The convictions forced Hunt, a Republican, to resign in accordance with state law. (1973), Alderman of Chicago Joseph Jambrone (D) convicted of bribery. (2003), Clark County Commissioner Lance Matthew Malone (R) pleaded guilty to violating federal racketeering laws for bribing commissioners(2006), State Representative Thomas Wright (R), was found guilty of three counts of felony fraud. A number of governors have gone to prison. Re-accommodate? United gets lampooned for its awkward response to passenger dragging. . (2013), State Representative Ray Salva (D) convicted of fraud. Moore had already been under the crosshair of legal authorities since the 1970s, when he and a top aide were implicated in an extortion conspiracy involving a state bank charter and $25,000, though they were both acquitted in 1976. The governor of Alabama is the head of government of the U.S. state of Alabama. State Representative Clay Crupper (D) pleaded guilty after 1992 indictment and was fined $10,000 on charges of interstate travel in aide of racketeering. Rep. Anna V. Eskamani on Instagram: ""The fallout came fast when Flowers said that the record of gubernatorial corruption in recent years might make some aspiring younger politicians think twice about running for the states highest office even as a crowded field of candidates prepares to do just that in 2018. She pleaded guilty and received four years' probation. Edward D. DiPrete (R) - Rhode Island Governor, 1985-1991: Indicted in 1994 under accusations of taking hundreds of dollars in bribes from contractors in exchange for state contracts, DiPrete would only plead guilty to 18 counts of corruption in 1998 as part of a deal that would give judicial leniency to his son, who was also implicated. He got a prison sentence of just under six years and a $170,000 fine. [208] I wanted to get my license back so that I can help other people, he said in a phone interview with AL.com. (1999), Alderman of Chicago Virgil Jones (D) convicted of bribery. (2016), City Councillor of Dallas Carolyn Davis (D) was convicted of bribery. Three of Alabama's last six governors have gone to jail at one point or another, and . A two-year state and federal probe into allegations that Easley took free flights, cars and vacations, made questionable real estate deals, and created a job for his wife at a state university led to his guilty plea in 2010. State Rep. Louis F, Capuzi (R) (Chicago) guilty. But because of the internecine warfare in the Democratic Party, he (Hunt) got elected, Carroll said. Former Alabama governor Don Siegelman sent to solitary confinement (1980), State Senator James Pappas (R) from North Platte was charged with circulating a petition in a county in which he was not qualified and lying about it. Quote: When asked if he thought he'd broken the law, he answered, "I do not.". Clinton gave him a pardon in 2001. List of American state and local politicians convicted of crimes Instead, he was ordered to pay $294,000 back to the US Small Business administration. In 2003, not long after his election to Congress, Janklow was convicted of second-degree manslaughter for crashing into and killing a motorcyclist in South Dakota. But it was too late. He is currently out of prison and running for Congress. In a 1993 deal with prosecutors, Walters pleaded guilty to one of the eight felony counts he faced for allegedly violating campaign contribution laws, perjury and conspiracy to hide donations. But the people out in the state didnt care, because he got more farm-to-market roads built that helped them get their crops to market, Flowers said. The very first governor of the state of Alabama was Thomas Bibb, whose term as the first governor of the state started on July 10, 1820. College student charged with hazing after allegedly smearing peanut butter on allergic peer, Doctor who drugged his wife, left her to die in bathtub, found dead at Utah prison, Alabama Gov. Mecham was acquitted and went on to unsuccessfully run for office two more times in Arizona. But all that changed in mid-2018, when a man out on parole, Jimmy Spencer, was accused of brutally . The only Democratic governor of the state of Alabama since 1995 was Don Siegelman. Warren McCray (R) - Indiana Governor, 1921-1924: McCray resigned his office in 1924 after a mail fraud conviction related to his his dwindling personal finances (McCray had been a millionaire before his election, and was hit hard by diminishing land values in Indiana). (2002), State Representative and House Majority Leader, State Representative Thomas W. Pearlman (R) was charged with fee-gouging and providing incompetent counsel. Kerner was sentenced to three years in federal prison, though he only served six months - being released to treat the lung cancer that ultimately was the cause of his 1976 death. He was forced to resign due to the state's no tolerance laws. The state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction, Hunt in 1993 was convicted of violating state ethics law by helping himself to $200,000 donated to a tax-exempt fund for his inauguration. (1974), Alderman of Chicago Frank Kuta (D) convicted of bribery. He was removed from office, asked to pay a $211,000 fine and given five years probation. Governor's Name State Time in Office Party; Gov. Robert Bentley joins a growing list of Alabama governors