Michael Myers (Pennsylvania politician)

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Michael Myers
Michael Myers 95th Congress photo.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 1st district
In office
November 2, 1976 – October 2, 1980
Preceded byWilliam A. Barrett
Succeeded byThomas M. Foglietta
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 184th district
In office
January 5, 1971 – November 2, 1976
Preceded byLeland Beloff
Succeeded byLeland Beloff
Personal details
Born
Michael Joseph Myers

(1943-05-04) May 4, 1943 (age 81)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic

Michael Joseph "Ozzie" Myers (born May 4, 1943) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1976 to 1980. A member of the Democratic Party, Myers became involved in the Abscam scandal during his tenure in Congress and was later expelled from the House of Representatives after being caught taking bribes in an FBI sting operation. He spent three years in federal prison.

In 2020, he was accused of stuffing ballot boxes in Philadelphia elections during the 2010s, and charged with election fraud. He pled guilty in 2022, and was sentenced to 2+1⁄2 years in federal prison.

Early life

Michael Joseph Myers was born on May 4, 1943, in Philadelphia. In 1963, Myers was arrested for burglary, but was later acquitted.[1]

Career

State legislature

In December 1970, Michael Joseph Sullivan, his cousin who later served as an election judge while incarcerated, killed a construction worker during a union dispute. It was revealed in 1974, by The Philadelphia Inquirer, that Myers was in possession of the gun used while he himself was lobbying against Philadelphia's gun registration law.[2][3] In August 1975 the state house voted 176 to 1 in favor of removing Representative Leonard Sweeney after he was sentenced to three years for his involvement in a phony accident organization with Myers as the only nay.[4]

In 1975, the state legislature was voting on an appropriations bill to allocate $23 million for Philadelphia's United States Bicentennial celebrations, but was defeated on October 15. The bill was brought up for another vote by Myers who was told by Appropriations Committee Chairman Stephen Wojdak to send it back to the Appropriations Committee, but Myers stated that the bill had enough support to pass and put it up for a vote. The bill was defeated with 107 to 88 voting to reject it.[5]

House of Representatives

On July 2, 1976, he was given the Democratic nomination to run in the special election to fill the first congressional district seat following William A. Barrett's death.[1] In 1979 Representative Ronald M. Mottl proposed a constitutional amendment that would ban forced busing and Myers supported the amendment.[6][7]

In 1979, he got into a fight with a security guard and a 19-year-old female cashier in an elevator leading from the rooftop lounge of a Quality Inn motel in Arlington, Virginia, punching and kicking them. Myers became combative after they told him to turn down the music at a party he was having in the motel, shouting, "I'm a congressman: we don't have to be quiet." He was subsequently charged with assault and battery,[8] and eventually pleaded no contest to a charge of disorderly conduct three months later. He received a six-month suspended sentence.[9][10]

Myers was involved in the Abscam scandal in 1980. Myers was videotaped accepting a bribe of $50,000 from undercover FBI agents on August 22, 1979.[11] On that tape, Myers is recorded saying that "money talks in this business and bullshit walks."[12] Myers was expelled from the House of Representatives on October 2, 1980, by a vote of 376 to 30, becoming the first member of the House to be expelled since 1861. Myers was defeated by Thomas M. Foglietta (D) in the 1980 election. Myers was then convicted of bribery and conspiracy and sentenced to three years in prison in 1981.[13]

Later life

After release, Myers started his own political consulting firm and was paid by various clients for his aid and advice.[14]

Myers was accused of conspiring to violate voting rights by fraudulently stuffing the ballot boxes for specific candidates in the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 elections.[15] He was charged on July 21, 2020 with bribery of an election official, falsification of records, voting more than once in federal elections, and obstruction of justice.[16]

The charges included conspiring with and bribing Domenick J. Demuro, the former Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division. Demuro, pleaded guilty in May 2020, in federal court in Philadelphia, that he was responsible for overseeing the entire election process and all voter activities of his division in accordance with federal and state election laws.[17] On June 6, 2022, Myers pled guilty to those new charges.[18] On September 27, 2022, he was sentenced to 2+1⁄2 years in federal prison by Judge Paul S. Diamond.[19]

Electoral history

1976 Pennsylvania 1st Congressional District special election[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Michael Myers 118,406 74.39% -1.44%
Republican Samuel N. Fanelli 40,757 25.61% +2.33%
Total votes '159,163' '100.00%'
1976 Pennsylvania 1st Congressional District election[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Michael Myers (incumbent) 117,087 73.55% -0.84%
Republican Samuel N. Fanelli 40,191 25.25% -0.36%
Socialist Workers Clare Fraenzl 1,341 0.84% +0.84%
U.S. Labor Henry D. Moss 586 0.37% +0.37%
Total votes '159,205' '100.00%'

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Democrats pick Rep. Myers for Barrett's seat". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 3, 1976. p. 9. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Who Keeps Polls 'Honest?'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 3, 1974. p. 25. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Convict Is Symbol Of Ward Voting". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 3, 1974. p. 30. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Myers' foe has already conceded". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 28, 1976. p. 21. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "'Colassal Error' Blew Bicen Funds". Philadelphia Daily News. November 21, 1976. p. 4. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Forced busing forces attention". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 22, 1976. p. 21. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Voteview | Plot Vote: 96th Congress > House > 339". voteview.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03.
  8. ^ "Congressman charged after incident in lounge". Register-Guard. January 18, 1979. p. 3A. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020.
  9. ^ "Rep. Myers gets suspended sentence". The Free Lance-Star. April 11, 1979. p. 2.
  10. ^ "Eugene Register-Guard - Google News Archive Search". Archived from the original on 2020-02-02.
  11. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-09-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ Charles E. Bennett (September 24, 1980). In the Matter of Representative Michael J. Myers, House Report 96-1387. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2014.
  13. ^ Greenhouse, Linda (June 1, 1983). "Justices Refuse to Hear Appeals in 7 ABSCAM Cases". New York Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014.
  14. ^ Noah Zucker, PhillyVoice Staff (June 7, 2022). "Ozzie Myers, an ex-congressman convicted in the Abscam scandal, pleads guilty to election fraud charges".
  15. ^ Chasmar, Jessica (June 8, 2022). "Former PA congressman pleads guilty to ballot-stuffing for Democrats in federal elections". Fox News. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  16. ^ "Former Congressman Charged with Ballot Stuffing, Bribery, and Obstruction". www.justice.gov. July 23, 2020.
  17. ^ Forgey, Quint. "Former congressman indicted on voter fraud, bribery charges". POLITICO.
  18. ^ Former U.S. Congressman and Philadelphia Political Operative Pleads Guilty to Election Fraud Charges, US Department of Justice, June 6, 2022
  19. ^ Dale, Maryclaire (September 27, 2022). "Abscam figure sent back to prison in ballot stuffing case". Associated Press. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  20. ^ "PA District 01 - 1976 Special Election". February 27, 2007.
  21. ^ "PA District 01 - 1976 Election". May 20, 2011.

External links

Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 184th district
1971–1976 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district
1976–1980 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative 		Succeeded byas Former US Representative
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