John E. Sweeney
Encyclopedia
John E. Sweeney is a politician
from the U.S. state
of New York
. A Republican
, he represented New York's 20th congressional district
in the United States House of Representatives
from January 1999 to January 2007. He was defeated for reelection in November 2006 by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand
.
. He graduated from Troy's Lansingburgh High School in 1973. He received an associate's degree from Hudson Valley Community College
in 1978 and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice from the Sage College of Albany
in 1981. In 1991, he received a J.D. from Western New England College
School of Law.
from 1995 to 1997. He was "Rensselaer County's one-time STOP-DWI coordinator."
Sweeney was elected to the House in 1998, winning with 55 percent of the vote over Democrat Jean Bordewich. The seat became open when veteran Republican Representative Gerald B. H. Solomon retired. Solomon endorsed Sweeney as his successor and campaigned for him.
Prior to the election, Sweeney moved from Cohoes
, which is outside the district, to Speigletown
, to run for the seat. He later moved to Clifton Park
.
In late 2006, he attempted to distance himself from his record of supporting the Bush Administration
. He votes in support of the positions of the Christian Coalition 69 percent of the time.
Sweeney opposed gun control
. He voted for prayer in public schools
on numerous occasions; the National Education Association
gives him an 18% approval rating.
Sweeney sponsored legislations that would create mandatory drug testing for all federal employees, and legislations that would ban all research pertaining to legalization
of drugs. He consistently voted to use federal agents to arrest, prosecute, and imprison medical marijuana patients in states where voters or legislators have extended protections to patients.
Sweeney supported human embryonic stem cell research. He voted for allowing federal funding for international abortion
groups, but has also voted against similar funding.
Sweeney voted for making it a federal crime to transport minors across state lines for an abortion. His record is 90% anti-abortion.
He opposed the Federal Marriage Amendment
, but supported a ban on adoptions by gays or other individuals who are not related by blood or marriage (HR 2587).
On economic matters, Sweeney supported free trade
and tax cuts, as well as social security
privatization
.
Sweeney opposed environmental protections and was given a "D" grade by EANY for opposing GE
dredging of PCB aka Polychlorinated biphenyl
from the Hudson River
.
In 2001, Sweeney voted against a bill that would require increasing average fuel efficiency
standards and offer incentives for alternative fuel
vehicles. (Bill HR 4).
Sweeney received an "F" on the Drum Major Institute
's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle class
issues.
, Sweeney has taken more campaign contributions from special interests than any other of New York's 29 Representatives.
Sweeney was also the seventh largest recipient of contributions from lobbyists out of all 435 House representatives in the 2006 election cycle.
opponent Eric Sundwall's ballot petitions, resulting in Sundwall's name being removed from the general election ballot.
Sweeney lost the general election on November 7, 2006 to Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand
with 47% of the vote.
(CREW) released its second annual report on members of Congress with ethics issues, titled "Beyond DeLay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and five to watch)". Sweeney was one of the 20. The organization said "His ethics issues stem from a ski trip to New York, the exchange of legislative assistance for campaign contributions and the hiring of his wife as a campaign fundraiser."
that disrupted the Florida
elections commissioners. He was said to have led the charge on the third recount in Miami, flying in astroturfing
GOP operatives and instructing them to "shut it down!" by raising a clamor and pounding on the election commission's doors. Sweeney used the words "thugs" to describe the Florida officials involved in the recount. He defended his actions in connection with the incident as "completely and absolutely legitimate" and declared that his intent was only to stop the canvassing board from withdrawing its activities from public view.
Sweeney spokeswoman Melissa Carlson said the congressman considers his wife "his best representative in the district when he's fund-raising." She said Ford, who had no previous fund-raising experience, receives a 10 percent commission on whatever she raises. Between January 2005 and April 2006, Ford was paid $30,879. Sweeney also has had a fundraising consultant on monthly retainer since June 2004, who is paid $8,583 a month.
Ford also works for Powers & Company, the lobbying firm of former state GOP Chairman William Powers
, Sweeney's longtime political ally and onetime boss.