who had A federal probe found that the two-term governor took advantage of free flights, cars and vacations, questionable real estate deals, and that he created a job for his wife at a state university. The current governor is Republican Kay Ivey, who took office on April 10, 2017 following Robert J. Bentley's resignation amidst a corruption scandal. And nobody expected Bentley to be governor. Bentley and Hunt are what I would label as accidental governors. Hunt should never have been the governor it should have been either Bill Baxley or Charlie Graddick. State Sen. Jack E. Walker (R), guilty, 3-year sentence, $5,000 fine. A federal judge ordered the monument to be removed; Moore defied the order, which led to his dismissal in 2003. Alabama has seen its share of political scandal and intrigue over the last 24 hours, let alone the few decades. The lifestyle he grew accustomed to as governor which included a luxury vacation in Cape Cod worth more than $7,000 is about as far as you can get from where he could be headed next. He was convicted of bribery and extortion and spent 19 months out of a three-year sentence in prison. In 2012, former Alabama governor Don Siegelman went to jail for five years. Dan Walker (D) - Illinois Governor, 1973-1977: Walker was convicted in 1987 due to his activities as chairman of the board and CEO of First American Savings and Loans, which involved siphoning money off the bank for personal use, which rendered him charges of perjury, bank fraud and misapplication of bank funds. Jan 3, 2015. He was the first Alabama governor removed from office following a criminal conviction. Modern sources disagree on when Watts was removed and arrested, but contemporary news sources report he was arrested on May 3, 1865. The buck has to stop somewhere. He also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges Monday. The only Democratic governor of the state of Alabama since 1995 was Don Siegelman. Herbert Hoover in 1930 and passed away in 1938. Modern sources tend to say Patton left office on July 24, 1868, The date given for Swayne is the date of the first. Monuments Commemorating Confederacy Persist in Alabama, Alabama State Superintendent: Failing Label Meant to Humiliate Schools, Advocates Warn of a Dollar Store Invasion. Researchers Are Still Figuring Out the Consequences, Recorded State Government Meetings Available Through New League of Women Voters Channel, Birmingham Council Sets Agenda for the Legislature, Backing Exhibition Driving, Illegal Dumping and More Bills, New Exhibition Driving Bill Would Stiffen Penalties, Including Fines and Jail Time, BSC Prez Disappointed Legislature Didnt Approve Funding but Will Continue Push to Stay Open, Alabama Has 5th Highest U.S. In return, Bentley was put on probation for one year and will not serve time in jail. List of governors of Alabama - Wikipedia Kay Ivey, whowas then sworn in as the new governor, inherited a state that is likely casting a suspicious eye on its leaders. Non-profit, non-partisan BirminghamWatch depends on donors to support its public service journalism. [26] Earlier constitutions said the powers of the governor devolved upon the successor, rather than them necessarily becoming governor,[27] but the official listing includes these as full governors. The longest-serving governor was James R. Thompson, who was elected to four terms lasting 14 years, from 1977 to 1991. This article was published more than6 years ago. The charges had been connected to a 1962 affair when the then-governor colluded with the owner of the Arlington Park racetrack to give him favorable race dates in exchange for cheap stocks on the racing company itself. Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, who spent 6 years in prison, gets Sentenced in Dec. 7th 2011 to 14 years in a federal prison. Gun Death Rate; Study Blames Weak Laws, High Ownership, New Book Explores Stories of Early African American Activists in Birmingham, In Brandon Miller Case, Blaming the Media Is Way Too Simple, Sometimes You Shouldnt Stay Out of the Story, Foundations, Individuals Support Public Service Journalism. At its birth in 1871, Birmingham was a Reconstruction-era city, and Birmingham came of age in a time when white Southerners and African American Southerners, many only a few years removed from enslavement, were struggling to find their places in a new post-war racial order. The Alabama Legislature gave final approval to the $1.3 billion prison construction plan, and to a separate bill to steer $400 million of the state's $2.1 billion from the rescue funds to pay . Thank you! He died in 1965, having started working as a lobbyist for construction firms a few years before. All rights reserved (About Us). Former Alabama Gov. John G. Rowland (R) - Connecticut Governor, 1995-2004: Rowland was arrested twice under federal charges, once in 2004 in connection with a corruption scheme involving vacations, luxury air charters and home renovations for the then-governor, and again in 2014 for election fraud and obstruction of justice in connection with his role in the campaign of congressional candidate Lisa Wilson-Folley in 2012. Hunt of Alabama Cleared by Pardon Board", "Robert Bentley, Alabama Governor, Resigns Amid Scandal", Governors and executives of U.S. states and