Michael J. Harrington Explained

Birth Name:Michael Joseph Harrington
Birth Date:2 September 1936
Birth Place:Salem, Massachusetts
State:Massachusetts
Term Start:September 30, 1969
Term End:January 3, 1979
Preceded:William H. Bates
Succeeded:Nicholas Mavroules
Office2:Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Term Start2:1965
Term End2:1969
Constituency2:6th Essex District (1965–69)
7th Essex District (1969)
Preceded2:Thaddeus M. Buczko
Office4:Member of the Salem City Council
Term Start4:1960
Term End4:1963
Constituency4:At-Large Ward (1962-1963)
Party:Democrat
Education:Harvard University (AB, LLB)
Harvard Graduate School of Public Administration

Michael Joseph "Mike" Harrington (born September 2, 1936) is an American politician, lawyer and a former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.

Life and career

Harrington is the son of former State Senator, Salem mayor, and judge Joseph B. Harrington. Harrington graduated from St. John's Preparatory School, in Danvers, Massachusetts, in 1954, then earned a B.A. at Harvard University in 1958 and a J.D. at Harvard Law School in 1961.

After serving on the Salem City Council from 1960 to 1963, Harrington was elected to the Massachusetts State Legislature in 1964, serving until 1969. On September 30, 1969, he won a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of U.S. Representative William H. Bates. Harrington defeated Republican state Senator William L. Saltonstall with 52% of the vote. Running in opposition to the Vietnam War, he became the first Democrat to win the 6th Congressional district since 1875.[1] He was subsequently re-elected to four full terms as a Congressman before retiring in 1978.

On July 8, 1975, Rep. Harrington called on House Speaker Carl Albert to convene the Democratic party committee to examine a secrecy system which he said has covered up "grotesque violations of the law" abroad by the CIA.At a news conference the Massachusetts Democrat also released three other letters countering efforts in the House to censure him for his role in surfacing the disclosure in 1974 that the CIA spent 11 million dollars (1974 dollars not inflation adjusted) to influence Chilean politics.[2]

Following his retirement from Congress, he became a real estate developer. After a brief run for the Democratic nomination for Massachusetts State Treasurer in 1990,[3] Harrington was charged in 2000 for making false statements to financial institutions, banks, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.[4] As a result, his law licence was suspended for three years and he was fined $100,000.[5]

Harrington is a resident of Beverly, Massachusetts.

He is also a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.[6]

See also

Footnotes

  1. News: Liberal is winner in Massachusetts . Fenton, John H. . October 1, 1969 . The New York Times.
  2. -(UPI- Washington, July 8, 1975).
  3. News: Harrington Quits Race for State Treasurer. Canellos, Peter . April 23, 1990 . . https://archive.today/20130131134009/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/61621018.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+23,+1990&author=Peter+S.+Canellos,+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=HARRINGTON+QUITS+RACE+FOR+STATE+TREASURER&pqatl=google . dead . January 31, 2013 .
  4. News: Ex-US Legislator Facing Charges: Herrington Accused of Lies to Banks, FDIC . Daniel, Mac . January 15, 2000 . The Boston Globe . https://archive.today/20130201015612/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/48038945.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+15,+2000&author=Mac+Daniel,+GLOBE+STAFF&pub=Boston+Globe&desc=EX-US+LEGISLATOR+FACING+CHARGES+HARRINGTON+ACCUSED+OF+LIES+TO+BANKS,+FDIC&pqatl=google . dead . February 1, 2013 .
  5. Web site: IN RE: MICHAEL J. HARRINGTON .
  6. Web site: Issue One – ReFormers Caucus.

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