Wayne Hays

Wayne Levere Hays (May 13, 1911, Bannock, Ohio – February 13, 1989, Flushing, Ohio), was an American politician whose strong rule of the House Administration Committee extended to even the smallest items; in the mid-1970s, lawmakers avoided crossing Hays for fear that he would shut off the air conditioning in their offices. [1][2] He resigned from Congress after a much publicized sex scandal in 1976.

Early Years

Hays graduated from Ohio State University in 1933. He served as mayor of Flushing, Ohio from 1939 to 1945 and simultaneously served in the State senate in 1941 and 1942. Starting in 1945 he served a four year term as Commissioner of Belmont County. He was member of the Officers’ Reserve Corps, United States Army, from 1933 until called to active duty as a second lieutenant on December 8, 1941 until a medical discharge in August 1942.

Politics

Hays, a Democrat was elected to the 81st Congress in 1948 and was subsequently elected to the thirteen succeeding Congresses. He was chairman of the powerful Committee on House Administration.

Hays received 5 votes for president at the 1972 Democratic National Convention, despite never campaigning for the office. In 1976 Hays ran for the party's nomination for President, as a favorite son candidate in the Ohio primary.

On 11 May 1976, the House Sub-Committee on Future Foreign Policy Research and Development held hearings on the crime of genocide, concentrating on the genocide against the Armenians, the Jews, and the Hutu people in Burundi. The inclusion of the Armenians led to a lively exchange between them and former Congressman Wayne Hays, who thought his task was to defend Turkey because they are US allies in NATO. see A HOUSE SUB-COMMITTEE HEARING ON THE TURKISH GENOCIDE: THE HAYS-BURKE INCIDENT. Armenian Review 1975-1976 28(4-112): 339-390. 52p.

Scandal

In May of 1976, the Washington Post broke the story quoting Elizabeth Ray, Hays's former secretary, saying that Hays hired her on his staff, and later gave her a raise to be part of the staff of the House Administration Committee, for two years in order to serve as his mistress. Hays had divorced his first wife of 38 years just months prior, and married his veteran Ohio office secretary, Pat Peak, in early 1976, shortly before the scandal broke. [3] Ostensibly a secretary, she admitted: "I can't type. I can't file. I can't even answer the phone.'" Ray even "let a reporter listen in as the Ohio congressman told her on the phone that his recent marriage (to another former secretary) would not affect their arrangement." [4].Time Magazine reported, "Liz chose to tell her story after Hays decided to marry Pat Peak and did not invite her. 'I was good enough to be his mistress for two years but not good enough to be invited to his wedding,' she pouted." Three days later, Hays admitted to most of the allegations on the House floor, denying only "that Miss Ray's federal salary was awarded solely for sexual services. She was not, insisted Hays, 'hired to be my mistress.'" [5]. He resigned as chairman of Committee on House Administration on June 18, 1976, and then resigned from Congress on September 1, 1976.

Later Years

He served one term, from 1979 to 1981, as member of the Ohio state house of representatives, until he was defeated by future Congressman Bob Ney.

See also:

• Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 18th District
• List of United States Representatives from Ohio
• American Political Scandals

External Sources

• Closed Session Romance on the Hill: Rep. Wayne Hays' $14,000-a-Year Clerk Says She's His Mistress, Washington Post, May 23, 1976
• Indecent Exposure on Capitol Hill, Time Magazine, June 7, 1976

• United States Congress. "Wayne Hays (id: H000408)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

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