The Winter Challenge was started in 1998 by Sweeney's House predecessor, Gerald Solomon
, with the declared purpose of showcasing the Olympic facilities at Lake Placid, New York
to congressmen and their staffers in hopes of getting federal funds; Sweeney has hosted the annual event since 1999.
In January 2006, Sweeney, his wife, and about 60 other people spent a four-day weekend at the facilities, competing against each other in skating, downhill skiing and bobsledding events. The group included Representative Pete Sessions
(R-TX
), a close friend of Sweeney and his wife; and aides to U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Senator Harry Reid
(D-NV
), Representative Randy Kuhl
(R-NY), and Representative Bart Stupak
(D-MI
). The weekend cost the Olympic Regional Development Authority
(ORDA) $27,500, plus in-kind services it provided and the costs of operating the Olympic venues for the competition (exact figures for the latter two were unavailable). ORDA is a part of the New York State government.
In the fall of 2005, the House ethics panel told Sweeney in a letter that he should be careful to let the Olympics groups invite guests to avoid the appearance of an endorsement by the House. "Once the ORDA and the U.S. Olympic Committee — without your involvement — have issued an initial invitation to House members and staff to take part in the trip, you may send a follow-up to that invitation", the ethics panel, known formally as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, wrote to Sweeney.
Invitations to the event officially come from ORDA and the U.S. Olympic Committee, a nonprofit group chartered by Congress. ORDA says the impetus for the event comes from the U.S. Olympic Committee. The U.S. Olympic Committee said it's really Sweeney's event. Three committees of the NY State Assembly have launched investigations of the Challenge, focusing on whether public money was put to good use. ORDA President Ted Blazer, speaking at one such hearing, said Sweeney's office helped assemble lists of possible invitees to the event.
Documents show that at least eight members of Congress, all Republicans, were also invited to attend the 2006 event but declined.
The official invitation for the event read: "While this trip has proven itself to be an enjoyable one for delegation members in the past, it is, nevertheless, an official trip authorized by the House and Senate Ethics Committees . . . intended to provide an opportunity for Members of Congress and Congressional staff to inspect and evaluate the manner in which federal funds have been used to strengthen the area's tourism industry."
Despite the House ethics rule requiring all travel paid by others to relate to members' official duties, and the ethic panel's letter that said that recreational activities must be "merely incidental to the trip", Sweeney has said that the panel said "it's perfectly appropriate for me to promote the event."
The group attending the event included at least 15 registered lobbyists, including Pete Card, a former staffer of Sweeney's and the brother of former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card
, and Lisi Kaufman, a lobbyist for United Technologies Corporation
, the sister of Andrew and Pete. In his request to the House ethics committee, Sweeney did not ask about lobbyists. A spokesman for ORDA said he does not know why the lobbyists were invited.
Seven of the lobbyists had contributed a total of $12,400 to Sweeney's campaign in 2005.
On November 2, 2006, the Albany Times Union reported that on October 31, John and Gaia Sweeney said they would give the New York State Police permission to release a report about the incident. They said that the report was inaccurate but have not disputed its contents. On November 17, 2006, the Times Union reported that there were two versions of the domestic violence report that had been prepared by the state police, one that was sent to them, doctored and lacking details, and the original report.
On July 22, 2007, the Albany Times Union reported that Gaia Sweeney, who was contesting a divorce action by her husband, said that he was often verbally abusive and at times physically abused her during their marriage. She also said that a statement she made on the eve of last fall's election, denying marital abuse, was "coerced
". Sweeney denied that he had been abusive; he had recently obtained a judicial order of protection against his wife.
(driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs) when he was arrested by New York State Police at 1:19 a.m. on November 11, 2007. The arrest occurred on the Adirondack Northway, a stretch of Interstate 87
that runs between Albany
and Lacolle
, Quebec
, Canada
. A law enforcement source said Sweeney's car had been swerving and that a 24-year-old woman was seated partially on his lap when spotted by a state trooper. The police reported "he had a woman on his lap when he was pulled over." Sweeney's blood alcohol content
registered at .18 percent, more than double the legal limit.