territories, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_governors_of_Alabama&oldid=1151830712, Lists of state governors of the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 April 2023, at 14:24. Though the charges were grave, he did not serve a prison term due to suffering from a serious liver disease. (1989), Alderman of Chicago Perry Hutchinson (D) convicted of bribery. [20] Amendment 282 to the constitution, passed in 1968, allowed governors to succeed themselves once; a governor serving two consecutive terms can run again after waiting out the next term. Doug Dreyer/AP Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In the past 25 years, three governors have faced criminal charges during or soon after their terms of office, and a speaker of the House was forced out after convictions on a dozen ethics violations. It's not easy being the governor of Alabama. In April 1993, Hunt was convicted on a felony charge of violating a state ethics law and removed from office, The Washington Post reported at the time. Former Alabama governor going back to prison for bribery Alabama's use of Covid relief funds to build prisons must be - CNN [18] The current constitution of 1901 increased terms to four years,[19] but prohibited governors from succeeding themselves. (1973), Alderman of Chicago Casimir Staszcuk (D) convicted of bribery. David L. Walters (D) - Oklahoma Governor, 1991-1995: Plead guilty in 1995 to one out of eight felony charges, including alleged campaign contribution violations, perjury and conspiracy to hide donations. In April 2012, long after he had left office, Wilson pleaded guilty to illegally shifting money to make political donations; on the same day, he was also indicted by federal prosecutors. Former Louisiana Gov. (2007), Judge of the 3rd State District Ray M. Harding Jr. (R) was found guilty of possession of cocaine and heroin and sentenced to 120 days in jail, 2 years' probation, community service and fined. Simpson told 60. Shaul said the disciplinary board decided to require the courses because Siegelman has been out of practice for many years. A federal grand jury indicted Siegelman in 2005. (2010), State Representative Thomas Katsiantonis (D) convicted of tax evasion. In 1971, however, Barron and his wife were again accused by federal authorities of tampering with the 1968 jurys decision by paying its foreman, one Ralph Buckalew, to be the lone holdout against the former governors conviction. He was removed from office, asked to pay a $211,000 fine and given five years probation. When controversy around these trips swelled, Hunt agreed to stop taking them. Take a streamlined spin behind the scenes through Illinois biggest and most impactful campaign funds. Though indicted by a federal grand jury, he ultimately only had to pay back a large portion of that amount and was not imprisoned or punished otherwise. The damage, though, was done. Edwin Edwards at a halfway house in January. Moore ran again for chief justice and won easily, but he was again tossed out of office in 2016 by the Court of the Judiciary for defying a federal injunction against his prohibition against issuing licenses for same-sex marriages. ", Arch Moore Jr., Republican of West Virginia. He was convicted of 17 of 24 federal charges against him and is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence. The 1990 charges, however, included accusations that Moore had accepted $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and attempted to extort almost $600,000 from a local coal executive in return for helping him get back $2.3 million in reimbursements from the states black lung compensation program. He was also charged with filing false tax returns, and in connection with a vote-buying scheme. (2013), State Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Robert St. Onge (R) arrested and convicted of having twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system. (Video: Amber Ferguson/The Washington Post), Views from The Posts Editorial Board on current events, Robert Bentley joins a growing list of Alabama governors who had trouble with the law. ", Edward DiPrete, Republican of Rhode Island. A number of governors have gone to prison - Richmond Times-Dispatch Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism. Alabama Territory was formed on March 3, 1817, from Mississippi Territory. The four-term governor was sentenced to 100 days in the county jail and three years' probation. M. Spencer Green/AP In 1940, he was elected to the US Senate, a position he held until his death in 1959. He was sentenced to three months in a halfway house, probation and was fined $5,000. Quote: "The pressures of raising money for campaign spending obviously clouded my perspective. IV, 18; 1861 Const. art. In 1996, a jury found Tucker guilty of fraud, conspiracy and the engineering of about $3 million in fraudulent loans. 15 movies about political scandals from 'Wag the Dog' to 'Weiner' He is best remembered for his 1960s segregationist politics. How many Illinois governors have went to jail? - KnowledgeBurrow H. Guy Hunt (R) - Alabama Governor, 1987-1993: Hunt was convicted by a jury in 1993 of making personal use of $200,000 donated to a tax-exempt fund for his 1987 inauguration and of violating state ethics laws. (2019), State District Judge Angus Kelly McGinty (R) was arrested because he solicited and accepted bribes in exchange for favorable rulings. Bill Janklow (R) - South Dakota Governor, 1979-1986, 1995-2002: Janklow was convicted of manslaughter in 2003, after his tenure as governor had expired, for crashing into and killing a motorcyclist. Harry Truman in 1953 under the suspicion that the harsh sentence was a result of partisanship. