Raymond Lederer

Raymond Francis Lederer (May 19, 1938 – December 1, 2008) was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district from 1977 to 1981. He was convicted of taking bribes in the 1980 Abscam scandal.

Raymond Lederer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 1977 – April 29, 1981
Preceded byBill Green
Succeeded byJoseph Smith
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 180th district
In office
January 2, 1973 – November 30, 1976
Preceded byWilliam Lederer
Succeeded byClifford Gray
Personal details
Born
Raymond Francis Lederer

(1938-05-19)May 19, 1938
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedDecember 1, 2008(2008-12-01) (aged 70)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Resting placeHoly Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseEileen Coyle
Children6
EducationSaint Joseph's University
Community College of Philadelphia
Pennsylvania State University

Early life

Lederer was born in Philadelphia on May 19, 1938, where he attended the local Catholic schools, graduating from Roman Catholic High School for Boys in 1956. He attended Saint Joseph's College of Philadelphia (now Saint Joseph's University) from 1960 to 1965, the Community College of Philadelphia from 1967 to 1969 and Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, in 1972. He worked as an assistant engineer for the Pennsylvania Department of Highways in 1957. He was a probation officer and later served as director of the Philadelphia Probation Department, during the period from 1967 to 1974. Lederer was a board member of the Pennsylvania Committee on Probation.[1]

Politics

Lederer was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he served from 1974 to 1977.[1] Lederer represented the same part of Philadelphia that had been served by both his father, Miles, and older brother, William. His sister-in-law, Marie, would also go on to serve in the State House.[2]

Congress

Lederer was elected to Congress in 1976 to represent Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district; Lederer won with 73% of the vote, defeating Republican candidate Terence J. Schade.[3] He took office on January 3, 1977.[1] While serving on the House Ways and Means Committee, he was able to direct shipments of fruit from Chile to be imported through the Port of Philadelphia.[4]

Lederer was re-elected in 1978 with almost 72% of the vote over Republican Raymond S. Kauffman.[5]

Abscam

Lederer was videotaped at a motel in New York on September 11, 1979, at a meeting with two undercover agents who presented themselves as representatives of a supposed Arab sheik. Accepting $50,000 in cash, he told the agents "I can give you me" in exchange for the money.[2]

After being implicated in the Abscam sting, Lederer was convicted of bribery on January 9, 1981, and sentenced to three years in prison and fined $20,000.[6][7] Despite his indictment in the scandal, Lederer was re-elected, unlike the other members of the House implicated in the Abscam scandal.[8][9] In the 1980 race, Lederer won with 54.5% of the vote, defeating Republican William J. Phillips, who had 32.8%, Consumer Party candidate Max Weiner with 9.5% and Independent John Morris with 3.2%.[10]

The United States House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct voted to expel him on April 28, 1981.[2] Lederer resigned the following day, citing "personal legal problems" that interfered with his ability to serve his constituents.[8] Joseph F. Smith ran in the Democratic Party primary in a race to succeed Lederer in a special election. After losing in the primary to David B. Glancey, chairman of the Democratic City Committee, Smith ran in the July 1981 special election as both an Independent and as a Republican (with the approval of the Republican Party) and defeated Glancey, having promised in his campaign to caucus with the Democrats if elected.[6][11]

Lederer served ten months in Allenwood Federal Prison. He later worked as a roofer. Lederer died on December 1, 2008, of lung cancer at age 70 and is interred at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.[2][4]

See also

References
  1. Raymond Francis Lederer, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 7, 2008.
  2. via Associated Press. "Raymond Lederer, Abscam Figure, Is Dead at 70 ", The New York Times, December 3, 2008. Accessed December 6, 2008.
  3. PA District 3 – 1976, Our Campaigns. Accessed December 6, 2008.
  4. Morrison, John F. (2008-12-02). "Raymond F. Lederer dies at 70". Philadelphia Daily News. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  5. PA District 3 – 1978, Our Campaigns. Accessed December 6, 2008.
  6. Rudin, Ken (2007-06-06). "The Equal-Opportunity Culture of Corruption". NPR. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  7. Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1987.
  8. Staff. "THE NATION; Exit Mr. Lederer", The New York Times, May 3, 1981. Accessed December 6, 2008.
  9. Via United Press International. "Re-Elected Congressman Begins Trial Today in Abscam Scandal" Archived 2012-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, Hartford Courant, January 5, 1981. Accessed December 6, 2008.
  10. PA District 3 – 1980, Our Campaigns. Accessed December 6, 2008.
  11. via United Press International. "special election"&st=cse "NEW HOUSE MEMBERS SWORN IN ", The New York Times, July 29, 1981. Accessed December 7, 2008.
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