Ulysses Currie
| Ulysses Currie | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Maryland Senate from the 25th district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1995 | |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 25th district | |
| In office 1987–1995 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Whiteville, North Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Occupation | Teacher |
Ulysses Currie is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently serving in his 4th term in the Maryland State Senate, representing Maryland's District 25 in Prince George's County. Currie was the Chair of the Budget and Taxation Committee before having to resign because of an ethics violation.
Background
Currie, the son of a sharecropper, grew up in Whiteville, North Carolina. He was the first of his family to go to college and earned his undergraduate degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.[1] After serving in the United States Army, he moved to the Washington, DC area to attend American University. Currie worked for 25 years as an educator in the Prince George's County Public Schools.
In the legislature
Currie was originally elected to the House of Delegates in 1986, representing District 25 in Prince George's County. During his time in the house, he became Majority Whip, the 3rd-ranking position in the House after the Speaker and the Majority Leader. Currie was elected to his seat in the State Senate in 1994. He is a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee.
FBI Investigation
On May 29, 2008, it was reported that the FBI had searched Currie's District Heights home and taken documents related to his work as a consultant to Shoppers Food & Pharmacy.[2] On September 1, 2010, federal grand jury indicted Currie and Shoppers Food Warehouse Corporation executives William J. White and R. Kevin Small in connection with a scheme from 2002 to 2008 in which the supermarket chain allegedly paid Senator Currie in exchange for using his official position and influence in matters benefitting White, Small, and the supermarket chain.[3] Currie was acquitted on November 8, 2011. However in 2012 he was censured by the state senate for ethics violations from facts discovered during the investigation.[4]
Notes
- ↑ Rein, Lisa (2008-06-01). "Md. Senator in Raid Rose to Power Above the Fray". the Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
- ↑ Helderman, Rosalind S.; Wagner, John; Wiggins, Ovetta (2008-05-30). "FBI Raids Home of Maryland State Senator". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
- ↑ "Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Chairman Ulysses Currie Indicted Along with Company Executives for Taking Bribes from Shoppers Food Warehouse in Return for Official Actions". Press Release. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ↑ "Currie not guilty of bribery, conspiracy in Shoppers case". The Baltimore Sun. 10 November 2011.
External links
- "Maryland Manual Online". Maryland State Archives. 2007. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
- Mosk, Matthew (2005). "Md. Cabinet Member Said He Objected to Aide.". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-11-02.