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Christopher John Dodd

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Chris Dodd previously served as a Senator for Connecticut


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Christopher John Dodd, a Democrat, is a former U.S. Senator for Connecticut, having served 1981 to 2011. In January 2010, he announced that he would retire rather than seek reelection. Democrat Richard Blumenthal beat Republican Linda McMahon for the Senate seat.[1][2]

Contents

Record and controversies

General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's articles on legislation. You can add information you find on how Christopher John Dodd voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to cite your sources!

Countrywide mortgage scandal

Senator Dodd was among the prominent politicians who may have received favorable mortgage deals from Countrywide, a mortgage lender at the heart of the current mortgage crises. According to an investigation conducted by Conde Nast's Portfolio, Countrywide's V.I.P program may have bent rules to offer Senator Dodd a better deal on his Washington town house and Connecticut home mortgages.

Main article: Countrywide Mortgage Scandal

Iraq War

Dodd voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq in Oct. 2002.

For more information see the chart of U.S. Senate votes on the Iraq War.

Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Security and Reconstruction Act

In 2003 Dodd offered an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Security and Reconstruction Act, 2004, which added $322 million to the $300 million already appropriated towards the purchase of "high-tech body armor, bullet-proof helmets, special water packs to keep soldiers hydrated, and other survival gear." The amendment failed when it was tabled in a 49-37 vote.

Main article: Congressional Actions Providing Body Armor to Troops

2007 Iraq resolutions

On January 16, 2007, Sen. Dodd introduced binding legislation which would cap U.S. troop levels in Iraq at 130,000 (the number of troops in Iraq at the time), this preventing President Bush from adding an additional 21,500.

In early February of 2007, Dodd, as well as Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), threatened to oppose a newly drafted nonbinding resolution opposing George W. Bush's plans of troop escalation in Iraq, claiming that the language of the resolution was "weak." Both senators, however, supported an earlier draft. The newer draft was the result of bipartisan discussion and compromise in attempt to ensure that the resolution would pass. [1]

Main article: Congressional actions regarding President Bush’s 2007 proposed troop “surge” in Iraq

Environmental record

For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Golden Leash Award

The Golden Leash Award was presented Dodd by Public Campaign, April 29, 1998:

"The Golden Leash is a symbol of the ties between special interest money and elected officials. It is awarded to Members of Congress who demonstrate egregious conduct in the quid pro quo practice of dollar democracy.
"This award serves as a reminder of Senator Dodd's acceptance of $910,304 in campaign cash from January 1993 to December 1997 from the Securities, Investment, Accounting and High-Tech Computer industries... Goldman, Sachs & Co., Morgan Stanley, Salomon Brothers and others donat[ed] $523,551 in PAC and individual contributions. The accounting industry - perhaps the biggest winners in the 1995 securities litigation reform law - donated $345,903 in PAC and individual contributions. This includes such giants as Price Waterhouse, Ernst & Young and Coopers & Lybrand, among others. Deloitte & Touche's contributions to Senator Dodd increased nearly five-fold from 1995 to 1996 soon after Congress passed the reform law the industry championed. The computer industry - a fairly new player in the campaign contribution field - ponied up $40,850 in contributions."

Public Campaign's report cites the following examples: Dodd was an original cosponsor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and he helped to organize the Senate's override of President Clinton's veto. The National Securities Market Improvement Act which ultimately weakened oversight that would have protected investors. Dodd lined up as a cosponsor of the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act, an extension of the earlier securities litigation legislation. The bill was strongly supported by The Uniform Standards Coalition, an ad-hoc group of securities, accounting and high-tech computer firms.

Illegal fundraising - John Huang

Dodd was co-chair of the Democratic National Committee during the John Huang 1996-97 fundraising scandal, sometimes known as Chinagate. John Huang was described by the New York Times as "a former trade official who had been a top fund-raising officer at the Democratic National Committee and a frequent visitor to the White House."[2] Attorney General Janet Reno launched an investigation into solitcitation of questionable campaign contributions from Asia. In the end, The task force created to investigate campaign fund-raising irregularities during the 1996 U.S. elections secured criminal convictions against 17 people by 2001, with Huang eventually pleading guilty. Dodd was not among the investigated or indicted. [3]

According to the conservative organization Judicial Watch, Dodd was a recipient of funds raised by John Huang. [4].

See Also:

President Bush's recess appointment of Sam Fox

President Bush appointed Sam Fox, who contributed $50,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004, as Ambassador to Belgium. The recess appointment comes one week after Bush withdrew the nomination in the face of opposition organized by Sen. John Kerry. Dodd questioned the legal validity of the appointment, which the White House said would last until Congress adjourns at the end of 2008. Dodd said he would ask the General Accountability Office, the watchdog arm of Congress, to investigate the validity of Fox's recess appointment.

