Terry McAuliffe

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Terry McAuliffe
McAuliffe Herndon crop.png
49th Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
In office
2001–2005
Preceded by Joe Andrew & Ed Rendell
Succeeded by Howard Dean
Personal details
Born Terence Richard McAuliffe
(1957-02-09) February 9, 1957 (age 56)
Syracuse, New York
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Dorothy McAuliffe
Children Dori, Jack, Mary, Sally, and Peter
Residence McLean, Virginia
Alma mater The Catholic University of America (B.A.)
Georgetown University Law School (J.D.)
Profession Businessman
Political Donor
Politician
Religion Roman Catholic

Terence Richard "Terry" McAuliffe (pronounced /mɨˈkɔːlɨf/; born February 9, 1957) is an American businessman and former chairman of the Democratic Party. He served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005 and served as co-chairman of President Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign and as chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election and is the Democratic nominee in the 2013 Virginia gubernatorial election.

Contents

Family and education [edit]

McAuliffe grew up in Syracuse, New York, and graduated from Bishop Ludden Junior/Senior High School in 1975. His father was treasurer of the local Democratic organization.[1] He started his first business, McAuliffe Driveway Maintenance, at the age of 14. In 1979, he received a bachelor's degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. After graduation, McAuliffe took a job in the 1980 presidential reelection campaign of Jimmy Carter, and at the age of 22 became the national finance director. During this campaign, McAuliffe wrestled an eight-foot, 260-pound alligator for a $15,000 contribution.[2] After the campaign, McAuliffe enrolled in law school at Georgetown University Law Center. He received a Juris Doctor degree in 1984.[3] McAuliffe then served as chairman of the Federal City National Bank by the age of 30.

He has five children with wife Dorothy: Dori, Jack, Mary, Sally, and Peter, four of whom attend or have attended the Potomac School.[4]

Business career [edit]

At the age of 14, McAuliffe started his first business,[5] McAuliffe Driveway Maintenance, sealing driveways and parking lots. "After graduating from Georgetown Law, McAuliffe has been forming partnerships, raising capital and investing in business ventures. He has earned millions as a banker, real estate developer, home builder, hotel owner, and internet venture capitalist."[6] According to The Washington Post, "McAuliffe is, at his core, a salesman – and even called himself a "hustler" in his autobiography."[6]

Federal City National Bank, 1988–91 [edit]

In 1985, McAuliffe helped found the Federal City National Bank, a small community bank that was designed to serve the Washington, DC area.

In January 1988, when he was 30 years old, the bank’s board elected McAuliffe chairman, making him the youngest elected chairman of a federally chartered bank in the history of the United States.[7]

The bank loaned $125,000 to a political action committee that supported Richard Gephardt's presidential campaign. McAuliffe told The New York Times that he abstained from voting on the loan because he was also the Gephardt campaign's finance chairman.[8] The bank also provided loans to former U.S. Representative Tony Coelho and the then-Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Jim Wright.[9]

McAuliffe helped to negotiate a merger with Credit International Bank (then under the management of Republican Richard V. Allen). McAuliffe went on to become Vice Chairman of the larger merged institution.[9][10]

Global Crossing, 1997–99 [edit]

McAuliffe made a large profit on shares of Global Crossing he sold before the company crashed. In 2006, The Securities and Exchange Commission, after a four year investigation, ruled that no wrongdoing occurred at Global Crossing and no enforcement action was necessary.[7] According to McAuliffe's book, he played no management role in Global Crossing.[7] Howard Kurtz of CNN reported that McAuliffe was free of any wrongdoing, having sold his shares years before there was "any hint of trouble with the company".[11] On July 20, 2002, Marc Racicot, the chairman of the Republican National Committee told Fox News reporter Rita Cosby, "I haven't seen anything that was done that was wrong by Terry McAuliffe."[12] On January 29, 2000, McAuliffe discussed the issue on the Fox News television program Hannity & Colmes, where he claimed that former President George H. W. Bush gave a speech in Japan praising Global Crossing in exchange for the right to purchase $80,000 of stock at a reduced price of 34 cents per share.[7]

ZeniMax Media [edit]

McAuliffe is a former advisor to video game company ZeniMax Media.[13][14]

Greentech Automotive [edit]

