Michael Myers (politician)

Michael Joseph "Ozzie" Myers (born May 4, 1943) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party. During his tenure in the House of Representatives he became involved in the Abscam scandal and was later expelled from the House of Representatives. In 2020, he was indicted for election fraud.

Michael Myers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 1st district
In office November 2, 1976 – October 2, 1980
Preceded by	William A. Barrett
Succeeded by	Thomas M. Foglietta
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 184th district
In office January 5, 1971 – November 2, 1976
Preceded by	Leland Beloff
Succeeded by	Leland Beloff
Personal details
Born	Michael Joseph Myers May 4, 1943 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Democratic

Early life

Michael Joseph Myers was born on May 4, 1943, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 while 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 convicted of bribery and conspiracy and sentenced to three years in prison in 1981.[13]

Myers was defeated by Thomas M. Foglietta in the 1980 election.

Later life

On July 21, 2020, Myers was charged in an indictment unsealed on July 23, 2020, with conspiring to violate voting rights by fraudulently stuffing the ballot boxes for specific candidates in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 primary elections, bribery of an election official, falsification of records, voting more than once in federal elections, and obstruction of justice.[14]

He was charged with conspiring with and bribing Domenick J. Demuro, the former Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division. Demuro, who pleaded guilty previously in federal court in Philadelphia, was responsible for overseeing the entire election process and all voter activities of his division in accordance with federal and state election laws.[15]

Electoral history

Michael Myers electoral history

1976 Pennsylvania 1st Congressional District special election[16]

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[17]

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

• List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes
• List of federal political scandals in the United States
• List of United States Representatives expelled, censured, or reprimanded

References

1. "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.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. "Former Congressman Charged with Ballot Stuffing, Bribery, and Obstruction". www.justice.gov. July 23, 2020.
15. Forgey, Quint. "Former congressman indicted on voter fraud, bribery charges". POLITICO.
16. "PA District 01 - 1976 Special Election". February 27, 2007.
17. "PA District 01 - 1976 Election". May 20, 2011.

External links

• United States Congress. "Michael J. Myers (id: M001132)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Pennsylvania House of Representatives page
• The Political Graveyard
• Former Congressman Charged with Ballot Stuffing, Bribery, and Obstruction