William Q. MacLean, Jr.
| William Q. MacLean, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate | |
|
In office 1981–1991 |
|
| Preceded by | Robert M. Hunt |
| Succeeded by | Mark Montigny |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
|
In office 1961–1981 |
|
| Preceded by | Maunel Faria |
| Succeeded by | Walter Silveria, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 4, 1934 New Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Marjorie (McCarthy) MacLean (c. 1977–1995; her death) Mary Jane Moran O'Donnell (1998–present) |
| Residence |
Fairhaven, Massachusetts Nantucket Jupiter, Florida |
| Alma mater | University of Massachusetts |
| Occupation | Insurance agent Politician |
William Q. "Biff" MacLean, Jr. is an American politician who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate.
MacLean was born on November 4, 1934 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He attended public schools in Fairhaven, Massachusetts and graduated from the University of Massachusetts. In 1959 he joined the Fairhaven police department as a reserve officer.
MacLean began his political career as a member of the Fairhaven school committee. In 1960 he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He became the House Majority Whip in 1973 and two years later became Majority Leader. He resigned as Majority Leader in July 1978 due to his frustrations with Speaker Thomas W. McGee. Later that year, MacLean challenged incumbent state senator Robert M. Hunt for the seat in the Bristol and Plymouth district. MacLean defeated Hunt 51% to 40% in the Democratic primary and beat Republican Brett W. Thacher 67% to 33% in the general election. He would run unopposed until 1990 when he beat Hunt, who had become a Republican, 67% to 33%.
During his tenure in the legislature, MacLean gained the nickname "Mr. December" for his ability to get bills passed during the last month of the legislative session. He also gained a reputation for working on behalf of a number of special interest groups, including beer distributors, the real estate industry, and racetracks.
In 1989, The Boston Globe, reported that after MacLean played a pivotal in the passage of a bill that allowed PEBSCO to sell its investment services to local governments in Massachusetts, he received $1 million in commissions from PEBSCO. In 1990, federal prosecutors convened a grand jury to look into MacLean's dealings with PEBSCO, but due to a lack of witnesses, the case was dropped in 1991.
On February 2, 1993, a Suffolk County grand jury indicted MacLean on two counts of violating a provision in the state conflict-of-interest law that prohibits state employees from having a financial interest in state contracts. According to prosecutors, MacLean received half the fees former Attorney General Edward J. McCormack, Jr. made from developing, constructing, and managing Fairhaven Village, a housing development for elderly and low-income residents that received state funding, through Sky High Realty Trust, a trust whose sole beneficiary was MacLean's wife, Marjorie. McLean was also accused of receiving a portion of the money ($278,090) PEBSCO earned by selling its plan to state employees through hidden payments made through Pilgrim Insurance Agency, which was also owned by McCormack.
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