Pat Swindall
Encyclopedia
Patrick Lynn Swindall Sr. (born October 18, 1950) is an American
politician.
Swindall was born in Gadsden, Alabama
. He graduated from Briarcliff High School
and with a Bachelor of Arts
(A.B.
) from the University of Georgia
(UGA) in 1972 and also obtained his J.D.
from the UGA School of Law
in 1975.
He was a practicing lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia from 1975 until 1984 when he ran as a Republican
for the United States House of Representatives
in Georgia's 4th congressional district
. After winning election to the 99th Congress
, Swindall was re-elected to the 100th Congress
. He lost his bid for re-election to the 101st Congress
in 1988.
In 1988, a federal grand jury indicted Swindall for perjury
. The cloud of controversy surrounding the indictments, further enhanced by videotapes publicly circulated via the local news channels, doomed his previously safe re-election bid in 1988. His Democratic opponent, Ben Jones, achieved a 60% to 40% victory despite heavy Republican sentiment in the suburban district. Even had Swindall not gotten into legal trouble, changing demographics of the district would have made it very hard for him to keep his seat as it was then configured. DeKalb County, once the beneficiary of white flight
from Atlanta, was now experiencing it as Republican voters were moving into farther-out suburban areas such as Gwinnett County
, leaving older neighborhoods to incoming middle-class (and thus highly Democratic) African-American voters.
Swindall was later convicted of nine counts of perjury in 1992 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. On appeal, the Eleventh Circuit reversed three of the nine counts of perjury. Swindall served one year in a Federal prison for the remaining six counts.
Upon his release from prison on February 9, 1995, Swindall hosted a religious-themed conservative radio show on the Providence Broadcasting Network. His show's motto was "Where religion and politics converge". When the Providence Broadcasting Network ceased operations, Swindall announced that he was going to "pursue a prison ministry". http://www.theism.net/authors/Zjordan/docs_files/saint_files/chaps/five/pbn.htm.
In June 2009, a Fulton County
grand jury indicted Swindall and two businessmen for making illegal campaign contributions to Atlanta City Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd. It also indicted them for making false statements because their actions concealed that Swindall was the actual source of the contributions. The donations were reported on Sheperd’s campaign disclosure forms as coming from other people.
In November 2009, he was involved in a confrontation with tenants at a flea market
location he had formerly leased; Swindall left after College Park
code enforcement
officers and police arrived.
Swindall is the owner of multiple businesses in Atlanta and College Park.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician.
Swindall was born in Gadsden, Alabama
Gadsden, Alabama
The city of Gadsden is the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama, and it is located about 65 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 103,459. Gadsden is closely associated with the...
. He graduated from Briarcliff High School
Briarcliff High School (DeKalb County, Georgia)
Briarcliff High School was a public high school opened by the DeKalb County School System in 1958 in order to relieve overcrowding at Druid Hills High School...
and with a Bachelor of Arts
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...
(A.B.
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...
) from the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
(UGA) in 1972 and also obtained his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the UGA School of Law
University of Georgia School of Law
The University of Georgia School of Law is a graduate school of the University of Georgia. Founded in 1859 and located in Athens, Georgia, USA, Georgia Law was formerly known as the Lumpkin School of Law. The Law School is the second oldest of the University's schools and colleges. The University...
in 1975.
He was a practicing lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia from 1975 until 1984 when he ran as 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...
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 Georgia's 4th congressional district
Georgia's 4th congressional district
Georgia's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The majority African American district includes parts of Dekalb, Rockdale, and Gwinnett counties in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, including North Atlanta, Decatur, and Lilburn...
. After winning election to the 99th Congress
99th United States Congress
The Ninety-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1985 to January 3, 1987, during the fifth and sixth...
, Swindall was re-elected to the 100th Congress
100th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President: George H.W. Bush * President pro tempore: John Stennis - Majority leadership :* Majority Leader, Democratic Conference Chairman, and Democratic Policy Committee Chairman: Robert Byrd...
. He lost his bid for re-election to the 101st Congress
101st United States Congress
The One Hundred First United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1989 to January 3, 1991, during the first two...
in 1988.
In 1988, a federal grand jury indicted Swindall for perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
. The cloud of controversy surrounding the indictments, further enhanced by videotapes publicly circulated via the local news channels, doomed his previously safe re-election bid in 1988. His Democratic opponent, Ben Jones, achieved a 60% to 40% victory despite heavy Republican sentiment in the suburban district. Even had Swindall not gotten into legal trouble, changing demographics of the district would have made it very hard for him to keep his seat as it was then configured. DeKalb County, once the beneficiary of white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
from Atlanta, was now experiencing it as Republican voters were moving into farther-out suburban areas such as Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County, Georgia
, Gwinnett County had a population of 805,321. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 53.3% white , 23.6% black , 2.7% Korean, 2.6% Asian Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 3.3% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.8% some other race and 3.1% from two or more races...
, leaving older neighborhoods to incoming middle-class (and thus highly Democratic) African-American voters.
Swindall was later convicted of nine counts of perjury in 1992 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. On appeal, the Eleventh Circuit reversed three of the nine counts of perjury. Swindall served one year in a Federal prison for the remaining six counts.
Upon his release from prison on February 9, 1995, Swindall hosted a religious-themed conservative radio show on the Providence Broadcasting Network. His show's motto was "Where religion and politics converge". When the Providence Broadcasting Network ceased operations, Swindall announced that he was going to "pursue a prison ministry". http://www.theism.net/authors/Zjordan/docs_files/saint_files/chaps/five/pbn.htm.
In June 2009, a Fulton County
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
grand jury indicted Swindall and two businessmen for making illegal campaign contributions to Atlanta City Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd. It also indicted them for making false statements because their actions concealed that Swindall was the actual source of the contributions. The donations were reported on Sheperd’s campaign disclosure forms as coming from other people.
In November 2009, he was involved in a confrontation with tenants at a flea market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
location he had formerly leased; Swindall left after College Park
College Park, Georgia
College Park is a city located partly in Fulton County, Georgia and partially in Clayton County, Georgia, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,942...
code enforcement
Code Enforcement
Code enforcement, sometimes encompassing law enforcement, is the act of enforcing a set of rules, principles, or laws and insuring observance of a system of norms or customs. An authority usually enforces a civil code, a set of rules, or a body of laws and compel those subject to their authority...
officers and police arrived.
Swindall is the owner of multiple businesses in Atlanta and College Park.