Wes Cooley

For the motorcyclist, see Wes Cooley (motorcyclist).

Wes Cooley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Robert F. Smith
Succeeded by	Robert F. Smith
Personal details
Born	March 28, 1932 (1932-03-28) Los Angeles, California
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Rosemary Herron Cooley

Wester Shadric "Wes" Cooley (born March 28, 1932) was a Republican politician and rancher from Oregon. He was a U.S. Representative from Oregon's 2nd congressional district for the 1995–1997 term.

Early life

Cooley was born in Los Angeles, California. He served in the United States Army from 1952 to 1954, and is described in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress as a rancher. He owns the vitamin supplements company Rose Laboratories. Cooley graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1958.

Political career

Cooley was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1992. In 1994, midway through his State Senate term, Cooley was elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican from the 2nd District.

In the 104th Congress, Cooley was an advocate of private property rights, American military superiority, tort reform to limit recovery by plaintiffs, and other planks of the Republican Party's proclaimed Contract with America.^{[citation needed]}

In April 1996, the Medford, Oregon Mail Tribune questioned Cooley's statement in the 1994 Voter's Guide that he had served in the Army Special Forces in Korea. Charges also arose that Cooley and his wife kept their marriage secret for several years in order for her to continue to receive veteran's benefits from her prior marriage. Cooley was unopposed for renomination in the May primary and vigorously denied the charges; however, he came under increasing pressure from fellow Republicans, including his campaign manager Greg Walden and House speaker Newt Gingrich, to step down. In August 1996, Cooley withdrew from the race. A special nominating convention chose Bob Smith, who had retired from the seat two years earlier, to replace Cooley on the ballot. Smith went on to defeat Democrat Mike Dugan in the November election.

In December, Cooley was indicted for lying about his military service in the 1994 voter's pamphlet. While claiming that the documents proving his claim were destroyed in a fire, Cooley later accepted a plea agreement in which he was convicted of lying in an official document and sentenced to probation, community service, and ordered to pay a fine.

2009 indictment

On January 29, 2009, Cooley was indicted in California for his role in an alleged investment scheme associated with the sale of shares of Bidbay.com. The Oregonian reports that prosecutors claim more than $10 million was bilked from investors in the Bidbay sale of shares based on false statements. Cooley was charged with six counts of money laundering and one count of filing a false tax return in 2002 in an attempt to conceal more than $1.1 million in illicit income.

2010 Update

Cooley is fighting to stay out of prison 16 years after being caught lying about his military record. He faces up to 38 years in federal prison if convicted on the six counts of money laundering and one of filing a false tax return. The pre-trial continues in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, CA. Cooley's attorney claims his client is incompetent to stand trial although treatment and evaluation in federal medical center in Bunter, NC found Cooley competent. The hospital also reported evidence of malingering by Cooley. The defendant also alleged during the 2005 Bidbay civil case in St. Louis that he could remember nothing for the last 15 years by virtue of series of strokes. Cooley and an associate were ordered to pay $2.1 million to 11 people the court said were victims of the scheme.

"Questions were also raised (during the 1966 Marion County Trial) about claims that he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa in college and that he had a law degree. He was neither a member of the fraternity nor a law school graduate".

External links

• Biographical directory of the United States Congress
• "Former congressman, felon Cooley may run for office again", Paul Fattig, Mail-Tribune, March 1998
• Wes Cooley on the issues
• Voter's pamphlet, May 1998
• Wes Cooley at congressionalbadboys.com (cites sources)
• 1993–94 election receipts and expenditures

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Robert F. Smith	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 2nd congressional district 1995–1997	Succeeded by Robert F. Smith