McAuliffe is a founder of GreenTech Automotive,[15] a US-based automotive manufacturer dedicated to developing and producing environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient vehicles.[16] In 2010, GreenTech Automotive acquired EU Auto MyCar, with a signing ceremony in Hong Kong.[17] A new 300,000 square foot facility is slated to become the production home of MyCar and future hybrid and electric models.[18]

McAuliffe resigned from GreenTech sometime before December 1, 2012. The resignation was not announced until April 2013, and no explanation was given by the company for the resignation.[19] McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign spokesman said McAuliffe had "verbally" announced his intention to resign before running for governor.[19]

McAuliffe's role in GreenTech become an issue in the 2013 gubernatorial race.[20] In December 2012, McAuliffe was questioned as to why he chose to locate the factory in Mississippi as opposed to Virginia. McAuliffe claimed that he wanted to bring the factory to Virginia but the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the state's business recruitment agency, chose not to bid on it.[21] However, in January 2013, PolitiFact declared McAuliffe's claim to be false, reporting from emails obtained from VEDP under the Freedom of Information Act that VEDP was interested in building the factory in Virginia, and its representatives toured potential sites with GreenTech representatives, but GreenTech went ahead with the Mississippi plant before VEDP could complete its due diligence.[21] VEDP was skeptical of GreenTech's business proposal, and when it asked the company to address its concerns, received no response.[21] The Associated Press also examined the documents and found that GreenTech never supplied the required data to VEDP.[22] McAuliffe said he disagreed with PolitiFact's report, and said other GreenTech executives made the decision, but did not offer specifics as to how the report was mistaken.[22]

In April 2013, Watchdog.org obtained more emails and in a series of extensive reports on GreenTech and McAuliffe revealed that VEDP was wary of GreenTech's financing because it relied heavily on the EB-5 visa program which provides green cards to foreign nationals who invest money in the United States. A VEDP official wrote that she was concerned that GreenTech's project was "a visa-for-sale scheme with potential national security implications."[20] Further concerns were raised when GreenTech failed to pay its taxes on time on the site it owns in Mississippi where it plans to open a new facility in 2013.[20] Watchdog.org quoted an investment adviser as saying the company was a "fraud investment" because of its use of the EB-5 program.[23] In April 2013, McAuliffe's campaign began referring questions about GreenTech to the company.[23]

On April 12, 2013, GreenTech filed an $85 million lawsuit against Watchdog.org, alleging libel and saying the site's reports jeopardized millions of dollars in investments.[23] Watchdog.org has denied that it committed libel. McAuliffe's campaign has referred requests for comment to GreenTech.[23]

Political career [edit]

From 1980 to 1981, McAuliffe served as Deputy Treasurer and Director of Finance at the Democratic National Committee. From 1982 to 1986, while attending Georgetown University Law School full-time, McAuliffe served as finance director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. During the 1988 presidential campaign, he served as finance chairman for Dick Gephardt. During the 1996 election cycle, he served as national finance chairman and then national co-chairman of the Clinton-Gore re-election committee.[24] In 1997, he was chairman of the 53rd Presidential Inaugural Committee.[25] In 1999, he was chairman of the White House Millennium Celebration.[26] In 2000, McAuliffe chaired a tribute to outgoing President Bill Clinton, which set a fundraising record for a single event, raising $26.3 million.[27] The same year, he chaired the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. In 2001, McAuliffe spoke out against the Clinton pardons, saying he considered Clinton a great friend, but the pardons were troubling and a mistake: "I've publicly said the Rich pardon was a mistake. If I were president I wouldn't have done it. All these incidents are unfortunate, frustrating and distracting, but ultimately they will run their course."[28]

Ambassador to the Taejon Expo of South Korea [edit]

McAuliffe was President Clinton's first ambassadorial appointment, naming him in 1993 as ambassador and commissioner general to Taejŏn Expo '93.[7]

Chairman of the Democratic National Committee [edit]

In February 2001, McAuliffe was elected chairman of the DNC and served until February 2005.[29] During that time, he raised $578 million and the Democratic Party emerged from debt for the first time in its history.[30]

Under McAuliffe, the DNC built a new headquarters, created a computer database of more than 170 million potential voters known as "Demzilla",[31] founded a Women's Vote Center to educate and mobilize women voters, founded the Voting Rights Institute to protect voting rights, and founded "Something New", an initiative to mobilize younger voters. Circumstances affecting the outcome of the 2002 Senate elections included the influence of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which heavily favored the GOP. There were also allegations of Republican election rigging, as GOP political operatives were accused of illegally jamming the phone lines of New Hampshire Democrats on election day,[32] a race in which GOP candidate John Sununu barely edged Jeanne Shaheen by 19,000 votes.

