Nicholas Mavroules
Encyclopedia
Nicholas James Mavroules (November 1, 1929 – December 25, 2003) was a Democratic
member of the United States House of Representatives
from Massachusetts
who was jailed after pleading guilty to corruption charges.
Mavroules was born in Peabody, Massachusetts
, November 1, 1929; and graduated from Peabody High School
. Nicholas was employed by GTE-Sylvania from 1949 to 1967, and served as supervisor of personnel. He was then elected a city councilor in Peabody, Massachusetts
, from 1958 to 1965. Mavroules was elected mayor of Peabody in 1966 and served from 1967 to 1978. He was a delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention
. Nicholas Mavroules was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the as a Democrat and served there from January 3, 1979, to January 3, 1993. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1992
, losing to Peter Torkildsen. He served on the House Armed Services Committee
.
He travelled to many places as a Congressman:
During this time, he was also engaged in the legislative work on national security that included:
Mavroules served as chairman of the House subcommittee on investigations, helped expose major cost overruns on Navy aircraft and shed light on the deadly 1989 explosion on the USS Iowa
. He was also instrumental in making certain that the crew of the USS Pueblo
obtained P.O.W. status.
Mavroules was voted out of office in 1992, the year he was indicted
on seventeen counts of corruption amid a federal investigation into alleged misuse of his office for private gain. Allegations included extortion, accepting illegal gifts and failing to report them on congressional disclosure and income tax forms.
Mavroules pleaded guilty to fifteen counts in April 1993 and was sentenced to a fifteen-month prison term.
At his sentencing, he told the judge: "I certainly apologize to my family and they have endured enormous, enormous pain. I apologize to my friends who have been loyal, strong, very steadfast. I totally accept responsibility for my actions."
He died on December 25, 2003, in Salem, Massachusetts
, and was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Peabody, Massachusetts
. Over 6,000 people attended his wake and funeral which was held at St. Vasilios Church
Greek Orthodox
church in Peabody. Several members of Congress (former and current) attended the services.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
who was jailed after pleading guilty to corruption charges.
Mavroules was born in Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is about 53,000. Peabody is located in Boston's North Shore suburban area.- History :...
, November 1, 1929; and graduated from Peabody High School
Peabody High School
Peabody High School is a public school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in the neighborhood of East Liberty, The school opened in 1911 after the renovations of a former elementary school and was rededicated after Highland Park doctor Benjamin Peabody. After 100 years in operation the school...
. Nicholas was employed by GTE-Sylvania from 1949 to 1967, and served as supervisor of personnel. He was then elected a city councilor in Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is about 53,000. Peabody is located in Boston's North Shore suburban area.- History :...
, from 1958 to 1965. Mavroules was elected mayor of Peabody in 1966 and served from 1967 to 1978. He was a delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention
1976 Democratic National Convention
The 1976 Democratic National Convention met at Madison Square Garden in New York City, from July 12 to July 15, 1976. The assembled United States Democratic Party delegates at the convention nominated Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia for President and Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota for Vice...
. Nicholas Mavroules was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the as a Democrat and served there from January 3, 1979, to January 3, 1993. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1992
United States House elections, 1992
The United States House of Representatives elections in 1992 coincided with the 1992 presidential election, in which Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore were elected as President and Vice President, respectively, defeating Republican incumbent President George H. W...
, losing to Peter Torkildsen. He served on the House Armed Services Committee
United States House Committee on Armed Services
thumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
.
He travelled to many places as a Congressman:
- 1981: Visit with U.S. forces in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. - 1982: Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. - 1983: Two trips to Beirut, Lebanon. The first to spend July 4 with the troops; the second to lead an Armed Services Committee investigative team after 283 U.S. Marines were killed in a terrorist bombing during a peacekeeping mission at the Beirut International Airport. In the Committee's final report of December 1983, he would write, "A war of terrorism has begun and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future."
- 1985: A session with U.S. negotiators in GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
— center of talks with the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on nuclear weapons. He met with President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in the Oval Office after this trip. - 1986: San SalvadorSan SalvadorThe city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
, El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. A meeting with the Jesuit's at the University of Central America — priests would later be assassinated in their rectory. - 1987: BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
; Kuwait CityKuwait City-Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:...
; Taif, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
: An inspection delegation to review the security of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war. Most notable was a vigorous session in Baghdad with the Foreign Minister of Iraq, Tariq AzizTariq AzizTariq Aziz and Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq and a close advisor of former President Saddam Hussein. Their association began in the 1950s when both were activists for the then-banned Ba'ath Arab Socialist Party...
, on Iraq's use of chemical weapons in its war with IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. - 1988: As an emissary of the U.S. State Department, he engaged in a private dialogue with Greek Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Andreas PapandreouAndreas PapandreouAndreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
, providing a framework that produced the current U.S.-GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
agreement on military bases. - 1989: Appointment to the House Select Committee on Intelligence, performing oversight of the Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
and other elements of the intelligence community. His input: to require that intelligence be accessible to the U.S. forces deployed and at risk.
During this time, he was also engaged in the legislative work on national security that included:
- The 1986 Defense Reorganization — the Goldwater-Nichols ActGoldwater-Nichols ActThe Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 , , made the most sweeping changes to the United States Department of Defense since the department was established in the National Security Act of 1947 by reworking the command structure of the United States military...
— that fundamentally restructured military command and control — so that troops serving in high-threat combat and peacekeeping missions — would have a responsive and dynamic military chain of command. - Implementation of the Packard Commission recommendations to reform Pentagon acquisition practices.
- Legislation that limited the deployment of nuclear ballistic missiles, and ensuring that missile defense technology be treaty-compliant.
- Funding for the Navy's F-18 fighter, powered by GE engines from Lynn, MassachusettsLynn, MassachusettsLynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
. Twenty years later the F-18 remains as the backbone of Naval Aviation; - The Small Disadvantaged Business Act that allowed more American citizens to compete in government contracting.
Mavroules served as chairman of the House subcommittee on investigations, helped expose major cost overruns on Navy aircraft and shed light on the deadly 1989 explosion on the USS Iowa
USS Iowa turret explosion
The USS Iowa turret explosion occurred in the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa on April 19, 1989. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself...
. He was also instrumental in making certain that the crew of the USS Pueblo
USS Pueblo (AGER-2)
USS Pueblo is an American ELINT and SIGINT Banner-class technical research ship which was boarded and captured by North Korean forces on January 23, 1968, in what is known as the Pueblo incident or alternatively as the Pueblo crisis or the Pueblo affair. Occurring less than a week after President...
obtained P.O.W. status.
Mavroules was voted out of office in 1992, the year he was indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
on seventeen counts of corruption amid a federal investigation into alleged misuse of his office for private gain. Allegations included extortion, accepting illegal gifts and failing to report them on congressional disclosure and income tax forms.
Mavroules pleaded guilty to fifteen counts in April 1993 and was sentenced to a fifteen-month prison term.
At his sentencing, he told the judge: "I certainly apologize to my family and they have endured enormous, enormous pain. I apologize to my friends who have been loyal, strong, very steadfast. I totally accept responsibility for my actions."
He died on December 25, 2003, in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, and was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is about 53,000. Peabody is located in Boston's North Shore suburban area.- History :...
. Over 6,000 people attended his wake and funeral which was held at St. Vasilios Church
St. Vasilios Church (Massachusetts)
St. Vasilios Church is a Greek Orthodox Church located at 5 Paleologos Street in Peabody, Massachusetts, USA.The first Greek immigrants arrived in the Peabody area in or about the year 1900....
Greek Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
church in Peabody. Several members of Congress (former and current) attended the services.