Ed Reinecke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 39thLieutenant Governor of California | |
| In office January 21, 1969 – October 2, 1974 | |
| Governor | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Robert Finch |
| Succeeded by | John L. Harmer |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's27th district | |
| In office January 3, 1965 – January 21, 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Everett G. Burkhalter |
| Succeeded by | Barry Goldwater Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Howard Edwin Reinecke (1924-01-07)January 7, 1924 Medford, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | December 24, 2016(2016-12-24) (aged 92) Laguna Hills, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | California Institute of Technology (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Howard Edwin "Ed" Reinecke (January 7, 1924 – December 24, 2016) was an American politician fromCalifornia. He served three terms in theUnited States House of Representatives. He was the 39thlieutenant governor of California from 1969 until his resignation in 1974, in connection with a federal conviction for perjury.[1]
Reinecke was born inMedford, Oregon, and he graduated fromBeverly Hills High School in 1942. He served in theNavy duringWorld War II as a radioman. He attended theCalifornia Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 1950 with a degree inmechanical engineering. Together with his sister (Charlotte) and two brothers (Fred and Bill), he founded FEBCO, a manufacturing company, in southern California.
Reinecke served in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1965 and 1969. As a member of the Interior Committee, he worked to preserve Western rivers (including theColorado River, which was to be dammed within theGrand Canyon). During his tenure in Congress, he voted in favor of theVoting Rights Act of 1965.[2] He voted for the initial House Resolution for theCivil Rights Act of 1968 but voted against the accepting the final Senate amendments to the Act.[3][4]
In 1969, PresidentRichard Nixon appointed California'sLieutenant GovernorRobert Finch to be theU.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. To fill the vacancy, Governor Ronald Reagan appointed then-Congressman Reinecke as Lieutenant Governor on January 9, 1969.[5] He was re-elected in 1970.
In1974, Reinecke ran for the Republican nomination forGovernor of California to succeed Reagan, who chose not to seek a third term. As part of the conservative wing of the Republican Party in contrast with the more moderateState ControllerHouston Flournoy, he could expect a strong conservative turnout for the primary election.[6] Early in the race, he held a lead over Flournoy.[7] He had just earned the endorsement of the California Republican Assembly, a leading conservative group, when a Federal grand jury indicted him for perjury on April 3, 1974.[6]
Reinecke's indictment was an offshoot of the investigation into theWatergate scandal. In 1972, he testified before the Senate during a confirmation hearing ofRichard Kleindienst, the nominee for Attorney General. He was asked about an offer bySheraton Hotels, a division ofITT Inc., which was the subject of a Federal antitrust investigation, to underwrite the1972 Republican National Convention. Specifically, the committee wanted to know if he discussed the offer with then Attorney GeneralJohn N. Mitchell (R) during theWatergate scandal, before or after ITT settled its case with the government. Reinecke told SenatorHiram Fong that the conversation took place after the settlement despite his earlier comment to a reporter that the conversation had taken place several months earlier.
Reinecke stayed in the race for governor, but was defeated by Flournoy, who went on to lose toJerry Brown (D) in the general election. He was convicted of perjury in July 1974, but refused to resign until the state law required him to do so.[8]
California law barred anyone convicted of perjury from holding office in the state; but the state attorney general ruled that this provision would not take effect until sentencing.[9] On October 2, 1974, he was sentenced to an 18-month suspended term and resigned from office the same day.[10]
On December 8, 1975, an appeals court overturned the ruling because "theSenate Judiciary Committee before which he was accused of perjuring himself had failed to publish its rule permitting a one-man quorum."[11][12]
Reinecke married Jean Hrabec, a former model who used the pseudonyms Jean Mills and Keith Kierrgan.[13] The couple owned the Diamond R Ranch on Bucks Bar Road inPlacerville, California. They were the firstranchers to import and breedCharolais cattle inEl Dorado County, California. In 1981, they opened the restaurant "Zachary Jacques"[14] known for prime rib and live musical entertainment. They also operated the brokerage firm, Reinecke Realty Residential.
Reinecke died of natural causes on Christmas Eve 2016, inLaguna Hills, California, at the age of 92.[15]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 27th congressional district 1965–1969 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of California 1969–1974 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
