Edward D. DiPrete
| Edward D. DiPrete | |
|---|---|
Official portrait in RI State House
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| 70th Governor of Rhode Island | |
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In office January 1, 1985 – January 1, 1991 |
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| Lieutenant |
Richard A. Licht Roger N. Begin |
| Preceded by | J. Joseph Garrahy |
| Succeeded by | Bruce Sundlun |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 8, 1934 Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia DiPrete |
| Alma mater | College of the Holy Cross |
Edward Daniel DiPrete (born July 8, 1934) is an American Republican Party politician from Rhode Island. He served as the 70th Governor of Rhode Island for three two-year terms, serving from 1985 to 1991.
DiPrete was born in Cranston, Rhode Island. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross, and received honorary degrees from Holy Cross, Providence College, Bryant College and the University of Rhode Island. From 1970 to 1974, he served on the Cranston School Committee. From 1974 to 1978, he served as an at-large member of the Cranston City Council. He served as mayor of the city from 1978 to 1985.
DiPrete served as the 70th Governor of Rhode Island from 1985 to 1991, and was defeated for reelection in a landslide by former federal attorney and millionaire businessman Bruce Sundlun in 1990, who had twice lost to DiPrete who was one of the few Rhode Island Governors in recent history to be elected for 3 terms, all the more noteworthy because he was a Republican in a state where Democrats consistently control both houses of the Legislature with a hold of 85-90% majority.
In 1994, DiPrete was indicted on criminal charges relating to the awarding of state contracts during his service as governor. All charges were dismissed in March 1997 by a Rhode Island Superior Court Judge who also found the Attorney General's office guilty of 10 findings of "egregious prosecutorial misconduct."
He was subsequently charged again, and in December 1998, he pleaded guilty to state charges of bribery, extortion and racketeering, and was sentenced to a year in prison. In a plea bargain he also admitted accepting $250,000 in exchange for state contracts during his term as governor. DiPrete agreed to this plea bargain only after assurance that pending charges against a family member would be dismissed. Those charges against his son were dismissed in their entirety prior to the Governor agreeing with the plea bargain. In addition, his state retirement pension was revoked, despite attempts to have it reinstated.
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