James Marcinkowski
Encyclopedia
James Marcinkowski is a former Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) case officer and former administrative staff attorney in the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office (Michigan
), and was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2006 election for the United States House of Representatives
in Michigan's 8th Congressional District. He is one of the former CIA agents who has spoken about the consequences of the Plame affair
.
, of Polish-American descent. After finishing high school in 1974, Marcinkowski, then 18, clerked in the Computer Systems Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
. In 1974, he enlisted in the United States Navy
, where, as an Operations Specialist he became an expert in anti-submarine warfare, was an
Air Controller, and collected shipboard intelligence on the Soviet Navy during the Cold War. He served aboard the
USS Rathburne FF-1057 and was a member of the commissioning crew of the USS John Rodgers DD-983.
Following assignments to the 3rd and 7th (Pacific) and the 2nd (Atlantic) Fleets, Marcinkowski returned to Michigan where he earned his B.A.
degree in Political Science from Michigan State University
in 1982. At Michigan State, Marcinkowski ran Ronald Reagan
's campus campaign in 1980 and served as the Michigan College Republican chairman in 1980-1982. In 1985 he earned a law degree from the University of Detroit School of Law.
and Central America
. It was in the CIA that he first met Valerie Plame
.
After leaving the CIA in 1989, Marcinkowski joined the Prosecutor's Office in Oakland County, Michigan
where, as an executive staff attorney, he established the first special prosecution unit for domestic violence
. In 1993, Marcinkowski abrubtly left the office, refusing to cooperate with the criminal probe of another assistant prosecutor who was arrested in a gambling
raid. He then publicly accused his former boss, Prosecutor Richard Thompson, of corruption and demanded an investigation by Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelly. After a review of the allegations, Kelly, a Democrat, declined the request citing a lack of "specific information" that Thompson, a Republican, broke any laws. That same year, Marcinkowski filed a lawsuit against Thompson claiming defamation and violation of his First Amendment
rights. The case was settled for $48,500.
Later, as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Royal Oak, Marcinkowski obtained the first criminal conviction of Jack Kevorkian
. He is a member of Teamsters Local 214.
A former resident of Oxford, Michigan
, he unsuccessfully ran as a Republican candidate for state representative in 1992 and township trustee in August 2000. A former member of the Young Republicans
, he made a $250 campaign contribution to George W. Bush
in 1999. Marcinkowski also made a total of $350 in contributions
to Republican Michael Cox
's successful 2002 run for Michigan Attorney General.
Marcinkowski, a resident of Lake Orion, Michigan
, is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan's 8th Congressional District (see map). The district is currently represented by Mike Rogers, a Republican from Brighton
.
James currently is the acting Vice President for the Atwater Commons HOA (Homeowner's Association)in Lake Orion, MI.
when he started at the CIA in September 1985. On July 22, 2005, Marcinkowski joined two other former CIA agents, Vincent Cannistraro
and Larry Johnson, in discussing the consequences of the Plame affair.
s CQPolitics.com announced that Marcinkowski's early campaign efforts had spurred it to change its rating of the race to "Republican Favored" from "Safe Republican". The article noted that Marcinkowski presents two logistical challenges that Republican Mike Rogers has not faced in either of his previous re-election bids: location and resources. Marcinkowski hails from the portion of Oakland County outside of Detroit at the eastern end of the 8th District. According to Congressional Quarterly, that gives Rogers, who is from Livingston County in the middle of the 8th, his first direct competition for votes in the portion annexed to the district in the most recent remap.
Campaign resources are also giving Marcinkowski an advantage over past candidates; he had enough money to launch a radio ad campaign in early June, putting him ahead of Rogers' past two underfinanced opponents. A May 4, 2006 article in Roll Call
noted that Marcinkowski raised more than $138,000 from January 1 to March 31, 2006 — about $11,000 more than Mike Rogers took in during that same period. 79 percent of Marcinkowski's money came from individual contributions, which, according to his comments in the article, translates into support on the ground in the district. According to Roll Call, Rogers received 63 percent of his first-quarter money from political action committee
s, while only 37 percent came from individual contributions. Marcinkowski told Roll Call, "It is way harder to raise money from working people than from the K Street Project
. I think it shows that we're connecting to people in the district."
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA) case officer and former administrative staff attorney in the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office (Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
), and was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2006 election for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in Michigan's 8th Congressional District. He is one of the former CIA agents who has spoken about the consequences of the Plame affair
Plame affair
The Plame Affair involved the identification of Valerie Plame Wilson as a covert Central Intelligence Agency officer. Mrs. Wilson's relationship with the CIA was formerly classified information...
.
Early life
Marcinkowski was born in Hamtramck, MichiganHamtramck, Michigan
Hamtramck is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,423. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion of the western border that touches the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park...
, of Polish-American descent. After finishing high school in 1974, Marcinkowski, then 18, clerked in the Computer Systems Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
. In 1974, he enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, where, as an Operations Specialist he became an expert in anti-submarine warfare, was an
Air Controller, and collected shipboard intelligence on the Soviet Navy during the Cold War. He served aboard the
USS Rathburne FF-1057 and was a member of the commissioning crew of the USS John Rodgers DD-983.
Following assignments to the 3rd and 7th (Pacific) and the 2nd (Atlantic) Fleets, Marcinkowski returned to Michigan where he earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Political Science from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in 1982. At Michigan State, Marcinkowski ran Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's campus campaign in 1980 and served as the Michigan College Republican chairman in 1980-1982. In 1985 he earned a law degree from the University of Detroit School of Law.
Career
After graduating from law school, Marcinkowski joined the CIA. He completed the Career Trainee Program and the Operations Course to become a case officer in the Agency's Directorate of Operations. He served as an Operations Officer in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. It was in the CIA that he first met Valerie Plame
Valerie Plame
Valerie Elise Plame Wilson , known as Valerie Plame, Valerie E. Wilson, and Valerie Plame Wilson, is a former United States CIA Operations Officer and the author of a memoir detailing her career and the events leading up to her resignation from the CIA.-Early life :Valerie Elise Plame was born on...
.
After leaving the CIA in 1989, Marcinkowski joined the Prosecutor's Office in Oakland County, Michigan
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
where, as an executive staff attorney, he established the first special prosecution unit for domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
. In 1993, Marcinkowski abrubtly left the office, refusing to cooperate with the criminal probe of another assistant prosecutor who was arrested in a gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
raid. He then publicly accused his former boss, Prosecutor Richard Thompson, of corruption and demanded an investigation by Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelly. After a review of the allegations, Kelly, a Democrat, declined the request citing a lack of "specific information" that Thompson, a Republican, broke any laws. That same year, Marcinkowski filed a lawsuit against Thompson claiming defamation and violation of his First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
rights. The case was settled for $48,500.
Later, as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Royal Oak, Marcinkowski obtained the first criminal conviction of Jack Kevorkian
Jack Kevorkian
Jacob "Jack" Kevorkian , commonly known as "Dr. Death", was an American pathologist, euthanasia activist, painter, composer and instrumentalist. He is best known for publicly championing a terminal patient's right to die via physician-assisted suicide; he said he assisted at least 130 patients to...
. He is a member of Teamsters Local 214.
A former resident of Oxford, Michigan
Oxford, Michigan
Oxford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,436 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Oxford Charter Township. The village occupies one square mile and is both politically and geographically a part of the township. The village calls itself...
, he unsuccessfully ran as a Republican candidate for state representative in 1992 and township trustee in August 2000. A former member of the 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 made a $250 campaign contribution to George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in 1999. Marcinkowski also made a total of $350 in contributions
to Republican Michael Cox
Michael Cox
Michael Cox may refer to:* Michael Cox , Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics* Michael Cox , Irish Palmarian Archbishop...
's successful 2002 run for Michigan Attorney General.
Marcinkowski, a resident of Lake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,973 at the 2010 census. "Lake Orion" is often used to describe both the village and the much larger Orion Township, of which the village is a part....
, is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan's 8th Congressional District (see map). The district is currently represented by Mike Rogers, a Republican from Brighton
Brighton, Michigan
Brighton is a principal satellite city of Metro Detroit located in the southeast portion of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,444. Brighton forms part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area...
.
James currently is the acting Vice President for the Atwater Commons HOA (Homeowner's Association)in Lake Orion, MI.
Plame affair
Marcinkowski trained with Valerie PlameValerie Plame
Valerie Elise Plame Wilson , known as Valerie Plame, Valerie E. Wilson, and Valerie Plame Wilson, is a former United States CIA Operations Officer and the author of a memoir detailing her career and the events leading up to her resignation from the CIA.-Early life :Valerie Elise Plame was born on...
when he started at the CIA in September 1985. On July 22, 2005, Marcinkowski joined two other former CIA agents, Vincent Cannistraro
Vincent Cannistraro
Vincent Cannistraro was Director of Intelligence Programs for the United States National Security Council from 1984 to 1987; Special assistant for Intelligence in the Office of the Secretary of Defense until 1988; and Chief of Operations and Analysis at the Central Intelligence Agency's ...
and Larry Johnson, in discussing the consequences of the Plame affair.
Congressional Campaign
On June 28, 2006, an article in Congressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
s CQPolitics.com announced that Marcinkowski's early campaign efforts had spurred it to change its rating of the race to "Republican Favored" from "Safe Republican". The article noted that Marcinkowski presents two logistical challenges that Republican Mike Rogers has not faced in either of his previous re-election bids: location and resources. Marcinkowski hails from the portion of Oakland County outside of Detroit at the eastern end of the 8th District. According to Congressional Quarterly, that gives Rogers, who is from Livingston County in the middle of the 8th, his first direct competition for votes in the portion annexed to the district in the most recent remap.
Campaign resources are also giving Marcinkowski an advantage over past candidates; he had enough money to launch a radio ad campaign in early June, putting him ahead of Rogers' past two underfinanced opponents. A May 4, 2006 article in Roll Call
Roll Call
Roll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States, from Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and on Mondays only during recess. Roll Call reports news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of...
noted that Marcinkowski raised more than $138,000 from January 1 to March 31, 2006 — about $11,000 more than Mike Rogers took in during that same period. 79 percent of Marcinkowski's money came from individual contributions, which, according to his comments in the article, translates into support on the ground in the district. According to Roll Call, Rogers received 63 percent of his first-quarter money from political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
s, while only 37 percent came from individual contributions. Marcinkowski told Roll Call, "It is way harder to raise money from working people than from the K Street Project
K Street Project
The K Street Project is an effort by the Republican Party to pressure Washington lobbying firms to hire Republicans in top positions, and to reward loyal GOP lobbyists with access to influential officials. It was launched in 1995 by Republican strategist Grover Norquist and then-House majority...
. I think it shows that we're connecting to people in the district."
Quotations
- Before you shine up your American flag lapel pinLapel pinA lapel pin is a small pin often worn on the lapel of a dress jacket. Lapel pins can be purely ornamental or can indicate the wearer's affiliation with an organization or cause; for example, American Flag lapel pins became very popular in the United States, especially among politicians, following...
and affix your patriotismPatriotismPatriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
to your sleeve, think about what the impact your actions will have on the security of the American people....Those who take pride in their political ability to divert the issue from the fundamental truth ought to be prepared to take their share of the responsibility for the continuing damage done to our national securityNational securityNational security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
. -testimony from his appearance before the Senate Democratic Policy Council
- Each time the leader of a political party opens his mouth in public to deflect responsibility, the word "overseas" is loud and clear—politics in this country does in fact trump national security.
- A blown cover probably happens more than anyone would like. But the deliberate exposure and identification of Ambassador [Joseph] WilsonJoseph Wilson-In politics:*Joe Wilson , Addison Graves "Joe" Wilson, Sr., , U.S. Representative from South Carolina*Joseph C. Wilson, former United States ambassador to Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe and husband of Valerie Plame Wilson...
's wife, by our own government, was unprecedented, unnecessary, harmful and dangerous.