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Caleb J. McNulty


Caleb Jefferson McNulty (December, 1816—July 12, 1846) was an American lawyer, newspaper editor and politician. Active in the Democratic Party, he became Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives; while serving in this post he was alleged to have embezzled congressional funds; some charges were subsequently dismissed, and he was acquitted of the others. John Quincy Adams, then serving as a Whig member of the House, referred to the charges as a “… memorable development of Democratic defalcation”

Born in West Middletown, Washington County, Pennsylvania, McNulty graduated from Jefferson College, and moved to Zanesville, Ohio, and then to Mount Vernon. He practiced law, worked as editor of the Democratic Banner newspaper, and became active in politics as a Democrat. McNulty served as Clerk of the Ohio House of Representatives, and was subsequently elected to the House himself.

On December 6, 1843, McNulty was elected by the members of the U.S. House to serve as their Clerk, defeating incumbent Matthew St. Clair Clarke of Pennsylvania.

In 1844, he ran for U.S. Congress, and lost to Whig candidate Columbus Delano by only 12 votes.

On January 17, 1845, a shortage of $45 thousand was reported from a U.S. House contingency fund. McNulty was dismissed as Clerk, and the House recommended that the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury institute the necessary legal proceedings to recover the money from McNulty.


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