Michael Joseph "Ozzie" Myers (born May 4, 1943) is an American politician and convicted felon 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 expelled from the House after being caught taking bribes in a sting operation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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 pleaded guilty in 2022 and was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison.
Michael Myers | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1977 | |
| 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 the 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
editMyers was born on May 4, 1943, in Philadelphia, the son of Margaret (Sullivan) and Mark Myers.[1] In 1963, Myers was arrested for burglary but was later acquitted.[2]
Political career
editPennsylvania House of Representatives
editIn December 1970, a cousin of Myers named Michael Joseph Sullivan (who later served as an election judge while incarcerated), shot and 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 in the shooting while he himself was lobbying against Philadelphia's gun registration law.[3][4] In August 1975, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 176–1 in favor of removing representative Leonard Sweeney after he was sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement in a phony accident organization with Myers as the only nay.[5]
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 Committee, but Myers stated that the bill had enough support to pass and put it up for a vote. The bill was defeated with 107–88 voting to reject it.[6]
U.S. House of Representatives
editOn July 2, 1976, Myers was given the Democratic nomination to run in the special election to fill the first congressional district seat following William A. Barrett's death.[2] In 1979, representative Ronald M. Mottl proposed a constitutional amendment that would ban forced busing and Myers supported the amendment.[7][8]
In 1979, Myers punched and kicked 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. 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,[9] and eventually pleaded no contest to a charge of disorderly conduct three months later. He received a six-month suspended sentence.[10][11]
Myers was involved in the Abscam scandal. He was videotaped accepting a bribe of $50,000 from undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on August 22, 1979.[12] On that tape, Myers is recorded saying that "money talks in this business and bullshit walks."[13] Myers was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives on October 2, 1980, by a vote of 376–30, becoming the first member of the House to be expelled since the Civil War.[14] Myers was defeated by independent politician Thomas M. Foglietta in the 1980 election. Myers was then convicted of bribery and conspiracy and sentenced to three years in prison in 1981.[15]
Later life
editAfter release, Myers started his own political consulting firm.[16]
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.[17] 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.[18]
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.[19] On June 6, 2022, Myers pled guilty to those new charges.[20] On September 27, 2022, he was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison by judge Paul S. Diamond.[21]
Electoral history
edit| 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% | |||
| 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
editReferences
edit- ^ "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Legislative Directory, [House of Representatives]". February 13, 1977.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Who Keeps Polls 'Honest?'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 3, 1974. p. 25. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Myers' foe has already conceded". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 28, 1976. p. 21. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Colassal Error' Blew Bicen Funds". Philadelphia Daily News. November 21, 1976. p. 4. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Forced busing forces attention". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 22, 1976. p. 21. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Voteview | Plot Vote: 96th Congress > House > 339". voteview.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020.
- ^ "Congressman charged after incident in lounge". Register-Guard. January 18, 1979. p. 3A. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020.
- ^ "Rep. Myers gets suspended sentence". The Free Lance-Star. April 11, 1979. p. 2.
- ^ "Eugene Register-Guard - Google News Archive Search". Archived from the original on February 2, 2020.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 22, 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ 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.
- ^ "Recall of Legislators and the Removal of Members of Congress from Office". Congressional Research Service. March 20, 2003 – January 5, 2012. RL30016. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023 – via Demand Progress.
Representative-elect John B. Clark of Missouri (1861), Representative John W. Reid of Missouri (1861), and Representative Henry C. Burnett of Kentucky (1861). II Hinds' Precedents, §§1261,1262; Joint Comm. on Congressional Operations, House of Representatives Exclusion, Censure and Expulsion Cases from 1789 to 1973, Comm. Prt., 93rd Cong., at 143–144 (1973).
- ^ 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.
- ^ Noah Zucker, PhillyVoice Staff (June 7, 2022). "Ozzie Myers, an ex-congressman convicted in the Abscam scandal, pleads guilty to election fraud charges".
- ^ Chasmar, Jessica (June 8, 2022). "Former PA congressman pleads guilty to ballot-stuffing for Democrats in federal elections". Fox News. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ "Former Congressman Charged with Ballot Stuffing, Bribery, and Obstruction". www.justice.gov. July 23, 2020.
- ^ Forgey, Quint (July 23, 2020). "Former congressman indicted on voter fraud, bribery charges". Politico.
- ^ Former U.S. Congressman and Philadelphia Political Operative Pleads Guilty to Election Fraud Charges, US Department of Justice, June 6, 2022
- ^ Dale, Maryclaire (September 27, 2022). "Abscam figure sent back to prison in ballot stuffing case". Associated Press. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "PA District 01 – 1976 Special Election". February 27, 2007.
- ^ "PA District 01 – 1976 Election". May 20, 2011.