John Dowdy

John Vernard Dowdy (February 11, 1912 – April 12, 1995)[1] was an American politician. Dowdy was a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from the 7th District of Texas from 1952 to 1967 and then served as a congressman from the 2nd District of Texas until 1973, when he decided to retire under indictment for bribery.

John Dowdy
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas
In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by	Jack Brooks
Succeeded by	Charlie Wilson
Constituency	2nd district
In office September 23, 1952 – January 3, 1967
Preceded by	Tom Pickett
Succeeded by	George H. W. Bush
Constituency	7th district
Personal details
Born	(1912-02-11)February 11, 1912 Waco, Texas
Died	April 12, 1995(1995-04-12) (aged 83) Athens, Texas
Political party	Democratic

Dowdy's former residence in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

According to prosecutors, he accepted a $25,000 bribe to intervene in the federal investigation of Monarch Construction Company of Silver Spring, Maryland. In 1971, Dowdy was convicted on eight counts: two of conspiracy, one of transporting a bribe over state lines, and five of perjury.[2] In 1973, after Dowdy retired from Congress, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, overturned the bribery and conspiracy convictions. Dowdy still served a sentence in prison for perjury.[3][4]

Dowdy was one of four U.S. Congressmen from Texas to originally sign the "Southern Manifesto," a resolution in protest of the United States Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.[5]

Right-wing groups rallied to his defense, including the Washington Observer and the Liberty Lobby, which contended Dowdy was the victim of a "vicious frame-up by the Justice Department in collaboration with a clique of housing racketeers." The ulterior motive, according to the newspaper, was to stop Dowdy's subcommittee investigation of the fraud at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.[6]

Dowdy was born in Waco, Texas, and lived in Texas for most of his life. He was a lawyer before entering politics. He died in Athens, Texas.