Peter W. Rodino

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Peter Wallace Rodino Jr. (June 7, 1909 – May 7, 2005) was a Democratic United States Congressman from New Jersey from 1949 to 1989. Rodino rose to prominence as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, where he was chair of the impeachment hearings that lead to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Rodino was born Pelligrino Rodino, Jr. in Newark, New Jersey. His parents were immigrants from Italy. He attended the University of Newark and earned a law degree at the Newark Law School, both now part of Rutgers University. During World War II, he earned a Bronze Star for service in Italy and North Africa.

After the war, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 1946, losing to incumbent Fred Hartley Jr. Trying again in 1948, when Hartley had decided not to run, he won the seat. Outside of his Newark district, he was not prominent as a congressman until the Nixon impeachment hearings. As a congressman, Rodino was generally known as a liberal, and a proponent of civil rights legislation and immigration reform. Representing a district that was heavily Italian-American when he was first elected, he was best known for his sponsorship of legislation that made Columbus Day a national holiday.

Rodino became chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in January 1972 after the previous chair, Emanuel Celler, was defeated for re-election in the Democratic primary for his seat. During the Nixon impeachment hearings from May to July of 1974, Rodino was generally considered to be a fair moderator of what at times were very partisan hearings. Key difficulties included ensuring that enough Republican committee members would vote for impeachment to defend against Nixon administration charges of Democratic partisanship. In the end, as further evidence emerged and Nixon admitted wrongdoing, several initially reluctant Republican members switched, making the committee vote for impeachment unanimous.

During his political career, Rodino also was one of the managers of the impeachment hearings of a pair of federal judges. In 1986, he was member of the committee that removed Nevada judge Harry Claiborne for tax evasion, and in 1988, he helped to remove future Congressman Alcee Hastings from a Florida court due to perjury charges.

He continued as chair of the Judiciary Committee until his retirement from Congress in 1989, when he was replaced by Donald M. Payne, New Jersey's first African-American representative. After leaving Congress, he became professor emeritus at Seton Hall Law School, where he taught and lectured until February 2005. He died May 7, 2005, of congestive heart failure at the age of 95.

[edit] References

• Bernstein, Adam (2005). "Rep. Peter Rodino, 95; Presided Over Nixon Impeachment Hearing". The Washington Post May 8: C11.
• Kaufman, Michael T (2005). "Peter W. Rodino Dies at 96; Led House Inquiry on Nixon". The New York Times. May 8.

[edit] External links

• Picture on cover of Time Magazine

Preceded by Fred A. Hartley, Jr.	U.S. Representative New Jersey 10th District 1949–1989	Succeeded by Donald M. Payne
Preceded by Emanuel Celler	Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee 1973–1989	Succeeded by Jack Brooks