Robert Torricelli

Robert Guy Torricelli ( born August 27, 1951 in Paterson, New Jersey ) is an American politician from the U.S. state of New Jersey. Torricelli, a member of the Democratic Party, was serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1983, before he was elected in 1996 in the Senate of the United States. In 1996, he was implicated in a corruption scandal with the Chinese businessman David Chang. By his followers, he received the nickname "The Torch" ( The Torch ).

Life

Torricelli attended Rutgers University, where he graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in 1977 with a law degree. During his time at Rutgers University, he was president of Rutgers College Governing Association until he was accused of misuse of funds. In 1978 he was inducted into the New Jersey Bar Association, and he later attended Harvard University, where he graduated in 1980 with a Master of Public Administration.

Torricelli has three children with Susan Holloway, of which he is now divorced.

Early Political Career

Torricelli worked from 1975 to 1977 as assistant to the governor of New Jersey, Brendan Byrne. From 1978, he worked for U.S. vice president Walter Mondale, where he was responsible for the Carter - Mondale campaign in Illinois. At the 1980 Democratic National Convention taking place, he was responsible for the Carter - Mondale campaign ( Rules Committee ). 1982 Torricelli used his political contacts to be a candidate for Congress, which he won with 53% to 46% against his Republican rival Harold C. Hollenbeck. Torricelli sat from 1983 to 1996 as the representative of the ninth electoral district of New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the initiator of the 1992 adopted by the U.S. Senate and was named after him Torricelli Act, a law that served the tightening of the U.S. blockade against Cuba.

Career in the Senate

Torricelli was elected in 1996 in the U.S. Senate. He beat out his Republican rivals Dick rooms and received the vacant become by the mandate waiver Democratic Senator Bill Bradley seat in 2000 Torricelli was chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

After Torricelli's involvement in the 1996 uncovered financial scandal broke, he decided not to run again.

2002 allowed the New Jersey Supreme Court of the Democratic Party to replace Torricelli's place on the list of candidates by U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg. The Republicans of New Jersey were drawn against this court action, since the deadline for list changes had already expired. It was alleged that Torricelli had taken this decision only when local polls first showed that the scandal Torricelli had a chance of re-election zunichtegemacht hopeless.

2003 Torricelli collected money for the presidential candidacy of John Kerry and donated money for the 527er group called " Americans for Jobs and Health Care", the controversial ads with a juxtaposition of the candidate Howard Dean with Osama bin Laden turned.