Daniel Flood | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's11th district | |
| In office January 3, 1955 – January 31, 1980 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Bonin |
| Succeeded by | Ray Musto |
| In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Mitchell Jenkins |
| Succeeded by | Edward Bonin |
| In office January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | John Murphy |
| Succeeded by | Mitchell Jenkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Daniel John Flood (1903-11-26)November 26, 1903 Hazleton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 28, 1994(1994-05-28) (aged 90) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Catherine Swank |
| Education | Syracuse University (BA) Harvard University Dickinson School of Law (LLB) |
Daniel John Flood[1] (November 26, 1903 – May 28, 1994) was an American attorney and politician, a flamboyant and long-servingDemocraticUnited States Representative fromPennsylvania. First elected to the US House in 1944, he served continuously from 1955 to 1980. Flood was credited with leading the effort to help theWilkes-Barre area recover after the 1972 effects of theAgnes Flood.
A trial on bribery charges that Flood had accepted more than $50,000 in payoffs ended with a hung jury.A retrial, was repeatedly delayed because of treatment for several ailments, federal prosecutors suggested that treatments were being postponed as a stalling measure.[2]
In February 1980, Flood pleaded guilty to a single count of payoffs, and placed on probation for one year.[3]
He was censured for bribery in 1980 and resigned from the House.[4]
Flood was born into an ethnic Irish family inHazleton inNortheastern Pennsylvania, the son of Sarah (McCarthy) and Patrick Flood.[5][6] He attended the public schools ofWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, andSt. Augustine, Florida. He graduated fromSyracuse University in 1924. He attendedHarvard Law School and was graduated fromDickinson School of Law inCarlisle in 1929.
He was admitted to the bar in 1930 and opened a practice in Wilkes-Barre. He was an attorney for the federalHome Owners' Loan Corporation in 1934 and 1935, during theGreat Depression. He joined the Democratic Party, inspired by PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt.
Flood studied acting in his early school days, a skill he fancied and often used while serving as a member of Congress. Flood sported a signature waxedmoustache from that time throughout his career, and had a penchant for wearing white suits. His flamboyant style, dress and speech were often compared to that of aShakespearean actor. He persuaded his friendJames Karen to begin his acting career, recruiting him into a production at theLittle Theatre of Wilkes-Barre. He met his wife Catherine Swank when they were both cast in a production at the same theatre.
Flood was appointed as the deputy attorney general for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and counsel for thePennsylvania Liquor Control Board from 1935 to 1939. In 1941, he was appointed director of the State Bureau of Public Assistance Disbursements by State TreasurerG. Harold Wagner,[7] and executive assistant to the State Treasurer from 1941 to 1944.
Flood made his first run for office in 1942, when he was the Democratic candidate in a special election to replace CongressmanJ. Harold Flannery in what was thenPennsylvania's 12th congressional district, based inWilkes-Barre. He narrowly lost toRepublicanThomas B. Miller. Flood ran against Miller again in the general election later that year and lost by a wider margin.
However, he ran against Miller in 1944, in what had been renumbered as the 11th District and won. He was defeated for reelection in 1946 due to a nationwide Republican landslide, but regained his seat in 1948. He was reelected in 1950, only to be swept out in 1952, losing to RepublicanEdward J. Bonin in former GeneralDwight Eisenhower's massive landslide for presidency. Eisenhower had commanded the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II and led them to defeat Germany. Flood was reelected in 1954 in a re-match against Congressman Bonin. After a close reelection bid in 1956, he was reelected for 11 more terms without serious opposition.
The seniority he established led him to being a member of the importantHouse Appropriations Committee. In that position, he contributed strongly to passage ofMedicare, economic development initiatives for Appalachia, and theFederal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.[8]
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Flood persuaded SenatorJohn F. Kennedy from Massachusetts to campaign in his home district. He strongly supported Kennedy's later campaign and presidency.
Flood used his considerable influence in Congress to develop ways to transition the economy of his district,[9] which was devastated when theanthracite coal mining industry took a severe downturn. While in Congress, Flood was credited with sponsoring theArea Redevelopment Act in 1961 and theFederal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.
