about 1957. Democrat. Mayor of Hartford, Conn., 2001-08; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 2004; investigated in 2007 over possible conflict of interest in hiring a city contractor for renovations at his home. Catholic. Hispanic ancestry. Still living as of 2008.
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