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Mike Berlon is the former chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia. [1] He served from early 2011 until June 9, 2013, when he resigned following accusations of professional misconduct. On February 25, 2015 Berlon pleaded guilty to one charge of wire fraud in Federal court.
In January 2011, Berlon was elected as the chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia. [2] During his tenure he emphasized a grassroots strategy to make the Democratic Party more competitive outside of the Atlanta metro area [3] and a progressive platform including job creation, increased pay for teachers and educators, and increased funding of public schools. [4]
On May 29, 2013, the Democratic Party of Georgia released a statement saying Berlon would resign his chairmanship, after Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed called for him to step down. [5] In a subsequent statement released to the media, Berlon announced his resignation from the state party would be effective midnight on June 9, 2013.
Berlon has also been a strong critic of elected Democrats that switch to the Republican Party. [6] During his tenure, several Democrats switched parties to take advantage of the state's Republican-lean, most notably State House Caucus Chair Doug McKillip, [7] and State Representative Rick Crawford (who stated his intention to switch immediately after his re-election campaign). [6] The Democratic Party of Georgia unsuccessfully attempted to remove Crawford from the ballot. [8]
All three party-switchers lost in their next election. [9] [10] [11]
After an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Berlon pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and was sentenced on February 25, 2015, to 5 years and 3 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release for stealing over $2 million from his clients. He also agreed to pay over $2 million in restitution. [12] [13]
William Jennings Jefferson is an American former politician from Louisiana whose career ended after his corruption scandal and conviction. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 as a member of the Democratic Party. He represented Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, which includes much of the greater New Orleans area. He was elected as the state's first black congressman since the end of Reconstruction.
Robert Cannon "Robin" Hayes is an American politician and businessman from North Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, he represented North Carolina's 8th congressional district in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, and was the Republican nominee for Governor of North Carolina in 1996. Hayes served as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party from 2011 to 2013, and from 2016 to 2019. Accused in a bribery scheme in 2019, Hayes pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. On January 20, 2021, Hayes was pardoned by President Donald Trump.
James Boyce Black is a member of the North Carolina Democratic Party, and a former member of the North Carolina General Assembly, who represented the state's 100th House district, including constituents in Mecklenburg County. An optometrist from Matthews, North Carolina, Black was elected to 11 (non-consecutive) terms in the House of Representatives, and served as Speaker of the House from January 1999 through the end of 2006, when scandal forced him to give up the leadership post. For the 2003-2004 legislative session Black was elected to serve as "Co-Speaker" with Republican Richard T. Morgan serving as the other Co-Speaker.
Edward Robert Vrdolyak, also known as "Fast Eddie", is a former American politician and lawyer. He was a longtime Chicago alderman and the head of the Cook County Democratic Party until 1987 when he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Chicago on the Illinois Solidarity Party ticket. He subsequently ran again in 1989 on the Republican Party ticket. He was a prominent opponent of Harold Washington and the de facto leader of the so-called "Vrdolyak 29" that opposed and blocked many of Washington's measures.
Michael Joseph "Ozzie" Myers 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.
Jimmy Kuang Zui Meng is a Chinese-Taiwanese American former politician, who served as a member of the New York State Assembly. A Democrat, Meng represented the 22nd Assembly District in Flushing, Queens from 2005 to 2006. He is the first Asian American to have served in the New York State Legislature. Meng pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2013.
The Cook County Democratic Party is an American county-level political party organization which represents voters in 50 wards in the city of Chicago and 30 suburban townships of Cook County. The organization has dominated Chicago politics since the 1930s. It relies on an organizational structure of a ward or township committeeperson to elect candidates. At the height of its influence under Richard J. Daley in the 1960s when political patronage in employment was endemic in American cities, it was one of the most powerful political machines in American history. By the beginning of the 21st century the party had largely ceased to function as a machine due to the legal dismantling of the patronage system under the Shakman Decrees issued by the federal court in Chicago. The current Chair is Toni Preckwinkle, who is also the elected Cook County Board president.
The Democratic Party of Georgia (DPG) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is one of the two major political parties in the state and is chaired by Nikema Williams.
The investigations in Jack Abramoff led to several plea agreements by those involved, including Congressman Bob Ney (R-OH). Abramoff himself also pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges, including tax fraud and bribing public officials. Abramoff's activities also became an issue that many Democratic candidates raised in the November 2006 House and Senate elections, as the challengers painted the incumbent Republican Congress as corrupted by Abramoff and his powerful allies. On March 29, 2006, Abramoff was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of more than $21 million.
The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Georgia:
Joseph A. Ferriero is an American Democratic Party political leader from New Jersey and former chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Organization. Ferriero, an attorney by profession, resides in Old Tappan.
The 2002 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 5, 2002. Former U.S. senator Frank Lautenberg was elected to an open seat over Republican businessman Doug Forrester after incumbent senator Robert Torricelli dropped out of the race on September 30, facing ethical misconduct allegations, a formal admonishment by the U.S. Senate, and falling poll numbers against Forrester.
Michael David Sanders is a Democratic Party politician in Independence, Missouri, who served as Jackson County, Missouri Prosecuting Attorney from 2002 to 2006, Jackson County executive from 2007 to 2015, and Chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party from 2011 to 2013.
David M. Nangle is an American state legislator and convicted felon who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1999 to 2020. He is a Lowell resident and a member of the Democratic Party. While a member of the House, he served as the chair of the House Ethics committee. In February 2021, Nangle pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements to a bank, and filing false tax returns and was sentenced to 15 months in prison and two years of supervised release. He was released from federal custody on November 10, 2022.
Reginald "Reggie" Fullwood is former a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives. From 2010 to 2014 and 2015 to 2016, he represented downtown Jacksonville in central Duval County.
Carmelo G. Garcia is an American politician, life coach and convicted felon from the state of New Jersey. He represented the 33rd Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly as part of the Democratic Party for one two-year term. In June 2024, he pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and bribery charges related to his time working for the Newark, New Jersey, city government from 2017 to 2019.
Pamela Harris is a Democratic politician who was a member of the New York State Assembly representing the 46th Assembly District from 2015 to 2018, covering the neighborhoods of Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Dyker Heights, and Seagate, in Brooklyn, until she resigned under a fraud indictment.
Nikema Natassha Williams is an American politician and political executive serving as the representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district and as Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. The district includes almost three-quarters of Atlanta. She was a member of the Georgia State Senate for the 39th district from 2017-2021. Williams served as one of 16 electors for Georgia in the Electoral College following the 2020 United States presidential election.
The 2020 United States presidential election in Georgia was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Georgia voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump of Florida, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence of Indiana against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware, and his running mate Senator Kamala Harris of California. Georgia has 16 electoral votes in the Electoral College.
In direct response to election changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 United States presidential election in Georgia; the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign launched numerous civil lawsuits contesting the election processes of Georgia. All of these were either dismissed or dropped.