Craig Berkman Explained

Craig Berkman
Birth Name:Craig Lamont Willoughby
Office:Chair of the Oregon Republican Party
Term Start:1989
Term End:1993
Birth Date:12 August 1941
Birth Place:Sioux City, Iowa, United States
Alma Mater:McDaniel High School
Wheaton College
University of California, Berkeley
Lewis & Clark Law School
Spouse:
  • Susan
  • Karen Hinsdale (until 2002)
  • Mary Ann Farrell Karlsson (until 2017)
Children:two daughters with Susan

Craig L. Berkman (born August 12, 1941) is an American venture capitalist and a Republican politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was known as a major donor in national Republican circles. He chaired the Oregon Republican Party in the early 1990s, opposing the far right Oregon Citizens Alliance. He ran for chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1993 and for Governor of Oregon in 1996, losing the former race to Haley Barbour and the latter to Denny Smith in the primary election.[1]

Berkman served as Oregon's state Republican Party chairman from 1989 to 1993 and ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for Governor of Oregon in 1994.[2]

He was arrested in March 2013 in the Tampa, Florida suburb of Odessa, where he has a $3.94 million home,[3] [4] [5] on charges of selling pre-IPO shares of Facebook.[6]

In June 2013, Berkman pleaded guilty to securities and wire fraud at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan.[4] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] On December 16, 2013, he was sentenced to 6 years in prison, and will be required to repay $8.4 million to investors.[14]

Early life and education

Craig Berkman was born Craig Lamont Willoughby in Sioux City, Iowa.[3] His biological father was Roford "Pinky" Berkman.[15] Craig Berkman was raised poor in the Roseway neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.[3] As Craig Berkman, he graduated from Madison High School, went to Wheaton College in Illinois on a scholarship and later earned graduate degrees from University of California, Berkeley and Lewis & Clark Law School.[3] [4] [15] Berkman was a trustee of Lewis & Clark College.[16]

Work history

In 1971, Berkman worked for a brief period on the staff of Portland city commissioner (council member) Connie McCready.[15] He was elected in 1978 to the Metropolitan Service District's council, in Portland, where fellow councillors named him chairman, and served from 1979 to 1981. He quit in 1981 after his business interests began taking so much time that he had been missing more than half of the council meetings.[15]

Berkman was chairman of the Oregon Republican Party from 1989–1993. He was chairman of high-technology and medical equipment companies. He worked as an administrative aide at his alma mater Lewis & Clark College.[15]

Criminal history

Berkman was sentenced to six years in prison for a scheme that cost investors $16 million in investments.[5] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Personal life

Berkman was married to Susan Woodward. They had two daughters.[15]

Berkman was married to Karen Hinsdale-Berkman, who is the owner of wine shop The Cellar Door, on the board of directors of Self Enhancement Inc., and secretary of the Oregon Republican Foundation.[21] [22] [23] Their divorce was settled in 2002.[22]

Berkman was married to Mary Ann Farrell Karlsson (also known as Mary Ann Karlsson-Berkman), a former New York Miss America contestant. Their divorce was pronounced in 2017.[24] [17] [25] [26]

Honors and awards

Berkman and his wife Karen Hinsdale-Berkman were awarded the University Advancement Award for the 2000–2001 year by the Portland State University Alumni Association.[27]

