Raymond F. Sullivan

Raymond Francis Sullivan (August 8, 1908–December 8, 1994) was an American politician who served on the Massachusetts Governor's Council from 1957 until his conviction for bribery in 1965.

Raymond F. Sullivan
Member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council from the 8th District
In office
1957–1965
Preceded byBruce Crane
Succeeded byPat Foley
Personal details
BornAugust 8, 1908
Springfield, Massachusetts
DiedDecember 8, 1994 (aged 86)
East Longmeadow, Massachusetts
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic

Early life

Sullivan was born on August 8, 1908, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He attended Sacred Heart School and Cathedral High School.[1] Sullivan worked in the retail grocery business and as a grocery product salesman before switching to insurance.[2]

Politics

Sullivan represented Ward 7 on the Springfield Board of Aldermen from 1946 to 1960. He was president of the board in 1946, 1952, 1953, and 1958.[1] He also served on the Springfield Property Committee. He and two other members of the committee were investigated in connection with the construction of the Duggan School, but no charges were ever filed.

In 1956, Sullivan was elected to the 8th District seat on the Massachusetts Governor's Council. After taking office, he controversially opened “an employment agency” to get state jobs for his constituents.[2] In 1959, state insurance commissioner Joseph A. Humphreys alleged that Sullivan pressured him into granting a Florida insurance company a licence to sell auto insurance. Sullivan denied the accusations.[3][4]

On October 13, 1964, Sullivan was one of four councilors indicted for soliciting and accepting bribes from Governor Foster Furcolo in exchange for voting in favor of the reappointment of state public works commissioner Anthony N. DiNatale.[5] Despite the indictment, Sullivan was reelected.[6] On September 28, 1965, Sullivan, Joseph Ray Crimmins, Michael Favulli, and Ernest C. Stasiun were found guilty of conspiracy and requesting bribes in connection with DiNatale's reappointment.[7] He was sentenced to two years in jail and began his sentence on March 21, 1967.[8]

References
  1. Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1961-62. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  2. "Sullivan Pursues Council Bid". The Boston Globe. October 14, 1964.
  3. "Probe Insurance Chief's Charge That Councilor Used 'Pressure'". The Boston Globe. February 27, 1959.
  4. "Springfield Councillor Charges Humphreys Seeks Reappointment". The Boston Globe. March 2, 1959.
  5. "Furcolo, Former Governor, Indicted In Massachusetts: He and 4 Other Politicians Charged With Conspiring To Arrange for a Bribe". The Wall Street Journal. October 14, 1964.
  6. "Council 7-1 Democratic; Indicted Pair Reelected". The Boston Globe. November 5, 1964.
  7. Negri, Gloria (September 29, 1965). "4 Councilors Guilty of Bribes, Conspiracy". The Boston Globe.
  8. "2d Stay Bid For Sullivan, Favulli Fails". The Boston Globe. March 16, 1967.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.