2008 presidential aspirations

On January 11, 2007, Dodd announced that he planned to seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2008. He announced on "Imus in the Morning," that "problems at home and abroad meant it was time for him to 'get out of the bleachers and onto the arena floor.'" He described himself as a "black horse" in a Democratic field dominated by presidential candidates like Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama. [5]

Former lobbyist Amos Hochstein, a key member of Dodd's campaign team, was until January 2007 managing Cassidy and Associates's controversial account for the government of Equatorial Guinea.[3][4] Despite President Teodoro Obiang's reputation as a corrupt tyrant, Hochstein remained an enthusiastic supporter. In April 2006 he told the Washington Post that Obiang had "...convinced me of his deep care for his people."[5]

On January 3, 2008, Dodd dropped out of the Presidential race after failing to get a single percentage point in the Democratic Iowa caucuses."[6]

Main article: U.S. presidential election, 2008

Bio

Dodd was born May 27, 1944,in Willimantic, Connecticut. His father was Senator Thomas Joseph Dodd. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Providence College in 1966, Dodd served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic until 1968. After leaving the Peace Corps, Dodd joined U.S. Army Reserve until 1975. In 1972, earned his J.D. from the University of Louisville. The following year, he was admitted to Connecticut bar, and began practicing law in New London.[6]

In 1974, Dodd was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's second congressional district. He served from January 3, 1975 to January 3, 1981.

Dodd was first elected to the Senate in 1980. From 1995 to 1997, he served as General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As General Chairman, Dodd was the DNC's spokesman.

Dodd is married to Jackie Marie Clegg, a former director for the Export-Import Bank of the United States. On September 16, 2003, Clegg was appointed to the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). On March 10, 2004 she was appinted for a further three-year term. [7] (Pdf)

Dodd is considered a supporter of the insurance industry. The trade magazine, Independant Agent, wrote in 1995: "Among others on Senate Banking, Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes of Maryland, the Senate Banking Committee's ranking Democrat, can be expected to take a skeptical approach to financial services modernization in general, while Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, the No. 2 Democrat," is a strong supporter of the insurance industry. In 2003, Dodd was honored at the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America as "Legislator of the Year."[8]

2008 elections

Sdtp-banner.jpg
 This information was gathered by volunteer researchers as part of the Superdelegate Transparency Project on the superdelegates for the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. For more info see the Connecticut superdelegate tracker or visit the STP homepage.


Before Hillary Clinton conceded the race, Christopher John Dodd, as a superdelegate, had endorsed Barack Obama for President.

For more information and sources, see the state page for this superdelegate linked to in the blue box above.

Money in politics

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00000581&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata>

Links to more campaign contribution information for Christopher John Dodd
from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org site.
Fundraising profile: 2006 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by organization/corporation: 2006 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by industry: 2006 election cycle Career totals


Committees and affiliations

Committees

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

Board and other affiliations

More background data


Wikipedia also has an article on Christopher John Dodd. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the GFDL.

Contact

DC Office:
448 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-2823
Fax: 202-228-1683
Web Email
Website

District Office - Wethersfield:
Putnam Park
100 Great Meadow Road
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Phone: 860-258-6940
TollFree: 800-334-5341 (CT only)

Twitter

Chris Dodd posts on Twitter at http://twitter.com/chrisdodd/

Latest posts: Not a valid URL: http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/3913931.rss|title=none| max=3| short See all the members of Congress who Twitter

References

  1. ↑ Christopher J. Dodd profile, The Washington Post, accessed January 2011.
  2. ↑ Richard Blumenthal profile, The Washington Post, accessed January 2011.
  3. ↑ Ken Silverstein, "Obiang's Banking Again: State Department and Washington insiders help a dictator get what he wants", Harpers Magazine, August 9, 2006.
  4. ↑ "Amos Hochstein to Join Presidential Campaign", press release, Cassidy and Associates, January 16, 2007.
  5. ↑ Michael Grunwald, "A conversation with Amos Hochstein", Washington Post, April 23, 2006.
  6. ↑ Michael Cooper, "Iowa Results Lead Dodd and Biden to Quit Race ", New York Times, January 4, 2008.
  7. ↑ 2007 Annual Report, Technoserve, accessed February 20, 2010.
  8. ↑ Advisory Council, Children's Health Fund, accessed December 13, 2010.

Other articles and resources

Resources

Local blogs and discussion sites

Articles

Corresponding article on Wikipedia and Cause Caller. (If Cause Caller link does not work, pick from its list of senators and representatives.)

Current Office: U.S. Senate
111th Congress
Leadership Position:
 Committees Chaired:
 Committees,
Ranking Member On:
 Caucuses:
Committees:
110th Congress
Leadership Position:
None		 Committees Chaired:
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs		 Committees,
Ranking Member On:
 Caucuses:
Committees: Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs, Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs/Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations/Subcommittee on European Affairs, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations/Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations/Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs, Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions, Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions/Subcommittee on Children and Families, Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions/Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
Congressional Career
First Elected to Current Office:
November 4, 1980		 First Took Current Office:
January 5, 1981		 Next Election:
November 2, 2010		 Term Ends:
Freshman Member?
No		 Previous Political Work?
U.S. House of Representatives		 Other Party Membership:
District Offices:
1. Putnam Park 100 Great Meadow Road Wethersfield, CT 06109
Phone: 860-258-6940 / Fax:
Campaign Contact:

Website:
Webform Email: / Email:

Campaign Offices:

1.
Phone: / Fax:
Zip Code Affiliations:
Misc:

Date of Birth: May 27, 1944
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