Steve Rothman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Steve Rothman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 9th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 1997
Preceded by Robert Torricelli
Mayor of Englewood
In office
1983–1989
Preceded by Sondra Greenberg
Succeeded by Donald Aronson
Personal details
Born October 14, 1952 (1952-10-14) (age 59)
Englewood, New Jersey
Political party Democratic
Residence Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Alma mater Syracuse University, Washington University School of Law
Occupation attorney
Religion Judaism

Steven R. "Steve" Rothman (born October 14, 1952) is the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 9th congressional district, serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Contents

[edit] Early life, education, and pre-congressional career

Rothman attended Washington University Law School. He served as Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey for two terms (1983–1989), a Bergen County Surrogate Court Judge (1993–1996), and practiced law as a private attorney. He also provided free legal services to the poor, disabled, and elderly (1978–1993).

[edit] U.S. House of Representatives

[edit] Elections

1996

In 1996, incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Robert Torricelli of New Jersey's 9th congressional district decided to retire to run for the U.S. Senate. Rothman decided to run for the seat. In the Democratic primary, he defeated Robert Gordon and Lynne Athay Dow 79%-17%-3.[1] In the general election, he defeated Republican County Clerk Kathleen Donovan 56%-42%.[2]

1998-2006

After the 1996 election, he never won re-election with less than 61% of the vote.

2008
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2008

Rothman's 2008 re-election campaign raised eyebrows when it spent $1.3 million in a race against a little-known, poorly funded Republican challenger, including outlays of $59,000 in campaign funds to buy outright a hybrid SUV and $15,000 for a lavish party at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. Rothman's Chief of Staff at the time, Robert Decheine, acknowledged to the news media that Rothman's 2008 re-election campaign had spent no money on advertising or direct mail.[3] He defeated Republican Vince Micco 68%-31%.[4]

2010
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2008

In addition to Decheine's annual salary on Rothman's government payroll - which was $168,408 in the last full year it was publicly reported before Decheine's November 2010 termination following his arrest on charges of soliciting sex from a minor - he drew tens of thousands of dollars in pay from Rothman's various campaign funds.[5]

In 2009, the Rothman campaign reported to the Federal Election Commission that one of its credit cards had been stolen and used to run up thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges at a motel in Bethesda, Maryland, mostly to rent videos and order pizzas. Decheine was quoted by Politico as saying, “Steve never stayed there; I never stayed there; so we quickly discovered it was fraud.”[6]

He defeated Republican Michael Agosta 61%-38%, his slimmest margin of victory since his first election in 1996.[7]

2012
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2012

After redistricting, Rothman's home was placed in a Republican leaning district against Republican Scott Garrett. However, he has decided to move and run in the newly redrawn New Jersey's 9th congressional district and challenge fellow Democrat incumbent Bill Pascrell in the primary.[8] Rothman currently represents 53% of the new 9th, as Pascrell represents 43% of the CD.[9] Rothman has been endorsed by Hudson County Democratic Chairman Mark Smith.[10]

[edit] Tenure

In Congress, Rothman helped secure money for improving transportation and relieving highway congestion, improving local homeland security, police and firefighting technology, improving education, providing relief to the unemployed, and sponsoring a bill to stop large airplanes from taking off at Teterboro Airport because of the excessive noise in residential areas. Rothman is also credited for saving the New Jersey Meadowlands from urban construction and securing millions of dollars for the protection and study of the environment and wildlife. He has consistently supported veterans' groups in New Jersey.

Rothman strongly opposed Former President George W. Bush's tax-cut plans, his health care issues, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil drilling plan, and various other Republican Party and Bush Administration backed plans. Rothman earned an F from the taxpayers advocacy organization National Taxpayers Union in 2004.

