Raymond Lederer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's3rd district | |
| In office January 3, 1977 – April 29, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Green |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Smith |
| Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives from the180th district | |
| In office January 2, 1973 – November 30, 1976 | |
| Preceded by | William Lederer |
| Succeeded by | Clifford Gray |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Raymond Francis Lederer (1938-05-19)May 19, 1938 Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 1, 2008(2008-12-01) (aged 70) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Sepulchre Cemetery,Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Eileen Coyle |
| Children | 6 |
| Education | Saint Joseph's University Community College of Philadelphia Pennsylvania State University |
Raymond Francis Lederer (May 19, 1938 – December 1, 2008) was aDemocratic member of theUnited States House of Representatives, representingPennsylvania's 3rd congressional district from 1977 to 1981. He was convicted of taking bribes in the 1980Abscam scandal.
Lederer was born inPhiladelphia on May 19, 1938, where he attended the local Catholic schools, graduating fromRoman Catholic High School for Boys in 1956. He attended Saint Joseph's College of Philadelphia (nowSaint Joseph's University) from 1960 to 1965, theCommunity College of Philadelphia from 1967 to 1969 andPennsylvania State University,University Park, Pennsylvania, in 1972. He worked as an assistant engineer for thePennsylvania Department of Highways in 1957. He was aprobation 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]
Lederer was elected to thePennsylvania 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]
Lederer was elected to Congress in 1976 to representPennsylvania'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 theHouse Ways and Means Committee, he was able to direct shipments of fruit fromChile to be imported through thePort of Philadelphia.[4]
Lederer was re-elected in 1978 with almost 72% of the vote over Republican Raymond S. Kauffman.[5]
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 theAbscam 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]
TheUnited 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 theRepublican Party) and defeated Glancey, having promised in his campaign to caucus with the Democrats if elected.[6][11]
Lederer served ten months inAllenwood Federal Prison. He later worked as a roofer. Lederer died on December 1, 2008, oflung cancer at age 70 and is interred at theHoly Sepulchre Cemetery inCheltenham, Pennsylvania.[2][4]
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives from the180th district 1973–1976 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 3rd congressional district 1977–1981 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