Democrats would lose a net of 8 seats in the House in the 2002 elections.[7] The Democrats also picked up both governors' seats up for election in 2001 & 11 (mostly open) governorships in 2002.

In the transition period between the 2002 elections and the 2004 Democratic convention, the DNC rebuilt operations and intra-party alliances. Donna Brazile, one of McAuliffe's early critics, summed up McAuliffe's revival: "We boxed. He has been punched, believe me. Now, Terry has put the party in a strong strategic position."[33]

In 2003–04, the DNC hosted six presidential primary debates, more than had ever been held previously, including the first-ever bilingual presidential debate. The DNC also partnered with the Congressional Black Caucus to hold a debate in Baltimore, Maryland. Additionally, McAuliffe worked to restructure the Democratic primary schedule so that states such as South Carolina, Arizona, and New Mexico would be allowed to vote earlier, in a move designed to bolster ties to African-American and Hispanic communities. According to The Washington Post, the new schedule gave Senator Kerry enough time to raise more than $200 million for the general election.[33]

In a 2009 interview, former presidential candidate Ralph Nader alleged that McAuliffe offered him money to withdraw from certain pivotal states in the 2004 election. According to Nader, McAuliffe “basically said that if I stay out of 19 states which are close between Kerry and Bush, he would provide resources to me in the remaining 31 states.” [34] At the time McAuliffe was head of the Democratic National Committee. Nader went on to say, "He threatens, he promises, he cajoles, he jokes, he charms, he intimidates. He really is not someone who should be governor and in possession of the public’s trust.” McAuliffe's staff denied the accusations, and acknowledged that Chairman McAuliffe "was concerned that Ralph Nader would cost John Kerry the election as he did Al Gore in 2000 and give us another four years of George W. Bush." [35] McAuliffe's staff also noted that Nader had an unrelated lawsuit against McAuliffe and the Democratic National Committee dismissed.

In January 2005, several weeks before his term ended, McAuliffe committed and left $5 million in the bank to be spent in the Commonwealth of Virginia to assist Governor Kaine and other Democrats in their upcoming elections. This donation was the largest non-presidential disbursement in DNC history, and was part of McAuliffe's attempt to prove the Democrats' viability in southern states in the wake of the 2004 presidential election.[36] Kaine was successful in his bid and was governor of Virginia, 2006–2010.

During McAuliffe's tenure, the Democratic Party recruited over 25,000 field precinct captains, conducted 530 organizing conventions across the country, knocked on 11 millions doors, and made 56 million paid phone calls through the help of 233,000 volunteers. During this time, voters said they were contacted in the mail, through the phone, and at the door more often by Democrats than by Republicans.[37]

In what became the platform of McAuliffe's bid for chairman of the DNC, he completed a technological overhaul of the party.[38] In the December 2003 issue of The American Prospect Harold Meyerson wrote, "Working largely under the radar, McAuliffe has made the DNC better prepared for a Presidential election than it may ever have been."[39]

Post-DNC Chairmanship [edit]

Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and former chairman of the Hillary Clinton for President committee, at the 2008 Democratic National Convention at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

On January 23, 2007, his book, What A Party! My Life Among Democrats: Presidents, Candidates, Donors, Activists, Alligators, and Other Wild Animals (ISBN 978-0-312-35787-0), was released and debuted at #5 on the New York Times Bestseller list and #1 on The Washington Post's list.[citation needed]

As a former party chairman, McAuliffe was one of the roughly 796 superdelegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[citation needed]

During the 2008 presidential election campaign cycle, he was campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton.[citation needed]

McAuliffe appears in the 2008 award-winning documentary Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story on political strategist Lee Atwater. In the film, McAuliffe says, "When Bill Clinton got elected President, and you had wackos out there funding all these crazy projects, it all started with Lee Atwater. The first independent counsel said there was nothing there – to think they paid Ken Starr and his perverted investigations $70 million of taxpayers' money? These folks believe you win at all cost."[citation needed]

