John Dowdy | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas | |
| In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1973 | |
| Preceded by | Jack Brooks |
| Succeeded by | Charlie Wilson |
| Constituency | 2nd district |
| In office September 23, 1952 – January 3, 1967 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Pickett |
| Succeeded by | George H. W. Bush |
| Constituency | 7th district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 11, 1912 Waco, Texas |
| Died | April 12, 1995 (aged 83) Athens, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
)
John Vernard Dowdy (February 11, 1912 – April 12, 1995)[1] was an American politician. Dowdy was a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from the 7th District of Texas from 1952 to 1967 and then served as a congressman from the 2nd District of Texas until 1973, when he decided to retire under indictment for bribery.
According to prosecutors, he accepted a $25,000 bribe to intervene in the federal investigation of Monarch Construction Company of Silver Spring, Maryland. In 1971, Dowdy was convicted on eight counts: two of conspiracy, one of transporting a bribe over state lines, and five of perjury.[2] In 1973, after Dowdy retired from Congress, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, overturned the bribery and conspiracy convictions. Dowdy still served a sentence in prison for perjury.[3][4]
Dowdy was one of four U.S. Congressmen from Texas to originally sign the "Southern Manifesto," a resolution in protest of the United States Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.[5]
Right-wing groups rallied to his defense, including the Washington Observer and the Liberty Lobby, which contended Dowdy was the victim of a "vicious frame-up by the Justice Department in collaboration with a clique of housing racketeers." The ulterior motive, according to the newspaper, was to stop Dowdy's subcommittee investigation of the fraud at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.[6]
Dowdy was born in Waco, Texas, and lived in Texas for most of his life. He was a lawyer before entering politics. He died in Athens, Texas.
Committee assignments
- 83rd Congress — Post Office and Civil Service.
- 84th Congress — Post Office and Civil Service, House Administration.
- 85th through 92nd Congresses — Judiciary, District of Columbia Subcommittee.
See also
- List of federal political scandals in the United States
- List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes
References
- ^ "Biographical Directory of Congress". Retrieved 2006-10-23.
- ^ iPad iPhone Android TIME TV Populist The Page (1972-01-10). "www.time.com, January 10, 1972, "Trials:Congressman Convicted"". Time.com. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ "Southern Manifesto on Integration (March 12, 1956)". WNET. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ Washington Observer, April 15, 1973.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tom Pickett | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 7th congressional district 1952–1967 | Succeeded by George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by Jack Brooks | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 2nd congressional district 1967–1973 | Succeeded by Charlie Wilson |