Ulysses Currie

Ulysses Currie (July 10, 1937 – December 27, 2019) was an American politician from Maryland. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented District 25 in Prince George's County, first in the house of delegates from 1987 to 1995, then in the senate from 1995 to 2019. Currie was the Chair of the Budget and Taxation Committee before having to resign the chairmanship because of an ethics violation.

Ulysses Currie
Member of the Maryland Senate
from the 25th district
In office
January 11, 1995 – January 9, 2019
Preceded byBeatrice Tignor[1]
Succeeded byMelony G. Griffith
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 25th district
In office
January 1987 – January 11, 1995
Serving with Dennis C. Donaldson, Juanita Miller (1987–1991);[2] Michael Arrington, Beatrice Tignor (1991–1995)[3]
Succeeded byMichael A. Crumlin, Dereck E. Davis, Brenda Bethea Hughes[4]
Personal details
Born
Ulysses Currie[5]

(1937-07-10)July 10, 1937[5]
Whiteville, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedDecember 27, 2019(2019-12-27) (aged 84)[5]
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Married
ChildrenTwo sons, two grandchildren
OccupationTeacher

Background

Currie, the son of a sharecropper, grew up in Whiteville, North Carolina. He was the first of his family to go to college and earned his undergraduate degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.[6] He served in the United States Army from 1960 to 1963, and was stationed at Fort Dix and in Germany.[7] After serving in the army, he moved to the Washington metropolitan area to attend American University. Currie worked for 25 years as an educator in Prince George's County Public Schools.

In the legislature

Currie was originally elected to the House of Delegates in 1986, representing District 25 in Prince George's County. During his time in the house, he became Majority Whip, the 3rd-ranking position in the House after the Speaker and the Majority Leader. Currie was elected to his seat in the State Senate in 1994. He was a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee.

FBI investigation

On May 29, 2008, it was reported that the FBI had searched Currie's District Heights home and taken documents related to his work as a consultant to Shoppers Food & Pharmacy.[8] On 1 September 2010 a federal grand jury indicted Currie and Shoppers Food Warehouse Corporation executives William J. White and R. Kevin Small in connection with a scheme from 2002 to 2008 in which the supermarket chain allegedly paid Senator Currie in exchange for using his official position and influence in matters benefitting White, Small, and the supermarket chain.[9] Currie was acquitted on 8 November 2011. However in 2012 he was censured by the state senate for ethics violations from facts discovered during the investigation,[10] and was forced to resign from the chairmanship of the Budget and Taxation Committee.[11]

Later years and death

On June 1, 2018, Maryland's Head Start Program was renamed the Ulysses Currie Head Start Program to honor Senator Currie.[5]

Currie died early on December 27, 2019. He was 84.[12]

Reference
  1. "Maryland Senate, Legislative District 25". msa.maryland.gov. Maryland State Archives.
  2. "1986 Gubernatorial General Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Legislative District: 25
  3. "1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Legislative District: 25
  4. "1994 Gubernatorial General Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Legislative District: 25
  5. "Ulysses Currie, Maryland State Senator". Maryland Manual Online. Maryland State Archives. December 27, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  6. Rein, Lisa (June 1, 2008). "Md. Senator in Raid Rose to Power Above the Fray". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  7. Rosen, Jill (May 31, 2008). "FBI inquiry into Currie's consulting grows". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  8. Helderman, Rosalind S.; Wagner, John; Wiggins, Ovetta (May 29, 2008). "FBI Raids Home of Maryland State Senator". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
  9. "Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Chairman Ulysses Currie Indicted Along with Company Executives for Taking Bribes from Shoppers Food Warehouse in Return for Official Actions" (Press release). Federal Bureau of Investigation. September 1, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  10. Bishop, Tricia (November 8, 2011). "Currie not guilty of bribery, conspiracy in Shoppers case". The Baltimore Sun.
  11. Cox, Erin (November 30, 2016). "Senator Ulysses Currie rescinds resignation from Maryland General Assembly". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016.
  12. Wood, Pamela (December 27, 2019). "Former Sen. Ulysses Currie of Prince George's, who fought corruption charges but voted for own censure, dies". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
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