Sweeney was also former STOP-DWI coordinator in Rensselaer County, New York
. Sweeney issued this statement later that day: "I regret the occurrence. I deeply apologize to my family and friends. I take full responsibility and I am hoping to work for a fair resolution."
On November 14, 2007, Sweeney pleaded guilty to drunk driving, after his attorney vocally and publicly denied he was even drinking that evening. Sweeney paid a US$1,000 fine, but did not have to spend any time in jail. He had his license suspended for six months and had to attend a victim impact panel for drunken drivers.
test ordered by the officer, and according to a newspaper report, "Sweeney allegedly told the officers he would not pass the sobriety test, adding he was in 'big trouble.'" He was charged with felony
DWI, since Sweeney has had a prior DWI conviction within the past 10 years; thus the current charge is a felony On August 14, 2009 a grand jury
indicted
Sweeney on felony charges. Sweeney gets jail time for DWI. As part of his punishment, Sweeney will have to wear a device 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that detects alcohol. He must also perform 300 hours of community service in the form of pro bono legal work and pay a $1,000 fine, said Franklin County District Attorney Derek Champagne, who handled the case as a special prosecutor. Sweeney will also serve three years of probation
. He will be sentenced April 23.
. The group, formed to promote relations with Caribbean nations, took 11 trips to places like St. Croix, Montego Bay
and Key Biscayne
. The meetings, which included receptions with lobster
, caviar
and wine, were paid for by the Inter-American Economic Council, a non-profit funded by Stanford and totaled $311,307 in costs. Other members of the Caucus included convicted influence peddler Rep. Bob Ney
and close Sweeney friend Rep. Pete Sessions
. In 2004, Stanford hosted a wedding reception for Sweeney and his 34-year old girlfriend at the Pavilion Restaurant, owned by Stanford. At the time, Sweeney told the Antigua Sun “If it wasn’t for Allen, I certainly would not be here today."
. He is also divorced from his second wife, Gayle. He has been suffering significant health issues for some time, and is trying to quit smoking.
Sweeney's father was the leader of a shirt-cutter's union in Troy, NY.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. 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...
, he represented New York's 20th congressional district
New York's 20th congressional district
The 20th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in eastern New York. It includes all or parts of Columbia, Dutchess, Delaware, Essex, Greene, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties. It includes the...
in 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...
from January 1999 to January 2007. He was defeated for reelection in November 2006 by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...
.
Early life and education
Sweeney was born in Troy, New YorkTroy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. He graduated from Troy's Lansingburgh High School in 1973. He received an associate's degree from Hudson Valley Community College
Hudson Valley Community College
Hudson Valley Community College, a SUNY associated two-year college, is located in Troy in Rensselaer County, New York. Although about eighty percent of the students are from the local area, the remainder are from other parts of New York, other states and from some 30 countries around the...
in 1978 and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice from the Sage College of Albany
Sage College of Albany
Sage College of Albany, SCA for short, is located at 140 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York, 12208. Along with Russell Sage College and the Sage Graduate School, it is one of the three colleges that make up The Sage Colleges. It is also home to Sage After Work, which offers a variety of...
in 1981. In 1991, he received a J.D. from Western New England College
Western New England College
Western New England University is a private university in Springfield, Massachusetts. Academic programs are provided through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Engineering, School of Law, and College of Pharmacy....
School of Law.
Political career
Sweeney was the Executive Director & Chief Counsel of the New York Republican Party from 1992 to 1995, and New York State Commissioner of Labor under Governor George PatakiGeorge Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
from 1995 to 1997. He was "Rensselaer County's one-time STOP-DWI coordinator."
Election to the U.S. House of Representatives
Sweeney was elected to the House in 1998, winning with 55 percent of the vote over Democrat Jean Bordewich. The seat became open when veteran Republican Representative Gerald B. H. Solomon retired. Solomon endorsed Sweeney as his successor and campaigned for him.
Prior to the election, Sweeney moved from Cohoes
Cohoes, New York
Cohoes is an incorporated city located at the northeast corner of Albany County in the US state of New York. It is called the "Spindle City" because of the importance of textile production to its growth. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 16,168...
, which is outside the district, to Speigletown
Speigletown, New York
Speigletown, New York is a hamlet within the town of Schaghticoke, New York in Rensselaer County, New York, USA.It is located northeast of Troy, New York on New York State Route 40, which is named Speigletown Road in that section. It is near the Hudson River, which is the border of Saratoga County...
, to run for the seat. He later moved to Clifton Park
Clifton Park, New York
Clifton Park is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2009 population estimate for Clifton Park was 36,469. The name is derived from an early land patent...
.
Re-elections
In 2000, Sweeney defeated Democrat Kenneth McCallion, receiving 68 percent of the vote. In 2002, he defeated Frank Stoppenbach, getting 73 percent of the vote. In 2004, he defeated Doris F. Kelly, receiving 66 percent of the vote.Political positions
In 2006, Sweeney was classified as a Libertarian Conservative by the non-partisan group ontheissues.org.In late 2006, he attempted to distance himself from his record of supporting the Bush Administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
. He votes in support of the positions of the Christian Coalition 69 percent of the time.
Sweeney opposed gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
. He voted for prayer in public schools
School prayer
School prayer in its common usage refers to state-approved prayer by students in state schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, organized prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited...
on numerous occasions; the National Education Association
National Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
gives him an 18% approval rating.
Sweeney sponsored legislations that would create mandatory drug testing for all federal employees, and legislations that would ban all research pertaining to legalization
Legalization
Legalization is the process of removing a legal prohibition against something which is currently not legal.Legalization is a process often applied to what are regarded, by those working towards legalization, as victimless crimes, of which one example is the consumption of illegal drugs .Those...
of drugs. He consistently voted to use federal agents to arrest, prosecute, and imprison medical marijuana patients in states where voters or legislators have extended protections to patients.
Sweeney supported human embryonic stem cell research. He voted for allowing federal funding for international abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
groups, but has also voted against similar funding.
Sweeney voted for making it a federal crime to transport minors across state lines for an abortion. His record is 90% anti-abortion.
He opposed the Federal Marriage Amendment
Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
, but supported a ban on adoptions by gays or other individuals who are not related by blood or marriage (HR 2587).
On economic matters, Sweeney supported free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
and tax cuts, as well as social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
.
Sweeney opposed environmental protections and was given a "D" grade by EANY for opposing GE
Gê
Gê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....
dredging of PCB aka Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
from the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
In 2001, Sweeney voted against a bill that would require increasing average fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is...
standards and offer incentives for alternative fuel
Alternative fuel
Alternative fuels, known as non-conventional or advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels...
vehicles. (Bill HR 4).
Sweeney received an "F" on the Drum Major Institute
Drum Major Institute
The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy is a non-profit American progressive public policy institute founded during the Civil Rights Movement...
's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
issues.
Campaign contributions
According to EMILY's ListEMILY's List
EMILY's List is a political action committee in the United States that aims to help elect female candidates to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1984....
, Sweeney has taken more campaign contributions from special interests than any other of New York's 29 Representatives.
Sweeney was also the seventh largest recipient of contributions from lobbyists out of all 435 House representatives in the 2006 election cycle.
2006 re-election campaign loss
In August 2006, Sweeney's allies filed successfully against signatures on LibertarianLibertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
opponent Eric Sundwall's ballot petitions, resulting in Sundwall's name being removed from the general election ballot.
Sweeney lost the general election on November 7, 2006 to Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...
with 47% of the vote.
Controversies
In September 2006, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
(CREW) released its second annual report on members of Congress with ethics issues, titled "Beyond DeLay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and five to watch)". Sweeney was one of the 20. The organization said "His ethics issues stem from a ski trip to New York, the exchange of legislative assistance for campaign contributions and the hiring of his wife as a campaign fundraiser."
Role in Florida recount in 2000
During the 2000 election, Sweeney allegedly helped earn his nickname from President Bush, "Congressman Kickass," by organizing the so-called Brooks Brothers riotBrooks Brothers riot
The Brooks Brothers riot is the term coined to describe the demonstration at a meeting of election canvassers in Miami-Dade County, Florida on November 19, 2000, during a recount of votes made during the 2000 United States presidential election...
that disrupted the 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...
elections commissioners. He was said to have led the charge on the third recount in Miami, flying in astroturfing
Astroturfing
Astroturfing is a form of advocacy in support of a political, organizational, or corporate agenda, designed to give the appearance of a "grassroots" movement. The goal of such campaigns is to disguise the efforts of a political and/or commercial entity as an independent public reaction to some...
GOP operatives and instructing them to "shut it down!" by raising a clamor and pounding on the election commission's doors. Sweeney used the words "thugs" to describe the Florida officials involved in the recount. He defended his actions in connection with the incident as "completely and absolutely legitimate" and declared that his intent was only to stop the canvassing board from withdrawing its activities from public view.
Wife as fundraiser
On April 11, 2003, Sweeney began paying a company called Creative Consulting for fund-raising. The company had been founded a day earlier by Gaia "Gayle" Ford. Between April 2003 and December 2003, Sweeney's campaign paid $42,570 to the firm. Sweeney proposed to Ford in September 2003 and married her in 2004.Sweeney spokeswoman Melissa Carlson said the congressman considers his wife "his best representative in the district when he's fund-raising." She said Ford, who had no previous fund-raising experience, receives a 10 percent commission on whatever she raises. Between January 2005 and April 2006, Ford was paid $30,879. Sweeney also has had a fundraising consultant on monthly retainer since June 2004, who is paid $8,583 a month.
Ford also works for Powers & Company, the lobbying firm of former state GOP Chairman William Powers
William Powers
William Powers may refer to:*William C. Powers, president of The University of Texas at Austin*William T. Powers, scientist associated with Perceptual Control Theory*William Powers , former New York state Republican Party chairman...
, Sweeney's longtime political ally and onetime boss.
The Winter Challenge was started in 1998 by Sweeney's House predecessor, Gerald Solomon
Gerald B.H. Solomon
Gerald Brooks Hunt Solomon was a New York Republican politician.Born in Okeechobee, Florida, Solomon attended the public schools in Delmar, New York as a child, later attending Siena College from 1949 to 1950 and St. Lawrence University from 1953 to 1954. He served in the United States Marine...
, with the declared purpose of showcasing the Olympic facilities at Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
to congressmen and their staffers in hopes of getting federal funds; Sweeney has hosted the annual event since 1999.
In January 2006, Sweeney, his wife, and about 60 other people spent a four-day weekend at the facilities, competing against each other in skating, downhill skiing and bobsledding events. The group included Representative Pete Sessions
Pete Sessions
Peter Anderson Sessions is a politician from the state of Texas. He is a Republican, and currently represents the 32nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the current Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee-Personal:Sessions was born in Waco,...
(R-TX
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
), a close friend of Sweeney and his wife; and aides to U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Senator Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
(D-NV
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
), Representative Randy Kuhl
Randy Kuhl
John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. is an American Republican politician, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He represented New York's 29th congressional district for two terms before being defeated for reelection by Eric Massa on November 4, 2008 by margin of...
(R-NY), and Representative Bart Stupak
Bart Stupak
Bartholomew Thomas "Bart" Stupak is a lobbyist and American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as the U.S. Representative from from 1993 to 2011....
(D-MI
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"....
). The weekend cost the Olympic Regional Development Authority
Olympic Regional Development Authority
The Olympic Regional Development Authority is a New York State public benefit corporations, created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid, New York...
(ORDA) $27,500, plus in-kind services it provided and the costs of operating the Olympic venues for the competition (exact figures for the latter two were unavailable). ORDA is a part of the New York State government.
