Misbehaving Governors: It's a Long List
Eliot Spitzer joins a litany of recent governors involved in sexual and political scandals
Compiled by the U.S.News & World Report library
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned today over charges he patronized a high-priced prostitute, is only the latest in a long line of governors who have been caught up in political or sexual scandals. Some incidents from recent years:
2007: George Ryan, Illinois. A former secretary of state, the Republican governor was accused of corruption and misusing his offices. He was convicted of 18 federal criminal charges and reported to prison in November 2007.
2007: Don Siegelman, Alabama. The Democrat went to prison in 2007 on federal conspiracy and bribery charges stemming from allegations that he had appointed HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy to a state hospital board in exchange for a campaign contribution. Siegelman has since appealed his conviction, arguing that the prosecution was politically motivated.
2006: Jim Gibbons, Nevada. Before the 2006 gubernatorial election, a cocktail waitress alleged that Gibbons, a Republican congressman, had assaulted and propositioned her after a raucous night near the Las Vegas Strip. He denied her claims, and police declined to file charges. In early 2007, the FBI launched an investigation into Gibbons's relationship with businessman Warren Trepp, an executive with defense contractor Treppid Technologies LLC, following allegations that Gibbons received gifts and favors to help Trepp's company win defense contracts. A month later, it was reported that defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corp. hired Gibbons's wife to do consulting work in 2004, the same year in which her husband pushed for the company to get a multimillion-dollar contract. Gibbons, who has denied wrongdoing, remains under investigation.
2006: Ernie Fletcher, Kentucky. Fletcher, a Republican, and nine members of his administration were indicted in 2006 for improperly giving state jobs to political allies. Fletcher pardoned the nine and insisted that he had done nothing wrong. Charges against him were dropped after a judge ruled that the governor could not be prosecuted while he was in office. Fletcher ran for re-election in 2007 but was defeated.
2005: Bob Taft, Ohio. The Republican was convicted of four misdemeanors and fined $4,000 after failing to report golf trips and other gifts he received while in office. He apologized but refused to resign. He served out his term and left office in 2007.
2004: John Rowland, Connecticut. The popular Republican admitted that he had accepted gifts and home improvements from contractors who sought to do business with the state. In 2004, with impeachment hearings and a federal investigation underway, Rowland admitted guilt. He resigned and served 10 months in prison.
2004: James McGreevey, New Jersey. McGreevey, a Democrat, resigned after acknowledging an affair with a male aide. The aide, an Israeli hired by the governor to head the state's Homeland Security Department despite having little experience, denied any personal involvement with the governor. When the governor announced his resignation, standing with his wife and family, he famously stated, "My truth is that I am a gay American."
2003: Bob Wise, West Virginia. Democrat Bob Wise confessed publicly that he had been unfaithful to his wife. News reports connected him to a female state employee, and the woman's ex-husband filed as a candidate for governor to call attention to the incident. Wise dropped his plans to run for re-election and left office in 2005.
2003: Paul Patton, Kentucky. Democrat Paul Patton admitted having a two-year affair with nursing home operator Tina Conner. In 2003, he was reprimanded and fined by a state ethics commission for actions he took on her behalf. After the relationship ended, Conner sued Patton for harassment and other charges, claiming that he had used his position to harm her business. Patton's term as governor ended in 2003, and he retired from politics.
2001: Parris Glendening , Maryland. The Washington Post revealed that the 59-year-old Democrat was involved in a personal relationship with one of his top aides, Jennifer Crawford, age 34. Her influence had grown steadily after she joined the administration in 1998: She received promotions and raises and went on a number of trips with the governor. They married in 2002, two months after his divorce to his second wife was final.
1998: Edward DiPrete, Rhode Island. DiPrete, a Republican who served as governor from 1985 to 1991, was indicted for extortion and bribery after admitting he traded state contracts for campaign contributions. He served a one-year prison sentence.
1998: Roy Romer, Colorado. Democrat Romer admitted in 1998 that he had engaged in a years-long affair with a former aide. Romer, who was already scheduled to leave office because of term limits, served out his term and continued as head of the Democratic National Committee. He later became head of the Los Angeles school district.
1997: Fife Symington , Arizona. A former real estate developer, the Republican Symington resigned his office in 1997, when he was convicted on bank and wire fraud charges regarding a business loan. The convictions were overturned on appeal, and President Clinton pardoned Symington before a retrial could take place. Symington has since left politics to found a restaurant and cooking school.
1996: Jim Guy Tucker, Arkansas. The Democratic governor of Arkansas resigned after being found guilty of conspiracy and mail fraud, charges related to the Whitewater land development investigation. Lieutenant Governor Mike Huckabee took over the office.
1996: Edwin Edwards, Louisiana. Four-term governor Edwards, a Democrat, left office in 1996 and was later indicted on charges that he took bribes in exchange for casino licenses during and after his administration. A federal court convicted him of racketeering, extortion, and fraud in 2000, and he is now serving a 10-year sentence. During the 1980s, also as governor, Edwards was indicted twice on racketeering and bribery charges but not convicted.
1994: Bruce Sundlun, Rhode Island. The Democrat lost his bid for a third term in the gubernatorial primaries as a result of personal scandal and political controversy. In 1993, Sundlun acknowledged fathering a daughter out of wedlock after having previously denied it. The revelation only aggravated criticism he got for closing the state's credit unions after their insurer collapsed. He was blamed for the state's economic problems but said he took that measure in response to a banking scandal he inherited.
1994: Mike Lowry, Washington. Democrat Lowry was accused of sexual harassment by a former deputy press secretary. An independent investigator criticized his actions but did not find enough evidence to support any charges. The first-term governor issued an apology and decided not to run for re-election. Lowry attempted a political comeback in 2000 in an unsuccessful run for state lands commissioner, saying that the allegation "proved to be an instructive event for me as a person and as a political leader. It sensitized me to the effects of my own actions on those around me."
1993: David Walters, Oklahoma. The Democrat pleaded guilty to breaking campaign laws by encouraging a contributor to give $13,500 more than the $5,000 campaign limit. Although the plea bargain dismissed eight felony campaign violation charges, Walters was fined $1,000, given a one-year deferred sentence, and ordered to give the state Ethics Commission all unspent funds from his 1994 campaign. Facing impeachment, he dropped his bid for a second term.
1993: Guy Hunt, Alabama. Hunt, a Republican, was convicted on state ethics charges for misusing money from his inaugural fund to pay for personal expenses. The conviction automatically ended his administration. He received probation and a fine and was sentenced to community service. In 1997, Hunt was pardoned by a state board. The following year, he ran for the governorship again but came in third in the Republican primary.
1989: Gaston Caperton , West Virginia. The Republican ended his 23-year marriage with a messy divorce, which included a federal lawsuit filed against him by his estranged wife. She alleged that he plotted to defraud her of stock holdings in his insurance company. In the lawsuit, Dee Caperton said that she was panicked into selling her stock in the Caperton Investment Group in 1988, fearing that she would be indicted if she did not divest her holdings, as was suggested to her by state Sen. Lloyd Jackson, Caperton's top political adviser. Dee Caperton, a former Miss West Virginia, served in the state House of Delegates from 1986 to 1988, during which time a Caperton-controlled company held a $3 million contract with the Public Employees Insurance Agency. It is illegal for a legislator or other government official to hold shares in a company doing business with the Public Employees Insurance Agency. Dee Caperton charged that she was forced to sell her stock in the Caperton family's insurance and investment business to her husband in 1988 for $2.98 million, below fair market value, to shield him from political harm. The lawsuit also stated that Caperton believed that he needed his wife's help in his 1988 gubernatorial bid, so he never told her about his intentions to divorce her while campaigning. Just months after Caperton won his election bid, he announced that he was seeking a divorce.
1987 - 1991: Wallace Wilkinson, Kentucky. The Democrat was investigated by the state insurance commissioner for a real estate transaction that took place during his term as governor from 1987 to 1991. He ultimately paid $11 million to settle the case. After leaving office, Wilkinson encountered business setbacks and filed for bankruptcy. He also wrote a memoir called You Can't Do That, Governor. Wilkinson died in 2002.
Sources:
Arizona Republic
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Associated Press
Chicago Lawyer
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Tribune
Cincinnati Enquirer
Columbus Dispatch
Congressional Quarterly
Daily Oklahoman
Lexington Herald Leader
New Orleans Times-Picayune
New York Times
Roll Call
Stateline.org
Washington Post
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