Bill Delahunt | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2008 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's10th district | |
| In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Gerry Studds |
| Succeeded by | Bill Keating |
| District Attorney ofNorfolk County | |
| In office January 1975 – January 1997 | |
| Preceded by | George G. Burke |
| Succeeded by | Jeffrey Locke |
| Member of theMassachusetts House of Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph E. Brett |
| Succeeded by | James A. Sheets |
| Constituency | 3rd Norfolk district (1973–1974) 4th Norfolk district (1974–1975) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William David Delahunt (1941-07-18)July 18, 1941 Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 30, 2024(2024-03-30) (aged 82) Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Katharina E. Delahunt (divorced) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Middlebury College (AB) Boston College (LLB) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Coast Guard |
| Years of service | 1963–1971 |
| Unit | Reserves |
William David Delahunt[1] (/ˈdɛləhʌnt/;[2] July 18, 1941 – March 30, 2024) was an American lawyer and politician fromMassachusetts. A member of theDemocratic Party, he served in theU.S. House of Representatives representingMassachusetts's 10th congressional district from 1997 to 2011. Delahunt did not seek re-election in 2010, and left Congress in January 2011. He was succeeded by Norfolk County District AttorneyBill Keating.
Delahunt was born inQuincy, Massachusetts, on July 18, 1941.[3] He was educated atThayer Academy,Middlebury College, andBoston College Law School.[4] He served as aradarman (RD3) in theUnited States Coast Guard in 1963 and theUnited States Coast Guard Reserve from 1963 to 1971.[5][6]
Delahunt was elected as acity councillor for Quincy, taking office in January 1972.[7] He served a term in theMassachusetts House of Representatives from 1973 to 1975 before serving asdistrict attorney ofNorfolk County from 1975 to 1996.[8]
In 1996, Democratic CongressmanGerry Studds decided to retire. Delahunt decided to run forMassachusetts's 10th congressional district. On September 17, 1996, Delahunt won the Democraticprimary election with a plurality of 38% of the vote. He won thePlymouth County portion of the district, while losing theNorfolk County portion. He narrowly defeated state legislatorPhilip W Johnston ofMarshfield by just 119 votes[9] after arecount, which was conducted in a handful of contested towns. Following the recount, Delahunt sought judicial review in theMassachusetts Superior Court. After reviewing about 900 ballots, Judge Elizabeth B. Donovan declared Delahunt the victor. The case was appealed to theMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which upheld the lower court ruling.[10] The case had the issue of "hanging chads" in punch-card voting machines.[10] On November 5, 1996, Delahunt defeated Republican state RepresentativeEdward B. Teague III 54%–42%.[11]
Delahunt won re-election six times, defeating his opponent by at least 32 percentage points each time.[12] On March 4, 2010,The Boston Globe confirmed that Delahunt would retire that year rather than seek reelection for an eighth term.[13] Shortly before the announcement of his retirement, it was discovered that Delahunt, while serving as district attorney for Norfolk County, Massachusetts, had refused to file charges against Amy Bishop for shooting and killing her brother in 1986. On February 12, 2010, Bishopmurdered three of her colleagues at theUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville after being denied tenure.[14][15]
As one of his first initiatives in Congress, Delahunt created the bipartisan caucus on theUnited States Coast Guard in 1999,[16] which he co-chaired with two other Coast Guard veterans, Reps.Howard Coble (R-NC) andGene Taylor (D-MS). This benefited his district through getting the problems of outpaced resources and security recognized at the ports of Massachusetts.[16]
In November 2005, Delahunt met withPresident of VenezuelaHugo Chávez to arrange an assistance program in which Venezuela would supply winter home heating oil at a 40 percent price reduction to thousands of low-income Massachusetts residents.[17] The program, which has since been expanded to help 500,000 people across the U.S., was carried out via the Venezuelan ownedCitgo,[18] and brought accusations that Delahunt was assisting an anti-American leader. Delahunt, however, sometimes criticized Chávez, such as in a September 2006 letter expressing disgust at a speech given by Chávez to theUnited Nations, in which he personally attackedPresidentGeorge W. Bush, calling it "silly" and "inappropriate".[19]
In the110th U.S. Congress, Delahunt served as the chair of theUnited States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight.[20]
Delahunt was a consistent opponent of thewar in Iraq.[21] However, on March 10, 2010, he voted against a measure to bring troops home from Afghanistan.[22]
Delahunt was a member of theUnited States House Foreign Affairs Committee,Judiciary Committee, House Older Americans Caucus, and the Congressional Working Group onCuba. In 1999, he co-founded thebipartisan Coast Guard Caucus. The Coast Guard presented him with theirDistinguished Public Service Award in June 2010.[16]
Upon Delahunt's retirement, he formed the Delahunt Group,[23] a lobbying firm ("multi-service consulting firm focused on Government Affairs, International Market Entry Strategies, Corporate and Development Advisory, Federal and State Funding, and Appropriations, Regulatory and Permitting Assistance, Public Policy Strategies and Public Relations"). Delahunt told theCape Cod Times that he viewed it as an extension of his work in Congress. As a legislator, he explained, he set policy at a macro level. Now, he said: "we're taking that and bringing it down here to the communities, to encourage implementation. We're working with the private sector and the public sector in a way that's a win-win for everyone." He told theTimes he was particularly interested in work that encourages regional tourism and economic development."[24]
Less than two months after leaving Congress, Delahunt lobbied on behalf of theWampanoag people in Massachusetts to help them secure Indian gaming rights with the state legislature. Delahunt filled a gap left by the Wampanoag's previous lobbyistJack Abramoff following his conviction associated with the renownedJack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal. Delahunt received over $15,000 in campaign contributions from the Wampanoag and Abramoff prior to leaving office sparking criticisms from good government advocates and casino opponents. While Delahunt was precluded by law from lobbying the Congress for at least one year, rules did not preclude him from lobbying state legislatures.[25]
Delahunt formally announced his retirement from Congress in March 2010. Between March and December 2010, he made over $10,000 in campaign contributions to Massachusetts state legislators from his federal congressional PAC – a 500 percent increase from previous years' contributions.[26]
Delahunt also established a lobbying partnership with the Washington, DC–based Prime Policy Group on ways American companies can establish themselves in foreign countries while helping foreign businesses with connections to in United States markets.[27] Prime Policy Group's clients include companies likeAccenture,[28] which have been criticized for moving offshore to avoid paying U.S. taxes. This partnership dovetails with Delahunt's work on behalf of the Wampanoag as their primary backers are the Malaysian gambling giantGenting Group. Genting is seeking to establish a foothold in the United States with ventures in New York, Miami and Massachusetts. The Wampanoag venture, if approved, would give Genting a tax-free foothold inIndian gaming in the United States.[29]
Delahunt, who was President of Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc.,[30] applied for three medicalmarijuana dispensary licenses from the Massachusetts state Department of Public Health. The businesses would be located inMashpee,Plymouth andTaunton. The locations were all planned to be in separate counties, so they would not compete with each other in the selection process.[31]
Delahunt supported the creation of medicalmarijuana dispensaries to thwart the rise in prescription drug abuse. He was also significantly involved in the operations of any of thedispensaries that Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts opens.[31]
In September 2014, Delahunt resigned from his position as President of Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc. after the licenses for his planned dispensaries were rejected by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.[32]
In late May 2017, Delahunt became the acting director of theHarvard Institute of Politics.[33]
In 2013, Delahunt helped free a U.S. citizen who was imprisoned by the Venezuelan government.[34]
Delahunt's paternal grandfather immigrated to the United States from Canada and his paternal grandmother's family was Irish.[35]
Bill Delahunt and his wife, Katharina, divorced in 1986. They had one daughter, Kristin, and adopted another, Kara Mai (née Nguyen Mai Tai Trang), fromVietnam in 1975. While Congress was in session, Delahunt lived in a rented house with fellow Democratic politiciansGeorge Miller,Chuck Schumer, andRichard Durbin.[36]
At the time of his death, he was engaged to Julie Pagano.[37]
Delahunt died at his Quincy home on March 30, 2024, at the age of 82.[37]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 10th congressional district 1997–2011 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| People | |