2009 Virginia gubernatorial campaign [edit]

Main article: Virginia gubernatorial election, 2009

On November 10, 2008, McAuliffe filed to form an exploratory committee for governor of Virginia in the 2009 election.[40] He told reporters that he had planned to spend the next few months traveling to "every corner of Virginia" to measure interest in his possible run.[40] McAuliffe told The Washington Post that he is "best suited to carry the Democratic banner because he (would) campaign as a business leader who can bring jobs to Virginia".[40] He also cited his ability to raise money for down-ticket Democratic candidates.[40] On January 3, 2009, McAuliffe announced in a YouTube video emailed to his supporters that he would be seeking the Democratic Party nomination for governor of Virginia.[41]

McAuliffe's political team included several former staffers from the campaigns of Democrats Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine, Mark Warner and Jim Webb. Among them were campaign manager Mike Henry, senior strategist Mo Elleithee, and communications director Delacey Skinner.[42] According to The Washington Post, McAuliffe raised $7.5 million over the course of the campaign.[43]

In the primary, McAuliffe faced two other high-profile Democrats, State Sen. Creigh Deeds, 2005 nominee for Attorney General, and Brian Moran, a former state representative and former Democratic Caucus chairman. On June 9, 2009, Virginia Democrats selected Deeds as their gubernatorial candidate with McAuliffe losing by 23 points.[44][45] Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell went on to defeat Deeds by a margin of 17 points.[46][47]

Visiting Fellow: Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government [edit]

McAuliffe was a visiting Fellow to Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government. In addition to several faculty and student lectures, McAuliffe hosted a study group entitled The Making of a Candidate: From Running Campaigns to Running on my Own.[48]

2013 Virginia gubernatorial campaign [edit]

Main article: Terry McAuliffe gubernatorial campaign, 2013
Main article: Virginia gubernatorial election, 2013

On Thursday, November 8, 2012, McAuliffe emailed supporters announcing his intention to run for Governor of Virginia in 2013. In his email he states, "It is absolutely clear to me that Virginians want their next Governor to focus on job creation and common sense fiscal responsibility instead of divisive partisan issues."[49]

On April 2, 2013, The Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) certified that McAuliffe was the only candidate to file for the June primary, and was therefore the Democratic nominee.[50]

