Rita Jenrette

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Rita Jenrette in 2007
Rita Jenrette in 2007

Rita Jenrette, born Rita Carpenter, November 25, 1949 in San Antonio, Texas is an American actor, journalist, and businesswoman. She is perhaps most famous for having been married to disgraced former U.S. congressman John Jenrette, and some of the events that transpired during their marriage.

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[edit] 1970s

Jenrette earned her bachelor's degree in 1971 and in 1973 became the Director of Research for the Republican Party of Texas. In 1975, she held the position of Opposition Research Director of the Republican National Committee, under the chairmanship of Mary Louise Smith.

In 1978 Jenrette was picked by the Washington Post Magazine as one of the four dynamic young women of Washington[1]. On September 10, 1976, she married Freshman Democratic Whip, John Wilson Jenrette, of South Carolina, eighteen months after meeting him on Capitol Hill.[2]

Jenrette became a Research Associate for the Office of Technology Assessment in 1976, where she wrote speeches for J.B. Cadarro and co-authored a report with Ray Hoehle for the Presidential Commission on World Food Hunger, specifically PL 480, the Food for Peace Program.

[edit] 1980s

Her husband, John, was implicated in taking a bribe during the Abscam investigation and Rita testified at the hearings. She appeared on the Phil Donahue Show, and he called in live to join the conversation. She gave an interview to Playboy magazine in 1981 appearing as a celebrity centerfold, in the magazine and on the cover in May 1984. The first of these interviews caused a scandal, as she told Playboy that she and her husband had sex on the steps of the U.S. Capitol during a break in an all-night House session. The comedy group "Capitol Steps" takes its name from this escapade. She separated from her husband in January 1981, and divorced him shortly after her first Playboy appearance.

She wrote a book called My Capitol Secrets in 1981 that detailed her experiences as a Congressional spouse United States Congress, and repeated the story of having sex with her husband on the Capitol steps, the night of their marriage.

In 1989, Jenrette became an on-air journalist on Fox television’s, A Current Affair on which she interviewed celebrities.[3]

[edit] 1990s to present

In 1994, she started a real estate business partnered with John Sullivan.[citation needed] In 1999, she sued Simon Properties for $6M for failing to pay her a commission on the $800 million sale of the General Motors Building to Donald Trump, and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. In 1996, Crain's New York Business named Jenrette a "Power Broker."[4]

[edit] Acting

Jenrette appeared in the following films and television shows:[3]

She also acted on stage as well:[5]

  • A Philadelphia Story (1982) - won the L.A. Drama-Logue Critics Award
  • A Girl's Guide to Chaos (1987)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Maxa, Rudy. "The Gorgeous Blondes", The Washington Post Magazine, 1978-01-01. Retrieved on 2008-03-12. 
  2. ^ Pay Dirt: Divorces of the Rich and Famous, James A. Albert, 1989, p.191
  3. ^ a b Rita Jenrette. IMDB. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
  4. ^ Furman, Phyllis; Lentz, Philip; Willis, Gerri. "Power Broker, New York Style", Crain's New York Business, April 1-7, 1996. Retrieved on 2008-03-12. 
  5. ^ Rita Jenrette - Biography. IMDB. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.