In September 2009, Rothman was criticized by the Center for Public Integrity, a non-partisan government watchdog organization, for his role in securing a $1.5 million earmark appropriation for a defense contracting firm that had hired his former employee Jeff Zucker as its lobbyist. Zucker contributed and raised thousands of dollars for Rothman's campaign fund.[11] News accounts later reported that a witness in a federal corruption trial had offered testimony asserting that Rothman had written several letters supporting the clients of a lobbying firm co-owned by Dennis Oury, who subsequently pled guilty to the federal charges; Rothman had been one of the largest beneficiaries of Oury's campaign contributions in the years prior to Oury's conviction.[12]

In October 2010, the New York Times reported the announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that it was revoking an approval granted to an experimental patch purporting to heal injured knees,[13] an approval that an F.D.A. report stated had been improperly granted in 2008 in part as a result of "extreme" and "unusual" political pressure mounted by Rothman and three other New Jersey legislators. Executives at the company that produced the patch, ReGen Biologics, which was based in Rothman's district in Hackensack, had contributed a total of $11,300 to his various campaign committees.[14] The Times criticized Rothman by name in a stinging editorial describing the episode as "a shabby affair" that "shines much-needed light on the insidious ways that politicians can influence regulatory decisions — and the insidious influence of money in politics."[15]

Rothman has a lifetime rating of 82.54% with Progressive Punch, which in 2006 ranked him as the 162nd most Progressive member of Congress. He is listed by Congress.org as the 107th most powerful person in the House of Representatives and the 104th most powerful Democrat.[16] According to the National Journal, Rothman had a composite liberal score of 82 as of 2006.

Rothman was featured on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, in Stephen Colbert's part nine of the "Better Know A District" segment, which highlighted Rothman and New Jersey's 9th District, and originally aired on January 12, 2006.[17] In February 2010, Rothman announced $4.7 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to train military medical professionals in bloodless medicine at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.[18]

In November 2010, Rothman's longtime Chief of Staff, Robert Decheine, was arrested in Gaithersburg, Maryland on charges of soliciting sex from someone who had allegedly identified "herself" to him over the Internet as a 15-year-old girl, but who in reality was a law enforcement agent in a sting operation organized by federal and local authorities.[19] Rothman promptly fired Decheine after being informed of the arrest.[20]

[edit] Committee assignments

[edit] Caucus memberships

  • Congressional Missing and Exploited Children Caucus
  • House Caucus on U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation
  • International Conservation Caucus
  • U.S.-Philippines Friendship Congressional Caucus
  • Congressional Arts Caucus

[edit] Electoral history

New Jersey's 9th congressional district: Results 1996–2010[21][22]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
1996 Steve Rothman 117,646 56% Kathleen Donovan 89,005 42% Arthur Rosen Independent 2,730 1% Leon Myerson Independent 1,549 1%
1998 Steve Rothman 91,330 65% Steve Lonegan 47,817 34% Michael Perrone Independent 1,349 1% Michael Koontz Independent 686 <1% *
2000 Steve Rothman 140,462 68% Joseph Tedeschi 61,984 30% Lewis Pell Independent 2,273 1% Michael Perrone Independent 1,072 1% *
2002 Steve Rothman 97,108 70% Joseph Glass 42,088 30%
2004 Steve Rothman 146,038 68% Edward Trawinski 68,564 32% David Daly Libertarian 1,649 1%
2006 Steve Rothman 105,853 71% Vincent Micco 40,879 28% Michael Jarvis The Moderate Choice 1,363 1%
2008 Steve Rothman 151,182 68% Vincent Micco 69,503 31% Michael Perrone Independent/Progressive 3,200 1%
2010 Steve Rothman 83,564 61% Michael A. Agosta 52,082 38% Patricia Alessandrini Green 1,980 1%
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1998, Kenneth Ebel received 277 votes. In 2000, Robert Corriston received 980 votes.

[edit] Personal life

Congressman Steve Rothman is a father of two children, John and Karen Rothman.