Political timeline [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Dowd, Maureen (July 7, 1987). "Money for politics: One man's relentless pursuit". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2009. 
  2. ^ "Terry McAuliffe Biography". Leading Authorities, Inc. Retrieved January 4, 2009. 
  3. ^ "Financing the Road to the White House" (PDF). Leaders Magazine. July 3, 2007. Retrieved January 4, 2009. 
  4. ^ More Stories from Around the Web (2013-04-26). "Another Anti-Voucher Democrat, With Kids in the Best Private School". Nationalreview.com. Retrieved 2013-05-07. 
  5. ^ McAuliffe, Terry (January 22, 2007). "Life of the party: McAuliffe and the Democrats". MSNBC. Retrieved June 8, 2009. 
  6. ^ a b Gardner, Amy (May 3, 2009). "McAuliffe's Background Could Prove A Liability". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2009. 
  7. ^ a b c d e f Kettman, Steve (2007). What A Party! (Thomas Dunne Books). pp. 75–76. 
  8. ^ Berke, Richard (February 13, 1988). "Gephardt Received 2 Unsecured Loans". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2009. 
  9. ^ a b Gerth, Jeff (December 12, 1999). "Friendship Counts; Clinton’s Top Fund-Raiser Made Lots for Himself, Too". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2009. 
  10. ^ "Bank Start-Ups Get Bowled Over by Stubborn Real-Estate Recession". July 23, 1992. 
  11. ^ "How Did Media Cover Enron?", CNN Reliable Sources, March 2, 2002
  12. ^ citation from July 21, 2002, Fox News[dead link]
  13. ^ "ZeniMax Media Inc". Web.archive.org. 2008-09-05. Retrieved 2013-05-07. 
  14. ^ "Outside Advisors". ZeniMax Media Inc. Retrieved 19 April 2013. 
  15. ^ Heath, Thomas. "Terry McAuliffe firm buys electric car company". Washington Post. 
  16. ^ "Who We Are". GreenTech Automotive. Retrieved 15 April 2013. 
  17. ^ Automotive, Greentech (May 17, 2010). "Terry McAuliffe Announces Major Expansion Of Greentech Automotive With Acquisition Of EuAuto, Award-Winning Electric Car Specialists". Retrieved May 17, 2010. 
  18. ^ "Manufacturing". GreenTech Automotive. Retrieved 15 April 2013. 
  19. ^ a b McAuliffe quietly resigned last year from electric car firm he founded
  20. ^ a b c Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s role in GreenTech scrutinized
  21. ^ a b c Terry McAuliffe says Virginia officials "decided not to bid" on his electric automobile plant
  22. ^ a b Cuccinelli raps McAuliffe over location of green car plant
  23. ^ a b c d Car company founded by McAuliffe files $85 million suit over Web site articles
  24. ^ "2 Are Named to Plan Clinton Inauguration". The New York Times. November 13, 1996. Retrieved January 4, 2009. 
  25. ^ "Records of the 1997 Inaugural Committee 1996-97". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved January 4, 2009. 
  26. ^ "Remarks by the President and the First Lady at opening ceremonies of America's Millennium Celebration". Clinton Presidential Center Web Site Online Archives. December 31, 1999. Retrieved January 4, 2009. 
  27. ^ Weisskopf, Michael (May 28, 2000]). "The Kingmaker". Time. Retrieved January 4, 2009. 
  28. ^ Berke, Richard L. (February 23, 2001). "The Clinton Pardons: The Democrats; This Time, Clintons Find Their Support Buckling From Weight of New Woes". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2009. 
  29. ^ Roberts, Roxanne (October 5, 2005). "Terry McAuliffe, Fundraising Client". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2009. 
  30. ^ "''The Washington Post'', October 21, 2005". Washingtonpost.com. 2005-10-21. Retrieved 2013-05-07. 
  31. ^ "''The Hill'' newspaper, February 17, 2005". Thehill.com. Retrieved 2013-05-07. 
  32. ^ Greg Gordon, McClatchy Newspapers (2007-12-18). "Inside a GOP effort to rig the 2002 New Hampshire elections | McClatchy". Mcclatchydc.com. Retrieved 2013-05-07. 
  33. ^ a b Edsall, Thomas B. (July 26, 2004). "McAuliffe Is Dems' Comeback Kid". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 21, 2009. 
  34. ^ "McAuliffe denies cash offered to Nader", "Politico 2010", May 29, 2009
  35. ^ "McAuliffe Offered Me Money to Alter My 2004 Campaign, Nader Says", "Washington Post- Governor's Race", May 29, 2009
  36. ^ Garver, Rob (March 23, 2005). "Raising Kaine". The American Prospect. Retrieved February 21, 2009. 
  37. ^ DNC 2001–2005: Modernizing, Mobilizing, and Building the Democratic Party, Washington, D.C., Democratic National Committee, 2005.
  38. ^ Blueprint For The Future. Washington, D.C., Democratic National Committee, 2004.
  39. ^ Harold Meyerson (December 2003). "Judging Terry". The American Prospect. Retrieved August 28, 2012. 
  40. ^ a b c d Craig, Tim. "McAuliffe Takes Steps To Run for Va. Governor". The Washington Post. Page B01. November 11, 2008.
  41. ^ "Terry McAuliffe's Big Announcement"[dead link]
  42. ^ Kumar, Anita. "McAuliffe Announces Staff". The Washington Post. January 5, 2009.
  43. ^ Kumar, Anita (June 10, 2009). "Deeds Surges To Stunning Win in Va.". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 10, 2009. 
  44. ^ "2009 June Democratic Primary Official Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. 
  45. ^ Kumar, Anita (June 10, 2009). "Deeds Surges To Stunning Win in Va". The Washington Post. 
  46. ^ "November 2009 General Election Official Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. 
  47. ^ Cahill, Steve (November 12, 2008). "McAuliffe mulls gubernatorial run". Fairfax County Times. 
  48. ^ [1][dead link]
  49. ^ Burns, Alexander (November 8, 2012). "Politico blog". politico.com. 
  50. ^ Walker, Julian (April 2, 2013). "McAuliffe named Dem governor nominee, 4 others make ballot". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved April 3, 2013. 

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Terry McAuliffe
Party political offices
Preceded by
Richard Gephardt		 Permanent Chairperson of the Democratic National Convention
2000		 Succeeded by
Bill Richardson
Preceded by
Tom Daschle
Preceded by
Ed Rendell		 Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
2001–2005		 Succeeded by
Howard Dean
Preceded by
Joe Andrew
Authority control
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