Flood worked hard to rebuild his district in the aftermath of the devastating flooding fromHurricane Agnes. When thetropical storm remnants of Hurricane Agnes overwhelmed theSusquehanna River watershed in 1972, causing major flooding all along the river, one of the hardest-hit locations was Wilkes-Barre's business and residential areas. Flood, subcommittee chairman of theHouse Appropriations Committee, with years of clout accumulated while in office, was credited with limiting federal red tape to repair damage from what was then the most-damaging hurricane ever recorded in the U.S. Mustering air and boat rescue, bringing PresidentRichard M. Nixon in to survey flood damage, and establishing a federal response – all were credited to Flood. "It took a Flood to tame a flood" was his catchphrase.
In the 1972 presidential election he supported Republican Richard Nixon over Democrat George McGovern. He refused to accompany McGovern during his visit to Wilkes-Barre after the 1972 flood. McGovern held a press conference at the Hotel Sterling.
In the neighboring city of Scranton, Flood was occasionally accused of favoring Wilkes-Barre. (Scranton was not in the 11th Congressional District during the time Flood served in Congress.) Flood also is purported to have said "No self respecting man from Wilkes-Barre would ever date the best looking blonde from Scranton." He is often cited as the source of the naming of theWilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (with Wilkes-Barre first, despite being the smaller of the two cities and being second alphabetically).
Flood was investigated by at least eight separate U.S. Attorney's offices and had 175 possible cases pending against him.[10]The Washington Post reported in February 1978 that Flood was accused of helping steer federal grant money to the B'nai Torah Institute, a community service organization in New York from which Flood reported receipt of campaign funds totaling nearly $1,000 plus an undisclosed honorarium.[11]
Flood's former aide, Stephen Elko, testified that Flood was a 'muscler' who used his influence to direct federal contracts to people and corporations in exchange for cash kickbacks.[10] The 'Flood-Medico-Bufalino Triangle' was one such instance. Medico Industries ofPlains Township received, with Flood's help, a $3,900,000Department of Defense contract to produce 600,000 warheads for use in theVietnam War. Mafia crime bossRussell Bufalino, who frequented Medico offices, was an associate of general manager William 'Billy' Medico and president Philip Medico. The latter was known to be acaporegime in theBufalino crime family. The FBI discovered that Flood would often travel in the Medico Industries jet.[10]
As a result of Elko's testimony, theUnited States Department of Justice and House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (now theUnited States House Committee on Ethics) began investigations of Flood in early 1978.[12] On September 5, 1978, a federal grand jury indicted Flood on three counts of perjury on charges that he lied about payoffs.[13]
During the96th United States Congress in 1979, Flood was censured for bribery.[14] The allegations led to his resignation from Congress on January 31, 1980.[15]
Flood died in Wilkes-Barre on May 28, 1994. His funeral was held on May 30 in St. John's Church in Wilkes-Barre, with eulogies given by then-GovernorBob Casey and RepresentativesPaul Kanjorski andJoseph McDade.[16] He was interred in the family plot at St. Mary's Cemetery in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania.
With the nickname "Dapper Dan" for whatTime called his "villainous-looking waxed mustache" and "eccentric clothes,"[17] Flood is regarded as a folk hero in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he worked for economic development initiatives in the Appalachian region. He also had worked to pass legislation to improve conditions for miners and protect their health.[18] He is remembered by his constituency for his weekly televised messages from Washington, which were a staple of Sunday morning television for years. He was known to attend virtually any public event that took place in his district.
Daniel J. Flood Elementary School in theWilkes-Barre Area School District is named in his honor, as are many other places in Northeastern Pennsylvania.[17]
On Saturday, October 2, 2010, thePennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission honored Flood with a plaque as part of theHistorical Marker Program. Located on Wilkes-Barre's Public Square in the center of the city, it reads:
Daniel J. Flood (1903–1994). US Congressman from Pa. 11th District, 1944 to 1980. His seniority on the House Appropriations Committee and knowledge of the legislative process enabled him to play a key role establishing national programs such as Medicare, Appalachian urban economic development, and Coal Mine Health and Safety Act. He promoted the strength of US military forces and proliferation of nuclear arms during the Cold War. He resigned from Congress amid controversy.[8]
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 11th congressional district 1945–1947 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 11th congressional district 1949–1953 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 11th congressional district 1955–1980 | Succeeded by |
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