John Jenrette
| John Jenrette | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 6th district |
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In office January 3, 1975 – December 10, 1980 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Lunn Young |
| Succeeded by | John Light Napier |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Horry County | |
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In office 1964–1972 |
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| Preceded by | At-large district |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Wilson Jenrette, Jr. May 19, 1936 Horry County, South Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
Wofford College (B.A.) University of South Carolina (LL.B.) |
| Profession | lawyer, judge |
John Wilson Jenrette, Jr. (born May 19, 1936) is an American former politician from South Carolina, best known for his involvement in the ABSCAM corruption scandal, and being the husband of Playboy model Rita Jenrette. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat from January 1975 until December 1980. He was convicted of accepting a bribe in the FBI's Abscam operation.
Jenrette was born in Horry County, South Carolina in 1936. He graduated from Loris High School, Loris, South Carolina in 1954. He then earned a B.A. at Wofford College in 1958. After graduating from law school at the University of South Carolina, worked as a city attorney, then a judge, as he attempted to reach higher office. Jenrette was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1964, where he represented his native town of Myrtle Beach.
Jenrette retired from the state house to run for a seat in the U.S. House in 1972. Jenrette defeated seventeen-term Congressman John L. McMillan in the primary, but lost the general election to Republican Edward Lunn Young. Undaunted, Jenrette ran for the same seat in 1974. In part because of the extreme unpopularity of the Republicans following the Watergate scandal, Jenrette unseated Young.
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