In the fall of 2005, the House ethics panel told Sweeney in a letter that he should be careful to let the Olympics groups invite guests to avoid the appearance of an endorsement by the House. "Once the ORDA and the U.S. Olympic Committee — without your involvement — have issued an initial invitation to House members and staff to take part in the trip, you may send a follow-up to that invitation", the ethics panel, known formally as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, wrote to Sweeney.
Invitations to the event officially come from ORDA and the U.S. Olympic Committee, a nonprofit group chartered by Congress. ORDA says the impetus for the event comes from the U.S. Olympic Committee. The U.S. Olympic Committee said it's really Sweeney's event. Three committees of the NY State Assembly have launched investigations of the Challenge, focusing on whether public money was put to good use. ORDA President Ted Blazer, speaking at one such hearing, said Sweeney's office helped assemble lists of possible invitees to the event.
Documents show that at least eight members of Congress, all Republicans, were also invited to attend the 2006 event but declined.
The official invitation for the event read: "While this trip has proven itself to be an enjoyable one for delegation members in the past, it is, nevertheless, an official trip authorized by the House and Senate Ethics Committees . . . intended to provide an opportunity for Members of Congress and Congressional staff to inspect and evaluate the manner in which federal funds have been used to strengthen the area's tourism industry."
Despite the House ethics rule requiring all travel paid by others to relate to members' official duties, and the ethic panel's letter that said that recreational activities must be "merely incidental to the trip", Sweeney has said that the panel said "it's perfectly appropriate for me to promote the event."
The group attending the event included at least 15 registered lobbyists, including Pete Card, a former staffer of Sweeney's and the brother of former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card
Andrew Card
Andrew Hill Card, Jr. is a Republican American politician, former United States Cabinet member, and head of President George W. Bush's White House Iraq Group. Card served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President George H. W. Bush and the White House Chief of Staff under George W. Bush...
, and Lisi Kaufman, a lobbyist for United Technologies Corporation
United Technologies Corporation
United Technologies Corporation is an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in the United Technologies Building in Hartford, Connecticut...
, the sister of Andrew and Pete. In his request to the House ethics committee, Sweeney did not ask about lobbyists. A spokesman for ORDA said he does not know why the lobbyists were invited.
Seven of the lobbyists had contributed a total of $12,400 to Sweeney's campaign in 2005.
Domestic violence report
On October 31, 2006, the Albany Times Union reported that it had obtained a document stating that "[t]he wife of U.S. Rep. John Sweeney called police last December to complain her husband was 'knocking her around' during a late-night argument at the couple's home." The responding officers filed a domestic incident report. The report states that Sweeney grabbed his wife "by the neck" and pushed her around the house.On November 2, 2006, the Albany Times Union reported that on October 31, John and Gaia Sweeney said they would give the New York State Police permission to release a report about the incident. They said that the report was inaccurate but have not disputed its contents. On November 17, 2006, the Times Union reported that there were two versions of the domestic violence report that had been prepared by the state police, one that was sent to them, doctored and lacking details, and the original report.
On July 22, 2007, the Albany Times Union reported that Gaia Sweeney, who was contesting a divorce action by her husband, said that he was often verbally abusive and at times physically abused her during their marriage. She also said that a statement she made on the eve of last fall's election, denying marital abuse, was "coerced
Coercion
Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to behave in an involuntary manner by use of threats or intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. In law, coercion is codified as the duress crime. Such actions are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way...
". Sweeney denied that he had been abusive; he had recently obtained a judicial order of protection against his wife.
November 2007 DWI
Sweeney was charged with aggravated DWIDWI
DWI is an acronym which means:* Driving while intoxicated, see Driving under the influence* Driving while impaired* Danish West Indies* Diffusion-weighted imaging, a technique used in magnetic resonance imaging* Drinking Water Inspectorate...
(driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs) when he was arrested by New York State Police at 1:19 a.m. on November 11, 2007. The arrest occurred on the Adirondack Northway, a stretch of Interstate 87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
that runs between Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
and Lacolle
Lacolle, Quebec
Lacolle is a municipality in southern Quebec, Canada located in the administrative area of the Montérégie. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 2,512...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. A law enforcement source said Sweeney's car had been swerving and that a 24-year-old woman was seated partially on his lap when spotted by a state trooper. The police reported "he had a woman on his lap when he was pulled over." Sweeney's blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content , also called blood alcohol concentration, blood ethanol concentration, or blood alcohol level is most commonly used as a metric of alcohol intoxication for legal or medical purposes....
registered at .18 percent, more than double the legal limit.
Sweeney was also former STOP-DWI coordinator in Rensselaer County, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Sweeney issued this statement later that day: "I regret the occurrence. I deeply apologize to my family and friends. I take full responsibility and I am hoping to work for a fair resolution."
On November 14, 2007, Sweeney pleaded guilty to drunk driving, after his attorney vocally and publicly denied he was even drinking that evening. Sweeney paid a US$1,000 fine, but did not have to spend any time in jail. He had his license suspended for six months and had to attend a victim impact panel for drunken drivers.
April 2009 DWI arrest
Early on the morning of April 5, 2009, Sweeney was pulled over by state police for speeding. He refused a breathalyzerBreathalyzer
A breathalyzer or breathalyser is a device for estimating blood alcohol content from a breath sample...
test ordered by the officer, and according to a newspaper report, "Sweeney allegedly told the officers he would not pass the sobriety test, adding he was in 'big trouble.'" He was charged with felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
DWI, since Sweeney has had a prior DWI conviction within the past 10 years; thus the current charge is a felony On August 14, 2009 a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
Sweeney on felony charges. Sweeney gets jail time for DWI. As part of his punishment, Sweeney will have to wear a device 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that detects alcohol. He must also perform 300 hours of community service in the form of pro bono legal work and pay a $1,000 fine, said Franklin County District Attorney Derek Champagne, who handled the case as a special prosecutor. Sweeney will also serve three years of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
. He will be sentenced April 23.
Ties to Allen Stanford
Sweeney was part of a group of lawmakers known as the Caribbean Caucus, sponsored by disgraced financier Allen StanfordAllen Stanford
Robert Allen Stanford is a former prominent financier and sponsor of professional sports who is in prison awaiting trial on charges his investment company was a massive Ponzi scheme and fraud. Stanford was the chairman of the now defunct Stanford Financial Group of Companies. A fifth-generation...
. The group, formed to promote relations with Caribbean nations, took 11 trips to places like St. Croix, Montego Bay
Montego Bay
Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish and the second largest city in Jamaica by area and the fourth by population .It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, cruise line terminal and the beaches...
and Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami...
. The meetings, which included receptions with lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
, caviar
Caviar
Caviar, sometimes called black caviar, is a luxury delicacy, consisting of processed, salted, non-fertilized sturgeon roe. The roe can be "fresh" or pasteurized, the latter having much less culinary and economic value....
and wine, were paid for by the Inter-American Economic Council, a non-profit funded by Stanford and totaled $311,307 in costs. Other members of the Caucus included convicted influence peddler Rep. Bob Ney
Bob Ney
Robert William Ney is an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. A Republican, Ney represented Ohio's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 until November 3, 2006, when he resigned...
and close Sweeney friend Rep. Pete Sessions
Pete Sessions
Peter Anderson Sessions is a politician from the state of Texas. He is a Republican, and currently represents the 32nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the current Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee-Personal:Sessions was born in Waco,...
. In 2004, Stanford hosted a wedding reception for Sweeney and his 34-year old girlfriend at the Pavilion Restaurant, owned by Stanford. At the time, Sweeney told the Antigua Sun “If it wasn’t for Allen, I certainly would not be here today."
Personal life
Sweeney has three children from his first marriage. He lives in Clifton Park, New YorkClifton Park, New York
Clifton Park is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2009 population estimate for Clifton Park was 36,469. The name is derived from an early land patent...
. He is also divorced from his second wife, Gayle. He has been suffering significant health issues for some time, and is trying to quit smoking.
Sweeney's father was the leader of a shirt-cutter's union in Troy, NY.