Dexter Lehtinen
Encyclopedia
Dexter Wayne Lehtinen is an American
attorney
, former politician
, interim U.S. Attorney for south Florida
and a law professor. He is the husband of U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
. He is of Finnish ancestry
.
in 1968 magna cum laude with a BA. He then graduated with an MA from Columbia University
and an MBA in 1974. In 1975, he graduated first in his class from Stanford Law School
. He was the Commander of the Corps of Cadets a member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society
society and president of the Florida Federation of College Young Republicans
. He received a Purple Heart
in 1971 for severe facial injuries during the Vietnam War
.
In 1980, Lehtinen ran for the Miami based-116th District of the Florida House of Representatives
. In the Democratic primary, he qualified for the run off with 44% of the vote in a three candidate race. In the September run off election, he defeated incumbent State Representative Gene Flinn. In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Chris Ferrer with 51% of the vote. In 1982, he won re-election, in the newly redrawn 118th district with 65%. In 1984, he won re-election unopposed.
In February 1985, he left the Democratic Party
to become a Republican
. This was only a few months before he married Republican State Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
. Lehtinen and his wife were both elected in 1986 to the Florida Senate
, He was elected in District 40 and she was elected in District 34.
took a "high-risk gamble" in naming Lehtinen to succeed Leon Kellner as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. His three biggest cases during his 3 ½ year tenure were the cases of former Panama
leader Manuel Noriega
, religious sect leader Yahweh Ben Yahweh
, and of Hialeah Mayor Raul L. Martinez
.
The U.S. Senate refused to act on his nomination and Lehtinen on January 13, 1992, called a news conference to announce his resignation. Lehtinen said his departure had nothing to do with a well- publicized internal Justice Department investigation of him because of the Martinez case. The Justice Department opened a case against Mr. Lehtinen on charges of "misconduct" and potential conflicts of interest for investigating a "a potential political rival of his wife."
Tribe of Florida Indians until May 2010. In November 2011, the same tribe filed a lawsuit against Lehtinen for alleged malpractice regarding tax advice. He also was a professor at University of Miami School of Law
and at Florida International University
.
, on June 9, 1984, while they were both serving in the Florida House of Representatives
. They have two children, Rodrigo Lehtinen
(born Amanda Michelle) and Patricia Marie. He was previously married to Donna L. Stevenson and had two children with her, Katherine and Douglas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, former politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, interim U.S. Attorney for south Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and a law professor. He is the husband of U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party....
. He is of Finnish ancestry
Finnish American
Finnish Americans are Americans of Finnish descent, who currently number about 700,000.-History:Some Finns, like the ancestors of John Morton, came to the Swedish colony of New Sweden, that existed in mid-17th century....
.
Early life and education
He graduated from the University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1968 magna cum laude with a BA. He then graduated with an MA from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and an MBA in 1974. In 1975, he graduated first in his class from Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
. He was the Commander of the Corps of Cadets a member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society
Iron Arrow Honor Society
The Iron Arrow Honor Society is a highly selective secret society and honor society at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for students, faculty, staff and alumni...
society and president of the Florida Federation of College Young Republicans
Young Republicans
The Young Republicans is an organization for members of the Republican Party of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. It has both a national organization and chapters in individual states....
. He received a Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
in 1971 for severe facial injuries during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Florida legislature
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
. In the Democratic primary, he qualified for the run off with 44% of the vote in a three candidate race. In the September run off election, he defeated incumbent State Representative Gene Flinn. In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Chris Ferrer with 51% of the vote. In 1982, he won re-election, in the newly redrawn 118th district with 65%. In 1984, he won re-election unopposed.
In February 1985, he left the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to become a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. This was only a few months before he married Republican State Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party....
. Lehtinen and his wife were both elected in 1986 to the Florida Senate
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
, He was elected in District 40 and she was elected in District 34.
U.S. Attorney for South Florida
In June 1988, he resigned his Florida Senate seat after Attorney General of the United States Edwin MeeseEdwin Meese
Edwin "Ed" Meese, III is an attorney, law professor, and author who served in official capacities within the Ronald Reagan Gubernatorial Administration , the Reagan Presidential Transition Team , and the Reagan White House , eventually rising to hold the position of the 75th Attorney General of...
took a "high-risk gamble" in naming Lehtinen to succeed Leon Kellner as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. His three biggest cases during his 3 ½ year tenure were the cases of former Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
leader Manuel Noriega
Manuel Noriega
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno is a Panamanian politician and soldier. He was military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989.The 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States removed him from power; he was captured, detained as a prisoner of war, and flown to the United States. Noriega was tried on...
, religious sect leader Yahweh Ben Yahweh
Yahweh ben Yahweh
Yahweh ben Yahweh was the adopted name of Hulon Mitchell, Jr. , founder and leader of the Nation of Yahweh, a black supremacist new religious movement founded in 1979....
, and of Hialeah Mayor Raul L. Martinez
Raul L. Martinez
Raul L. Martinez is a former mayor of Hialeah, Florida, United States. He is a Democrat and was mayor for 24 years, first elected in 1981 and was the Democratic congressional candidate for Florida's 21st congressional district in 2008.-Family:Former Hialeah Mayor Raul L...
.
The U.S. Senate refused to act on his nomination and Lehtinen on January 13, 1992, called a news conference to announce his resignation. Lehtinen said his departure had nothing to do with a well- publicized internal Justice Department investigation of him because of the Martinez case. The Justice Department opened a case against Mr. Lehtinen on charges of "misconduct" and potential conflicts of interest for investigating a "a potential political rival of his wife."
Post U.S. Attorney career
Lehtinen served as the general counsel for the MiccosukeeMiccosukee
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida are a federally recognized Native American tribe in the U.S. state of Florida. They were part of the Seminole nation until the mid-20th century, when they organized as an independent tribe, receiving federal recognition in 1962...
Tribe of Florida Indians until May 2010. In November 2011, the same tribe filed a lawsuit against Lehtinen for alleged malpractice regarding tax advice. He also was a professor at University of Miami School of Law
University of Miami School of Law
The University of Miami School of Law, founded in 1926, is the law school of the University of Miami, located in Coral Gables, Florida, in the United States. The school graduated its first class of 13 students in 1929.- Academics :...
and at Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
.
Personal life
He married Florida State Representative Ileana Ros-LehtinenIleana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party....
, on June 9, 1984, while they were both serving in the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
. They have two children, Rodrigo Lehtinen
Rodrigo Lehtinen
Rodrigo Lehtinen is a Cuban-American, transgender LGBT rights advocate and movie producer. Lehtinen is the eldest child of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Dexter Lehtinen and grandchild of Enrique Ros.Lehtinen is a graduate of Brown University and while attending there he was a member of Queer Alliance...
(born Amanda Michelle) and Patricia Marie. He was previously married to Donna L. Stevenson and had two children with her, Katherine and Douglas.