Joining Libby in This Corner ...
This article calls for a pardon for former two-time Governor of Louisiana Edwin W. Edwards, who received a 10-year sentence for racketeering. I had not thought about him. But, I should have. Governors have a conspicuous place in the history of pardons and Edwards and former Illinois governor George Ryan (convicted on 16 counts of political corruption and sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison) are plausible clemency recipients. Many thought former Arkansas governor Jim Guy Tucker was a candidate for clemency as Bill Clinton left office. Tucker was convicted, in 1996, of misapplying $150,000 in bank loans connected with the so-called Whitewater Scandal. When Clinton was asked about it, he refused to rule out the possibility of a pardon. Funny how every president seems to do that! But, back to the governors who have tasted of presidential mercy:
Zebulon Vance was elected governor of North Carolina in 1862 (under the Confederacy) and reelected in 1864. After serving some time in prison, he was elected governor once again, in 1877. Vance went on to serve in the U.S. Senate from 1879 to 1894. His pardon came in the administration of Andrew Johnson.
Indiana governor, Warren T. McCray, was sentenced to ten-years in prison and fined $10,000 in 1924 for embezzlement, fraud, forgery, issuing fraudulent checks and other things. The jury took all of 13 minutes to reach a verdict and the State's general assembly was talking about impeachment proceedings. But McCray went to prison and applied for a pardon 15 just months into the sentence. At that time, he would not have been eligible for parole for another 2 years. The clemency application was not successful, however, and the pardon did not come until 1930, when Warren Harding was president and McCray was already out of prison.
Harry Truman granted a pardon to former Louisiana Richard Leche (Huey Long's replacement) who was sentenced to ten years in prison in 1940. Leche was one to remind people that he did not take a "vow of poverty" when he took office. Over $100 million in state funds simply vanished during his administration. Leche entered prison in December of 1941 and paroled in June of 1945.
In 1981, Ronald Reagan commuted the sentence of two-time Maryland governor Marvin Mandel. After a mistrial, Mandel was convicted on 17 counts of mail fraud and racketeering and sentenced to 4 years in prison. An appellate court reversed the conviction, but met again and produced a tie vote, which resulted in its reinstatement. Reagan's commutation, in December of 1981, chopped a mere five months off of the term. Six years later, a federal district court ruled the original conviction was faulty.
Bill Clinton pardoned J. Fife Symington, the former governor of Arkansas. When he was convicted on seven counts of fraud and extortion in 1997, Symington was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and forced to resign during his appeal. Amazingly, the circuit court of appeals overturned the conviction in 1999! But prosecutors were considering another effort at the case. Clinton ended the saga by granting a pardon in 2001. Time magazine reported some felt Clinton was paying Symington back for rescuing him from drowning at a beach party in the 1960s.
A long list? Oh, no. Not particularly. But if you look at the complete list of governors who have been in trouble with the law, it is hard not to see something. First, a fair percentage of them have their convictions overturned on appeal, or charges against them were dropped altogether. Add to that number the number of governors that have been pardoned and, well, you have a pretty good win/loss record in the justice system for this particular class of persons.
Note: In 1993, two-time Alabama governor Guy Hunt was convicted for violating state ethics laws, fined $212,000 and sentenced to 5 years' probation. In 1997, the State Pardons and Parole Board declared him innocent and granted a pardon. Hunt actually appointed 2 of the Board's 3 members.
Zebulon Vance was elected governor of North Carolina in 1862 (under the Confederacy) and reelected in 1864. After serving some time in prison, he was elected governor once again, in 1877. Vance went on to serve in the U.S. Senate from 1879 to 1894. His pardon came in the administration of Andrew Johnson.
Indiana governor, Warren T. McCray, was sentenced to ten-years in prison and fined $10,000 in 1924 for embezzlement, fraud, forgery, issuing fraudulent checks and other things. The jury took all of 13 minutes to reach a verdict and the State's general assembly was talking about impeachment proceedings. But McCray went to prison and applied for a pardon 15 just months into the sentence. At that time, he would not have been eligible for parole for another 2 years. The clemency application was not successful, however, and the pardon did not come until 1930, when Warren Harding was president and McCray was already out of prison.
Harry Truman granted a pardon to former Louisiana Richard Leche (Huey Long's replacement) who was sentenced to ten years in prison in 1940. Leche was one to remind people that he did not take a "vow of poverty" when he took office. Over $100 million in state funds simply vanished during his administration. Leche entered prison in December of 1941 and paroled in June of 1945.
In 1981, Ronald Reagan commuted the sentence of two-time Maryland governor Marvin Mandel. After a mistrial, Mandel was convicted on 17 counts of mail fraud and racketeering and sentenced to 4 years in prison. An appellate court reversed the conviction, but met again and produced a tie vote, which resulted in its reinstatement. Reagan's commutation, in December of 1981, chopped a mere five months off of the term. Six years later, a federal district court ruled the original conviction was faulty.
Bill Clinton pardoned J. Fife Symington, the former governor of Arkansas. When he was convicted on seven counts of fraud and extortion in 1997, Symington was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and forced to resign during his appeal. Amazingly, the circuit court of appeals overturned the conviction in 1999! But prosecutors were considering another effort at the case. Clinton ended the saga by granting a pardon in 2001. Time magazine reported some felt Clinton was paying Symington back for rescuing him from drowning at a beach party in the 1960s.
A long list? Oh, no. Not particularly. But if you look at the complete list of governors who have been in trouble with the law, it is hard not to see something. First, a fair percentage of them have their convictions overturned on appeal, or charges against them were dropped altogether. Add to that number the number of governors that have been pardoned and, well, you have a pretty good win/loss record in the justice system for this particular class of persons.
Note: In 1993, two-time Alabama governor Guy Hunt was convicted for violating state ethics laws, fined $212,000 and sentenced to 5 years' probation. In 1997, the State Pardons and Parole Board declared him innocent and granted a pardon. Hunt actually appointed 2 of the Board's 3 members.
posted by P.S. Ruckman, Jr. | 10:56 AM
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