Rothman married the former Jennifer Anne Beckenstein on August 18, 2006, after having met her through the Jewish dating service JDate. The combined family resided in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.[23]

On January 18, 2011, Rothman’s office announced his divorce from Jennifer Rothman.[24]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=725167
  2. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=27746
  3. ^ [1] "Rothman Used Re-Election Funds for Hybrid SUV, and Convention Shindig, Reports Say", The Jersey Journal, January 4, 2009
  4. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=351212
  5. ^ [2] Jackson, Herb, "Rothman Fires Chief of Staff Following Arrest", The Record (Bergen County), November 23, 2010
  6. ^ [3] Sherman, Jake, "Thief Uses Rothman Campaign Credit Card", Politico (newspaper), October 9, 2009
  7. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=496871
  8. ^ http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2011/12/us_rep_steve_rothmans_challeng.html
  9. ^ http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/CN/20111228/NJNEWS/312280015/Dems-square-off-stay-Congress?odyssey=mod_sectionstories
  10. ^ http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_home/16932941/article--Rothman-will-fight-in-Democratic-primary-battle-for-9th-congressional-district-?instance=up_to_the_minute_lead_story_left_column
  11. ^ [4]Center for Public Integrity, "The Murtha Method: Computer Analysis Shows 12 of 16 House Defense Subcommittee Members in Controversial Circles of Lobbyists, Earmarks, and Campaign Cash", September 9, 2009
  12. ^ [5] Edge, Wally, PolitickerNJ.com, "Rothman's Weak Fundraising Could Lead to Retirement Speculation", October 16, 2009
  13. ^ [6] Harris, Gardiner, "F.D.A. Vows to Revoke Approval of Device", New York Times, October 14, 2010
  14. ^ [7] Harris, Gardiner and Halbfinger, David, "F.D.A. Reveals It Fell to a Push by Lawmakers", New York Times, September 24, 2009.
  15. ^ [8] Editorial, "Science and Lobbying at the F.D.A.", New York Times, October 4, 2010
  16. ^ [9] Congress.Org's Rating for Steve Rothman, Congress.org
  17. ^ [10]Colbert Report "Better Know A District: New Jersey's 9th" video clip, Comedy Central website
  18. ^ Jess, Kevin. "U.S military to train in bloodless medicine". Digital Journal, accessed February 7, 2011
  19. ^ [11] Isherwood, Darryl R., "Breaking: Decheine Arrested on Charges of Sexual Solicitation of a Minor", PolitickerNJ.com, November 23, 2010
  20. ^ [12] Newhauser, Daniel, "Rothman's Chief of Staff Accused of Soliciting a Minor", Roll Call, November 23, 2010
  21. ^ [13] Website of the Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
  22. ^ NJ Secretary of State 2010 election results
  23. ^ Argetsinger, Amy; and Roberts, Roxanne. "'Leaner and Meaner' Rove Has Less Weight to Throw Around", The Washington Post, August 30, 2006. Accessed March 29, 2011. "Matched: Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), 53, who got teased when gossip columns and his hometown paper discovered his online personal ad two years ago (brown-eyed Libra, enjoys swimming, wine and jazz), had the last laugh Aug. 18 when he married Jennifer Anne Beckenstein, 48 -- a food bank publicist whom he met through Jdate.com -- in Nyack, N.Y. The two will honeymoon later in the year, his office said; for now, they're busy combining their five teens into one household in Fair Lawn, N.J."
  24. ^ Jackson, Herb. "Rothman divorces". The Record (Bergen County). http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/capitalgames/rothman_divorces/. Retrieved 16 August 2011. 

[edit] External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Robert Torricelli		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 9th congressional district
1997–Present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Silvestre Reyes
D-Texas		 United States Representatives by seniority
132nd		 Succeeded by
Loretta Sanchez
D-California
Senators
Representatives
Other states'
delegations
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steve_Rothman&oldid=479529037"
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages