Fred Thompson

This article is about the actor/politician. For the silent movie actor, see Fred Thomson.

Fred Dalton Thompson
United States Senator from Tennessee
In office December 2 1994 – January 3 2003
Preceded by	Harlan Mathews
Succeeded by	Lamar Alexander
Personal details
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	(1) Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey (Knestrick), 1959–1985; divorced (2) Jeri Kehn, 2002–Present
Alma mater	Memphis State University, Vanderbilt University
Profession	character actor, senator, lawyer, lobbyist, public speaker, radio personality

Fred Dalton Thompson (born Freddie Dalton Thompson on August 19 1942) is an American politician, lawyer, lobbyist and character actor. He represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S. Senate from 1994 through 2002 and is a candidate for the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States.

Thompson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, specializing in national security and intelligence. He resides in McLean, Virginia, near Washington, D.C.

As an actor, Thompson has performed in film and on television. He has frequently portrayed governmental figures. In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing New York City District Attorney Arthur Branch, until he asked to be released from his contract in May 2007. The network granted his request.

Early life and education

Thompson was born in Sheffield, Alabama to Ruth Inez (Bradley) and Fletcher Session Thompson. He attended public school in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, graduating from Lawrence County High School. Thereafter, he worked days in the local post office and nights at a bicycle assembly plant.

Thompson entered Florence State College, now the University of North Alabama, becoming the first member of his family to go to college. He later transferred to Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis, where he earned a double-major in philosophy and political science in 1964, as well as scholarships to both Tulane and Vanderbilt law schools. He went on to earn his J.D. degree from Vanderbilt in 1967.

Career as an attorney

Thompson was admitted to the State Bar of Tennessee in 1967. At that time he shortened his first name from Freddie to Fred. He worked as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972, successfully prosecuting bank robberies and other cases. Thompson was the campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senator Howard Baker's reelection campaign in 1972 and was minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in its investigation of the Watergate scandal (1973–1974).

Throughout the 1980s Thompson worked primarily as an attorney, with law offices in Nashville and Washington, DC. Thompson handled personal injury claims and he defended individuals accused of white collar crimes. He also accepted appointments as Special Counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1980–1981), Special Counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee (1982), and Member of the Appellate Court Nominating Commission for the State of Tennessee (1985–1987).

His clients included the German mining group and Japan's Toyota Motors Corporation. Thompson has served on various corporate boards. He did legal work and served on the board of directors for engineering firm Stone & Webster.

Role in Watergate hearings

Main article: Watergate scandal

From left to right: Fred Thompson (minority counsel), Howard Baker, and Sam Ervin of the Senate Watergate Committee in 1973.

Thompson was appointed minority counsel for the hearings surrounding the Watergate scandal. He was responsible for Republican Senator Howard Baker's famous question "What did the President know, and when did he know it?" This question is said to have led to the downfall of President Richard Nixon. The Senator, who had brought Thompson in as his chief counsel, remarked that "I had high regard for him as a lawyer and as a friend".

Even though the committee already knew the answer, Thompson asked about listening devices in the White House at a public committee hearing to former White House aide Alexander Butterfield, thereby revealing the existence of tape recordings of conversations within the White House. National Public Radio later called that session "a turning point in the investigation".

Thompson's appointment as minority counsel to the Senate Watergate committee reportedly upset Nixon who believed that Thompson was not skilled enough to interrogate unfriendly witnesses and would be outfoxed by committee Democrats. But according to historian Stanley Kutler, Thompson and Baker "carried water for the White House, but I have to give them credit — they were watching out for their interests, too... They weren't going to mindlessly go down the tubes [for Nixon]."

Thompson later wrote a Watergate memoir entitled "At that point in time: the inside story of the Senate Watergate Committee." In his book, Thompson acknowledged that he provided information to Nixon's lawyer even though he had no authority to act for the committee. Thompson "believed it would be in everyone's interest if the White House realized, before making any public statements, the probable position of both the majority and the minority of the Watergate committee" regarding the Watergate tapes. In response to renewed interest in this matter, Thompson says, "I'm glad all of this has finally caused someone to read my Watergate book, even though it's taken them over 30 years."

Corruption case against Tennessee governor

In 1977, Thompson represented Marie Ragghianti, a former Tennessee Parole Board chair, who had been fired for refusing to release felons after they had bribed aides to Democratic Governor Ray Blanton in order to obtain clemency. With Thompson's assistance, Ragghianti filed a wrongful termination suit against Blanton's office. During the trial, Thompson helped to expose the cash-for-clemency scheme that eventually led to Blanton's removal from the Governor's office. In July 1978, a jury awarded Ragghianti $38,000 in back pay and ordered her reinstatement.

Lobbyist

Thompson lobbied Congress on behalf of the Tennessee Savings and Loan League to pass the St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982, which deregulated the Savings and Loan industry. A large congressional majority and President Ronald Reagan supported the act but it was said to be a factor that led to the savings and loan crisis. Thompson received one thousand six hundred dollars for communicating with some congressional staffers on this issue.

Thompson also lobbied independently. When Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown in 1991, Thompson made a telephone call to White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu advocating restoration of Aristide's government.

Billing records show that Thompson was paid for about twenty hours of work in 1991 and 1992 on behalf of a family planning group trying to ease a departmental regulation on abortion counseling in federally-funded clinics.

Thompson has earned about one million dollars from his lobbying efforts. Except for the year 1981, his lobbying never amounted to more than a third of his income. According to the Commercial Appeal newspaper:

Fred Thompson earned about half a million dollars from Washington lobbying from 1975 through 1993....Lobbyist disclosure records show Thompson had six lobbying clients: Westinghouse, two cable television companies, the Tennessee Savings and Loan League, the Teamsters Union's Central States Pension Fund, and a Baltimore-based business coalition that lobbied for federal grants.

After leaving the Senate in 2003, Thompson's only lobbying work was for the London-based reinsurance company Equitas Ltd. He was paid $760,000 between 2004 and 2006 in order to help prevent passage of legislation that Equitas said unfairly singled them out for unfavorable treatment regarding asbestos claims. Thompson spokesman Mark Corrallo said that Thompson was proud to have been a lobbyist and believed in Equitas' cause.

Character actor

Marie Ragghianti's case became the subject of a book, Marie, written by Peter Maas and published in 1983. The film rights were purchased by director Roger Donaldson, who, after traveling to Nashville to speak with the people involved with the original case, asked Thompson if he wanted to play himself in the movie. The resulting film, Marie, was Thompson's first acting role and was released in 1985. Roger Donaldson then cast Thompson in the part of CIA Director in the 1987 film No Way Out. Thompson would go on to appear in many films and television shows. A 1994 New York Times profile wrote that "When Hollywood directors need someone who can personify governmental power, they often turn to [Thompson]." He has portrayed a fictional president of the United States in Last Best Chance as well as two historical presidents: Ulysses S. Grant in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) and the voice of Andrew Jackson in Rachel and Andrew Jackson: A Love Story (both produced for TV).

In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing District Attorney Arthur Branch. Thompson began filming during the August 2002 Senate recess.

He has also made occasional appearances in the same role on other TV shows, such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and the pilot episode of Conviction. On May 30 2007, he asked to be released from the role, potentially in preparation for a presidential bid. Due to concerns about the equal-time rule, scenes with Branch will be excised from reruns shown on NBC, but TNT episodes will be unaffected.

Senate (1994–2003)

Congressional portrait

Two campaigns for U.S. Senate

In 1994, Thompson was elected to finish the remaining two years of Al Gore's unexpired U.S. Senate term. Gore had been elected Vice President of the United States in 1992, and resigned his Senate seat leaving Harlan Mathews as "caretaker" of the seat. During the 1994 campaign, Thompson's opponent was longtime Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper. Thompson campaigned in a red pickup truck, and Cooper charged that Thompson "is a lobbyist and actor who talks about lower taxes, talks about change, while he drives a rented stage prop." In a good year for Republican candidates, Thompson defeated Cooper in a landslide upset victory, overcoming Cooper's early 20 percent margin in the polls to defeat Cooper by an even greater margin. On the same night Thompson was elected to fill Gore's unexpired term, political newcomer Bill Frist, a Nashville heart surgeon, defeated three-term incumbent Democrat Jim Sasser, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, for Tennessee's other U.S. Senate seat, which was up for a full six-year term. The twin victories by Thompson and Frist gave Republicans control of both of Tennessee's Senate seats for the first time since Sasser ousted incumbent Bill Brock in 1976.

In 1996, Thompson was re-elected (for the term ending January 3, 2003) with 61 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic attorney Houston Gordon of Covington, Tennessee, even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried the state by less than three percentage points on his way to re-election. The GOP continues to hold the seat, as it was won by former Tennessee Governor and Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in 2002.

Senate career

Senator Thompson meeting with U.S. soldiers in South Korea.

In 1996, Thompson was a member of the Committee on Governmental Affairs when the committee investigated the alleged Chinese attempts to influence American politics. Thompson says he was "largely stymied" during these investigations by witnesses declining to testify; claiming the right not to incriminate themselves or by simply leaving the country. Thompson explained, "Our work was affected tremendously by the fact that Congress is a much more partisan institution than it used to be."

Thompson became committee chairman in 1997 but was reduced to ranking minority member when the Democrats took control of the Senate in 2001. Thompson served on the Finance Committee (dealing with health care, trade, Social Security, and taxation) the Intelligence Committee, and the National Security Working Group.

Thompson's work included investigation of the "Umm Hajul controversy" which involved the death of Tennessean Lance Fielder during the Gulf War. During his term he supported campaign finance reform, opposed proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and promoted government efficiency and accountability. During the 1996 presidential debates, he also served as a Clinton stand-in to help prepare Bob Dole.

On February 12 1999, the Senate voted on the Clinton impeachment. The perjury charge was defeated with 45 votes for conviction, and 55 including Thompson against. The obstruction of justice charge was defeated with 50 including Thompson for conviction, and 50 against. Conviction on impeachment charges requires the affirmative votes of 67 senators.

Campaign Co-chairman for John McCain

In the 2000 Republican presidential primaries, Thompson initially backed former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander, who eventually succeeded Thompson in the Senate two years later. When Alexander dropped out of the presidential race, Thompson endorsed Senator John McCain's bid and became his national co-chairman. Both McCain and Thompson were contenders to be George W. Bush's running mate in 2000.

Resignation

Thompson was not a candidate for re-election in 2002. He had publicly stated his unwillingness to have the Senate become a long-term career. Although he announced in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks his intention to seek re-election ("Now is not the time for me to leave," said Thompson at the time), upon further reflection he decided against it. The decision seems to have been prompted in large part by the death of his daughter.

Ratings

Senator Thompson meeting with Girl Scouts.

Thompson has an 86.1 percent lifetime (1995–2002) American Conservative Union vote rating, compared to 89.3 for Bill Frist and 82.3 for John McCain. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) characterized her colleague this way: "I believe that Fred is a fearless senator. By that I mean he was never afraid to cast a vote or take a stand, regardless of the political consequences." Thompson was "on the short end of a couple of 99-1 votes," voting against those who wanted to federalize matters that he believed were properly left to state and local officials.

With Thompson's decision to campaign for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, his Senate record has received some criticism from people who say he was "lazy" compared to other Senators. Critics point that few of his proposals became law, and to a 1998 quote: "I don't like spending 14- and 16-hour days voting on 'sense of the Senate' resolutions on irrelevant matters. There are some important things we really need to get on with—and on a daily basis, it's very frustrating." Defenders say he spent more time in preparation than other Senators. Paul Noe, a former staffer, told the New York Times, "On the lazy charge, I have to chuckle because I was there sometimes until 1 in the morning working with the man."

Post-Senate activities

Political work

Fred Thompson on July 25, 2007 in Dallas.

In March 2003, Thompson was featured in a commercial by the conservative non-profit group Citizens United that advocated the invasion of Iraq, stating: "When people ask what has Saddam done to us, I ask, what had the 9/11 hijackers done to us -- before 9/11."

Thompson did voice-over work at the 2004 Republican National Convention. While narrating a video for that convention, Thompson observed: "History throws you what it throws you, and you never know what’s coming."

After the retirement of Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2005, Bush appointed him to an informal position to help guide the nomination of John Roberts through the United States Senate confirmation process. Roberts was subsequently confirmed as Chief Justice.

Until July 2007, Thompson was Chair of the International Security Advisory Board, a bipartisan advisory panel that reports to the Secretary of State and focuses on emerging strategic threats. In that capacity, he advised the State Department about all aspects of arms control, disarmament, international security, and related aspects of public diplomacy.

Legal defense for Lewis Libby

Main article: Lewis Libby

In 2006, he served on the advisory board of the legal defense fund for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Jr, who was indicted and later convicted of lying to federal investigators during their investigation of the Plame affair. Thompson, who had never met Libby before volunteering for the advisory board, said he was convinced Libby was innocent. The Scooter Libby Legal Defense Fund Trust set out to raise more than $5 million to help finance the legal defense of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff. Thompson hosted a fundraiser for the Libby defense fund at his home in McLean, Virginia. After Bush commuted Libby's sentence, Thompson released a statement: "I am very happy for Scooter Libby. I know that this is a great relief to him, his wife and children. This will allow a good American, who has done a lot for his country, to resume his life."

Radio analyst

In 2006, he signed on with ABC News Radio to serve as senior analyst and vacation replacement for Paul Harvey. He used that platform to spell out his positions on a number of political issues. A July 3, 2007 update to Thompson's ABC News Radio home page referred to him as a "former ABC News Radio contributor," indicating that Thompson has been released from his contract with the broadcaster.

Controversy

Main article: Fred Thompson controversies

Fred Thompson has seen some controversy, most notably allegations about pro-choice lobbying, allegations about using his political action committee to benefit his son, and allegations about his role during Watergate.

Political positions

Main article: Political positions of Fred Thompson

At Iowa State Fair on August 17 2007.

Thompson has said that federalism is his "lodestar," providing "a basis for a proper analysis of most issues: 'Is this something government should be doing? If so, at what level of government?'"

He says that Roe v. Wade was a wrong decision that ought to be overturned and that he is pro-life, but that states should not criminalize young women for early term abortions. He would not support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, but would support an amendment preserving each state's right to decide the matter for itself.

Thompson has voiced skepticism that humanity is to blame for global warming. He says citizens are entitled to keep and bear arms if they do not have criminal records. Thompson's support of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation brought criticism from groups such as Gun Owners of America (GOA), who said that the legislation limited their ability to inform the public about the gun rights voting records of incumbent politicians. Thompson now says that the limitation on political speech within 30 or 60 days of an election was wrong and should be repealed. Thompson says U.S. borders need to be secured before considering comprehensive immigration reform, and federal law must be enforced in sanctuary cities which currently ban cooperation between local officials and federal immigration officials.

Thompson supported the U.S. 2003 invasion of Iraq and is opposed to withdrawing troops from Iraq, but believes that "mistakes have been made" since the invasion.

2008 presidential election campaign

Main article: Fred Thompson presidential campaign, 2008

2008 presidential campaign logo

On March 11 2007, Thompson appeared on Fox News Sunday to discuss the possibility of a 2008 candidacy for president. Thompson's March 11 announcement spurred a flurry of activity. One group of supporters organized under the banner "FredHeadsUSA" with a plan to build a grassroots political movement to expand on Thompson's support on the Internet.

On May 15, Thompson published a video in which he declined to debate Michael Moore about Cuba. On May 18, he continued his Internet campaign by posting a letter to Pajamas Media acknowledging his online supporters. On May 30, 2007, Thompson asked to be released from his television contract, potentially in preparation for a presidential bid.

Thompson formed a presidential exploratory committee regarding his possible 2008 campaign for president on June 1, 2007. Unlike most candidate exploratory groups, his organized as a 527 group.

On June 12, 2007, Thompson appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He would not announce his candidacy, but referred to his presidential exploratory committee, which he stated had yielded positive prospects. Leno mentioned that Thompson was #2 in the polls, and asked him if he would at least state if he would like the job of President. Thompson responded that, while he did not crave the job itself, there were things he would like to do that he could only do by holding that office.

A New York Times article cited Thompson's aides as saying on July 18 that he planned to enter the race just after Labor Day (the first Monday in September), followed by a national announcement tour. On August 8, 2007, Bill Lacy was named manager of Thompson's "testing the waters committee". Lacy had worked in the campaigns of Presidents Reagan and Bush, as well as Senator Bob Dole, and had worked on Thompson's 1994 campaign.

Thompson and his campaign bus in Iowa, 2007.

On September 5, 2007, Thompson made his candidacy official, announcing on The Tonight Show: "I'm running for president of the United States." He steered viewers to his web site for a 15-minute video announcement of his candidacy. He also ran an ad on FOX News just before the Republican debate. The September 10, 2007 issue of Newsweek hit newsstands with a detailed cover story about him. His campaign entrance has been described as "lackluster" and "awkward" despite high expectations in anticipation of his joining the race.

A CNN poll released on October 16, 2007, showed his support dropping by 8 points to 19 percent, down from 27 percent in September, but still slightly ahead of John McCain.

Personal life

Marriages & children

Fred and Jeri Thompson with children in September of 2007.

In September 1959, at the age of 17, Thompson married Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey. Their son, Freddie Dalton "Tony" Thompson Jr., was born in April 1960. Another son and a daughter were born soon thereafter. While Thompson was attending law school, both he and his wife worked to pay for his education and support their three children.

The couple divorced in 1985. They have two surviving children, as well as five grandchildren. Thompson's daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" Thompson Panici died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs on January 30, 2002.

Prior to his second marriage, Thompson had been romantically linked to country singer Lorrie Morgan, Republican fundraiser Georgette Mosbacher and columnist Margaret Carlson. In July 1996, Thompson began dating Jeri Kehn (b. 1966) and the two married almost six years later on June 29 2002. The couple have two children, a daughter (b. 2003) and a son (b. 2006). Although the 24-year age difference between Kehn and Thompson has generated commentary, Kehn had already established a career as a lawyer and political consultant prior to meeting Thompson.