Notes and References

  1. News: The ever-charming Craig Berkman. Jeff. Mapes. The Oregonian . May 30, 2008. 2017-07-14.
  2. Web site: United States of America before the Securities and Exchange Commission . Sec.gov . 2013-12-01.
  3. News: Jaquiss. Nigel. Nigel Jaquiss. The Talented Mr. Berkman: The rise and fall of Portland's best-known venture capitalist . . January 24, 2006. 2017-07-14.
  4. News: Rogoway. Mike. Craig Berkman's guilty plea could cost his prior victims in Oregon . . June 26, 2013 . 2017-07-14.
  5. Web site: Lewis. Al. An alleged scheme to pay off the last scheme . . March 22, 2013 . 2017-07-14.
  6. News: Craig Berkman arrested over sales of pre-IPO Facebook shares. March 19, 2013. Matthew. Kish. Portland Business Journal.
  7. Web site: Former Oregon candidate pleads guilty to fraud involving Facebook shares . . June 25, 2013. Reuters. 2017-07-14.
  8. Web site: Vaughan . Bernard . Former Oregon politician pleads guilty to Facebook IPO fraud . . June 25, 2013 . 2017-07-14.
  9. Web site: Van Voris. Bob . Ex-Candidate Pleads Guilty in Phony Facebook Share Scam . Bloomberg . June 25, 2013 . 2013-12-01. subscription .
  10. News: Craig Berkman Pleads Guilty in Facebook Fraud . . June 25, 2013. 2017-07-14.
  11. Florida Investment Fund Manager Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court In Connection With $13 Million Securities Fraud Scheme . . June 25, 2013. 2013-12-01.
  12. Web site: Neumeister. Larry. Fla. man pleads guilty in $13M Facebook share case. . June 26, 2013. Associated Press . 2017-07-14.
  13. Web site: Van Voris. Bob . Former Candidate Pleads Guilty in Phony Facebook Share Scam (1) . . June 25, 2013. 2017-07-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203140910/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-06-25/former-candidate-pleads-guilty-in-phony-facebook-share-scam-1 . 2013-12-03 .
  14. News: Manning. Jeff. Craig Berkman, financier and former Oregon governor candidate, gets 6 years in prison for fraud. December 17, 2013. The Oregonian. December 17, 2013. A5.
  15. News: Walth. Brent. Candidate profile [of Craig Berkman]

    Something to prove]

    . The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. April 17, 1994. 1A, 4A. 2017-07-14.
  16. Web site: Craig L. Berkman . Craig Berkman: Executive Profile & Biography . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203083726/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=4171635&privcapId=1173980&previousCapId=4171462&previousTitle=Lewis%20&%20Clark%20College . dead . December 3, 2013 . Bloomberg Businessweek . 2013-12-01.
  17. Web site: Huntley. Helen. Financier nests in Tampa Bay; Newcomer with a past . . February 23, 2006 . 2013-12-01. subscription .
  18. Web site: Rood . Justin . For McCain, Another Problem Fundraiser . ABC News. September 7, 2008. 2013-12-01.
  19. Web site: Kish. Matthew. Berkman investors bruised years later. Portland Business Journal . March 22, 2013 . 2017-07-14.
  20. Web site: Kerr . Dara . SEC probe on Facebook pre-IPO sales ends in financier's arrest | Internet & Media . . March 19, 2013 . 2013-12-01.
  21. News: Binole. Gina. The Sultan of Splitsville . Portland Business Journal . June 6, 1999 . 2017-07-14.
  22. Web site: WW Editorial Staff. We feel "relevant." . . October 30, 2007 . 2013-12-01.
  23. Web site: Welcome to the Oregon State Bar Online . . 2013-12-01.
  24. Web site: Liberto. Jennifer. Donor's dollars passed to charity. Tampa Bay Times. July 23, 2008. 2017-07-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040253/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/donors-dollars-passed-to-charity/735985. March 4, 2016. dead.
  25. News: Mosk . Matthew . Big GOP Donor Faced Trouble Back Home . . July 23, 2008. 2. 2013-12-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203060852/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-07-23/politics/36915254_1_political-donations-mccain-spokesman-brian-rogers-craig-berkman/2 . 2013-12-03 .
  26. Web site: Melendez. Eleazar David. Facebook Shares Fraud Helped Investment Manager Pay Off Previous Fines: SEC . . March 19, 2013 . 2013-12-01.
  27. Web site: University Advancement Award Recipients . . 2017-07-14.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Craig Berkman".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.