Richard Kelly (politician)
Encyclopedia
Richard Kelly was an American
politician from Florida
. He was the only Republican convicted of taking bribes in the 1980 Abscam
scandal.
, and attended high school in Florida
. He served in the United States Marine Corps
from 1942 to 1946, attended colleges in Colorado
and Tennessee
and graduated from the Fredric G. Levin College of Law in Florida with a Juris Doctor
in 1952. He was admitted to the Florida bar the same year and practiced in Zephyrhills
. In 1953, he became city attorney of Zephyrhills and worked from 1956 to 1959 as senior assistant to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
. Kelly was appointed circuit judge of the sixth judicial circuit of Florida
and served from 1960 to 1974, when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives
as a Republican
.
scandal and failed to win renomination, losing to Bill McCollum
. He was convicted of taking $25,000 in bribes. Kelly claimed he had conducted his own undercover operation and spent part of the money to maintain his cover, but was convicted and spent 13 months in federal prison.
Kelly died August 22, 2005, in Stevensville, Montana
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician from 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...
. He was the only Republican convicted of taking bribes in the 1980 Abscam
Abscam
Abscam was a United States Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation run from the FBI's Hauppauge, Long Island, office in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
scandal.
Early life and career
Kelly was born July 31, 1924, in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, and attended high school in 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...
. He served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
from 1942 to 1946, attended colleges in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and graduated from the Fredric G. Levin College of Law in Florida with a Juris Doctor
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...
in 1952. He was admitted to the Florida bar the same year and practiced in Zephyrhills
Zephyrhills, Florida
Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida. The population was 10,833 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 11,854. It is a suburb of the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In 1953, he became city attorney of Zephyrhills and worked from 1956 to 1959 as senior assistant to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida is the United States Attorney responsible for representing the federal government in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida....
. Kelly was appointed circuit judge of the sixth judicial circuit of Florida
Florida Circuit Courts
The Florida Circuit Courts are state courts. They are trial courts of original jurisdiction for most controversies. In Florida, the circuit courts are one of four types of courts created by the Florida Constitution .The Circuit Courts primarily handle civil cases where...
and served from 1960 to 1974, when he was elected to 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...
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...
.
Abscam scandal and later life
In 1980, Kelly was involved in the AbscamAbscam
Abscam was a United States Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation run from the FBI's Hauppauge, Long Island, office in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
scandal and failed to win renomination, losing to Bill McCollum
Bill McCollum
Ira William "Bill" McCollum, Jr. is a former Florida Attorney General. A Republican, he was Florida's 36th attorney general, taking office in 2007...
. He was convicted of taking $25,000 in bribes. Kelly claimed he had conducted his own undercover operation and spent part of the money to maintain his cover, but was convicted and spent 13 months in federal prison.
Kelly died August 22, 2005, in Stevensville, Montana
Stevensville, Montana
Stevensville is a town in Ravalli County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,553 at the 2000 census.-History:Stevensville is officially recognized as the first permanent settlement in the state of Montana...
.