Cancer

Thompson has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a form of cancer. "I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms. My life expectancy should not be affected. I am in remission, and it is very treatable with drugs if treatment is needed in the future — and with no debilitating side effects," Thompson said. Like many patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Thompson received treatment with Rituxan. Thompson's cancer, though currently incurable, is reportedly indolent, the lowest of three grades of NHL. The cancer is nodal marginal zone lymphoma, a rare form of NHL, that accounts for only one to three percent of all cases of NHL. Two other potential Republican presidential nominees have also had cancer: John McCain and Rudy Giuliani.

Religion

Thompson is a member of the Churches of Christ, a non-denominational group of Christian churches. According to Thompson, his values come from "sitting around the kitchen table" with his parents, and from the Church of Christ. While talking to reporters in South Carolina, Thompson said, "I attend church when I'm in Tennessee. I'm [living] in McLean right now. I don't attend regularly when I'm up there." He does not plan to speak about his religion during his campaign saying, "Me getting up and talking about what a wonderful person I am and that sort of thing, I'm not comfortable with that, and I don't think it does me any good."

Filmography

Movies

• Marie (1985)
• No Way Out (1987)
• Feds (1988)
• Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
• The Hunt for Red October (1990)
• Days of Thunder (1990)
• Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)
• Flight of the Intruder (1991) (uncredited)
• Class Action (1991)
• Necessary Roughness (1991)
• Curly Sue (1991)
• Cape Fear (1991)

• Aces: Iron Eagle III (1992)
• Thunderheart (1992)
• White Sands (1992) (uncredited)
• Born Yesterday (1993)
• In the Line of Fire (1993)
• Barbarians at the Gate (1993)
• Baby's Day Out (1994)
• Celsius 41.11 (2004)
• Racing Stripes (2005, voice)
• Last Best Chance (2005)
• Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005)
• Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007)

TV series

• Law & Order (2002–2007)
• Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005–2006)
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (11 episodes, 2003–2006)
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2 episodes, 2005)
• Conviction (1 episode, 2006)
• Sex and the City (1 episode, 2000, as "Politician on TV")
• Matlock (1 episode in 1989 as "Gordon Lewis" and 1 episode in 1993 as "Prosecutor Mr. McGonigal")
• Roseanne (1 episode, 1989, as "Keith Faber")
• China Beach (1 episode, 1989, as "Lt. Col. Reinhardt")
• Wiseguy (3 episodes, 1988, as "Knox Pooley")

Electoral history

Tennessee United States Senate Election, 1996

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Fred Thompson (Incumbent)	1,091,554	61.37	+0.93
	Democratic	Houston Gordon	654,937	36.82
	Independent	John Jay Hooker	14,401	0.81
Majority			436,617	24.55	+2.72
	Republican hold		Swing

Tennessee United States Senate Election, 1994 (Special)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Fred Thompson	885,998	60.44
	Democratic	Jim Cooper	565,930	38.61
Majority			320,068	21.83	−16.07
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing

External links

Official

• Fred08.com, Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc. (official campaign site).
• The Fred Thompson Report, ABC Radio Networks (official site).
• The Official YouTube Page for Fred Thompson (official video site).
• The Official Flickr Page for Fred Thompson (official photo site).
• The Fred Thompson Papers, University of Tennessee (official archive).
• Federal Election Commission - Fred Dalton Thompson campaign finance reports and data.
• United States Congress. "Fred Thompson (id: T000457)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress..
• Archive of United States Senator Fred Dalton Thompson Congressional Website (From Internet Archive retrieved 03 January 2007)
• Fred Dalton Thompson at IMDb acting career.

Documentaries, topic pages and databases

• On the Issues - Fred Thompson issue positions and quotes
• Center for Responsive Politics (aka OpenSecrets.org) campaign contributions
  • 2002 (Senator) 2000 (Senator) (Senator) 1996 (Senator) 1994 (Member of Congress)
• Project Vote Smart - Fred Thompson
• Washington Post "Congress Votes Database: Fred Thompson" voting record
• Fred Thompson at Curlie

News media

• LA Times - Fred Thompson: The Early Years photo gallery
• Lawrenceburgs.com - Fred Thompson biography from hometown newspaper
• Nashville Post - The Fred Files Lobbying disclosures, 1975–1994.
• New York Times - Fred D. Thompson collection of news stories and commentary