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison and fined (1996), Mayor of Waterbury Joseph J. Santopietro (R) was found guilty of taking a $25,000 payoff in return for $1million in city pension funds. School equity, restructuring and oversight. Eventually, the governor was indicted on 13 felony counts. Robert Bentley (R) resigned from office in 2017 after a year-long scandal. (2018), State Representative Deb McManus (D) resigned her State House seat and pleaded guilty to a tax charge. Source: https://64parishes.org/entry/richard-w-leche. 2022 Center for Illinois Politics. Aside from the occasional blanket grants of clemency by governors concerned about the overall fairness of the death penalty, less than two have been granted on average per year since 1976. George Ryan The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1868,[23] abolished in 1875,[24] and recreated in 1901. [20] However, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in 1911 that a governor's term ends at midnight at the end of Monday, and the next governor's term begins the next day, regardless of if they were sworn in on Monday.[22]. charges were based on recent changes to the states ethics laws changes that Hubbard led the effort to pass in the Legislature. Becoming known as the Kirk-Holden War (named also after one Col. George Washington Kirk, a Civil War veteran who led the militia), the conflict quickly proved itself controversial and unpopular towards Holden. More poignantly, he was accused of attempting to sell former IL senators Barack Obama newly vacant seat for personal financial benefits. Governor of Alabama, Governor Ivey Issues Statement After Signing the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, May 15, 2019 U.S. Congress, Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, Jan. 27, 2021 Last June, Hubbard, a Republican, was automatically removed from office after he was convicted on charges of misusing his office for personal gain, as well as seeking monetary gifts from registered lobbyists. Ivey's second full term began on January 17, 2023, and, Act authorizing readmission on ratification of 14th amendment: 15, 1819 Const. However, the, Brandon was out of state for 21 days as a delegate to the. Harris, who taught history at the University of California, Santa Barbara, died before completing this book. He was sentenced to 120 months in prison (2009), State Republican Party Director Edmund Matricardi III (R) pled guilty to one count of interception of a wire communication by illegally eavesdropping on a protected Democratic phone call. With four top elected officials now convicted criminals, is Alabama leading the nation in political corruption? In addition he was fined $5,000. I have personally failed to live up to those expectations, as well as the expectations of the public, and I am disappointed in myself.". Please check your email and try again. Page 26", "Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace: Illinois", "Schriver-Nettles House (Harry M. Schriver) (Roosevelt & Annie Mae Nettles) Rock Island, IL Official Website", "Journals of the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire", "The Spectator: An American Weekly Review of Insurance", "Graft Sentences Upheld Men Convicted of Pennsylvania Capitol Fraud Must Serve Terms", "New Castle News Newspaper Archives, Jun 25, 1907", Newspaper article, Ex-Governor Graham Convicted of Theft, "September 8, 1920 Manitowoc Herald-Times from Manitowoc, Wisconsin", "Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Caleb Powers", "POWERS, Caleb Biographical Information", "Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Executive Clemency | PARDON | Department of Justice", "Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of Michigan ", "Official Directory and Legislative Manual", "Frank Porter Glazier: entrepreneur and guardian of his own self-interest", "Five Hearst Workers Admit Petition Frauds", "Los Angeles Herald 31 December 1908 California Digital Newspaper Collection", "Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace: Embezzlement", "Missouri State Treasurer's Office Edward T. Noland", "Change of Subject: Impeachment of State Officials a 2004 research report from the office of the Connecticut Attorney General", "Journal of the Senate of the State of Mississippi: Sitting as a Court of Impeachment, in the Trials of Adelbert Ames, Governor, Alexander K. Davis, Lieutenant Governor, Thomas W. Cardozo, Superintendent of Public Education", "Mississippi History Now Adelbert Ames: Twenty-seventh and Thirtieth Governor of Mississippi: 18681870;18741876", "The Downfall Dictionary: David C. Butler: Nebraska gets off to a rough start", "N.C. state senate pardons governor who stood up to Klan | Reuters", "William Woods Holden, 24 November 1818 2 November 1892", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_American_state_and_local_politicians_convicted_of_crimes&oldid=1150950709, United States politics-related lists by