Political Career
Oakar, one of only a handful of Arab-American members of the House, became regarded as an increasingly powerful member. She was a high-ranking member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service and the House Administration Committee. Oakar's high placement on these committees allowed her to bring home to Cleveland large sums of money for urban renewal. Oakar forged strong relationships with Jewish groups in Cleveland. From 1985 to 1989, Oakar was elected to a position in the House Democratic leadership, as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus.
In 1991, she was one of nearly one-hundred Members of Congress in the widespread House banking scandal involving multiple overdrafts and bounced checks. The House Bank, not a normally operating financial institution, was used to pay members of the house. However, members were allowed to take advances on their pay checks without overdraft charges or repercussions to their credit. Oakar was indicted on seven counts, including lying to the FBI and filing false financial statements and using the House bank to convert public money for personal use. Her nephews Joseph DeMio and Ignatius DeMio were also indicted on conspiracy charges, Ignatius pleaded guilty. If sentenced, she could have received 40 years in prison and a $1.7 million fine. In a plea agreement, she pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges; conspiracy and violation of election law. She used the names of straw donors on federal documents to conceal illegal contributions amounting to $16,000. Three counts against her were thrown out by the Supreme Court because members of the house cannot be prosecuted for lying to congress, the others were dropped after taking a plea bargain.
In 1992, her district was renumbered the 10th and redrawn to include more Republicans, though it was still solidly Democratic. Oakar withstood a challenge from Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan in the Democratic primary — Hagan had been endorsed by Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White — but lost to businessman Martin Hoke in the general election.
She won a 1999 libel settlement against Cleveland's newspaper, The Plain Dealer after seven years in court. In April 1992 the Cleveland's Plain Dealer released articles alleging that Oakar was forced to resign from a congressional task force after the House Banking Scandal. The paper acknowledged that the eight term Democrat "was rightfully upset that erroneous information" had been printed.
Oakar unsuccessfully ran in the 2001 Cleveland Mayoral Primary and served a single term in the Ohio House of Representatives from 2000 to 2002.
Read more about this topic: Mary Rose Oakar
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