state, Articles with incomplete citations from March 2022, Articles with dead external links from May 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from October 2014, Articles with dead external links from April 2023, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Articles with dead external links from December 2017, Articles with dead external links from August 2010, Articles with dead external links from November 2017, Articles with dead external links from March 2022, Articles with dead external links from February 2022, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Articles with dead external links from May 2019, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles that may be too long from January 2018, Articles slanted towards recent events from January 2018, Wikipedia references cleanup from March 2019, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from March 2019, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, State Secretary of Information Technology Isabel Fitzgerald (D) convicted of bribery. The bribe was from former HealthSouth founder and CEO Richard Scrushy, who gave him the money in exchange for a seat on a state board that regulates hospitals. He was released from federal prison to house arrest in 2017. The four-term governor, 72 years old at the time, received a 10-year sentence, his 35-year-old wife at his side. He pleaded no contest to four misdemeanor ethics counts for failing to report gifts of more than 50 golf outings, dinners and other largesse. He went to federal prison in 2007 to serve for the offenses he had committed during his time as governor from 1999-2003 and as Illinois secretary of state from 1991-1999. State Sen. Kenneth W. Course (D), guilty, 3-year sentence, $5,000 fine. When he gets the ticket he pays it, but if someone told me I was going to jail for two days for speeding, my driving habits would change. With four months left to his sentence, Hunt sought early release from his probation. He died in 2015, aged 95. Lieutenant Governor Brewer became acting governor on July 25, 1967, and Wallace returned to the state later that day. Siegelman, the most recent Democrat to serve as Alabama governor, was convicted three years after leaving office. Wallace was out of state for 52 days for medical treatment following an assassination attempt while campaigning for. Although in 2004 Rowland served only ten months in prison, his 2014 conviction netted him a 30-month sentence to be carried out starting fall 2016. A jury in 1996 found the former governor guilty of fraud and conspiracy in a Whitewater-related scheme that involved Clinton family friends James and Susan McDougal and the engineering of about $3 million in fraudulent loans. Bob McDonnell has been found guilty of corruption, fraud and bribery, his name could be added to a long list of top state officials who have had to take the walk from the statehouse to the big house. Lindsay was sworn into office on November 26, 1870, but Smith refused to leave his seat for two weeks, claiming Lindsay was fraudulently elected; he finally left office on December 8, when a court so ordered. Lauded for suspending the state's death penalty after investigations revealed its flaws, Ryan by 2006 was convicted of 18 felony corruption counts for racketeering, mail fraud and tax fraud largely related to selling government licenses and contracts as a public official. But, of course, George Wallace becameAlabamas most infamous governor, most notably for fighting segregation. The constitutional start date for 1911 was January 16. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). Hunt had made a habit of using state airplanes to fly to preaching gigs, where he would accept financial love offerings, according to Auburn Universitys Encyclopedia of Alabama. Felon Voting Rights - National Conference of State Legislatures He had no jail time. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Federal prosecutors characterized his conduct as something that would make Lincoln roll over in his grave. [16], The first Alabama Constitution, ratified in 1819, provided that a governor be elected every two years, limited to serve no more than 4 out of every 6 years. Instead of granting his wish, a judge added five years to his sentence and suggested he get a new job to help repay the more than $200,000 he owed the state. Part of his appeal argument in the meantime was that if he was convicted then so could any other politician who bestowed a favor upon one of his supporters. Quote: "There are no excuses. They are: Rod Blagojevich Governor from 2002 through 2009, when he became the first Illinois governor in history to be impeached. We'll never sell or share your information. As a result, the state has had quite a few governors since it gained statehood back in 1819. They arranged $500,000 in contributions to Siegelman's campaign for a state lottery in exchange for the governor . It stops with me, and I take responsibility for what has occurred in this incident.". Professor John L. Carroll, a member of Samford Universitys Cumberland School of Law faculty and a former federal magistrate judge, said that the crimes of Bentley and Hunt had more to do with covering up personal actions, while those of Siegelman and House Speaker Mike Hubbard resulted from traditional political corruption.