Ambassador Felix George Rohatyn
Born	(1928-05-29) May 29, 1928 (age 84) Vienna, Austria
Residence	Upper East Side New York, New York Southampton, New York
Nationality	United States
Ethnicity	Jewish[1][2]
Education	B.S. in physics Middlebury College, 1949
Occupation	investment banker
Employer	Lazard Frères
Known for	Oversaw New York City's 1975 financial recovery as head of Municipal Assistance Corporation
Influenced by	André Meyer
Political party	Democrat
Board member of	-LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton -Publicis Group -Groupe Lardere -Rothschild Continuation Holdings -Carnegie Hall in New York -trustees, Center for Strategic and International Studies -New York Stock Exchange 1968 1972 -Suez Group -ITT
Spouse	Jeannette Streit (div. 1979) Elizabeth Fly Vagliano Rohatyn
Children	Nicolas Streit Rohatyn (born c:a 1960) two others
Awards	-United States Ambassador to France until 2000 -commander of the French Legion of Honor.
Notes [2][3][4] [5][6][7]

Felix George Rohatyn (born May 29, 1928 in Vienna, Austria) is an American investment banker known for his role in preventing the bankruptcy of New York City in the 1970s, who also served as United States Ambassador to France.^[8] He was a long term advisor to the U.S. Democratic Party.^[9]

Early life[link]

Rohatyn and his family fled Austria in 1935 for France and left in 1940, going to Casablanca, Lisbon, and in 1941, Rio de Janeiro, before arriving in the United States in 1942. Luiz Martins de Souza Dantas had helped them escape France and the Holocaust.^[10]

Rohatyn graduated from McBurney School NYC. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Middlebury College in Vermont (where he joined Alpha Sigma Phi) in 1949.

He ended service in the U.S. Army in Germany during the Korean War as a sergeant, and returned the Lazard Freres.^[3]

Career in finance[link]

He joined the New York office of the investment bank Lazard Frères under André Meyer. He was made partner in the firm in 1961 and later became managing director. While at the firm, he was involved in numerous large deals, most notably advising the conglomerate ITT in its various acquisitions.

Rohatyn became widely known in the 1970s for successfully restructuring New York City's debt and resolving the city's fiscal crisis. While running MAC for the city of New York, Rohatyn continued his deal making at Lazard. While capping his take at the firm at 6%, Rohatyn continued to be the preeminent rainmaker at Lazard well into the 1990s, completing such deals as Sony's acquisition of Columbia.

By the time Bill Clinton was elected, Rohatyn had aspired to be U.S. Secretary of the Treasury perhaps since the 1970s. Alas, he had supported  long time client Ross  Perot's candidacy,^[2] and Clinton appointed Lloyd Bentsen.^[11]  In  1996, the Clinton administration put forward his candidacy for the post of Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve, but a formal nomination was not made because of ideological opposition from Republicans^[12]

In 1990, he received The Hundred Year Association of New York's Gold Medal Award “in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York.” Rohatyn is also the recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.

In a January 17, 1997 interview on the Charlie Rose Show, Rohatyn stated that because of Wall Street’s new types of financial instruments (e.g., derivatives, swaps), to safeguard America’s businesses, America will never experience another recession.^[13]

According to the New York Times, in the ’90s, Felix Rohatyn described derivatives as “financial hydrogen bombs, built on personal computers by 26-year-olds with M.B.A.s."^[14]

On August 22, 2006, he was appointed by Lehman Brothers as chairman of its international advisory committee and as a senior adviser to its chairman, Richard S. Fuld, Jr.

On January 27, 2010, Rohatyn announced his return to Lazard as Special Advisor to Chairman and CEO,^[5] after a short role at Rothschild.

Diplomacy and foreign policy[link]

Rohatyn was United States Ambassador to France 1997–2000 during the second Clinton Administration and is a Commander in the French Legion of Honor. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Trustee for the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

While serving as Ambassador to France, Rohatyn opened a series of small diplomatic missions, called American Presence Posts, in Rennes, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Lille which brought American diplomats into contact with the people and leaders of those cities at lower cost than traditional Consulates.

He also delivered a memorable speech to D-Day veterans at Omaha Beach in 1999, on the 55th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion. He told them that a "democratic, prosperous Europe is the finest monument" to the veterans' exploits. He said, "I ask the children here today to look around - you are in the company of real heroes."^[15]

Personal[link]

Rohatyn married the former Jeanette Streit in 1956 and divorced her in 1979. He then married the former Elizabeth Vagliano. He has three children.

Selected bibliography[link]

• 1983: The Twenty-year Century: Essays on Economics and Public Finance. - New York: Random House. - ISBN 978-0-394-53450-3
• 2003: With Béchat, Jean-Paul. - The Future of the Transatlantic Defense Community: Final Report of the CSIS Commission on Transatlantic Security and Industrial Cooperation in the Twenty-first Century. - Washington, D.C.: CSIS Press. - ISBN 978-0-89206-425-0
• 2007: Cohan, William. - The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Freres & Co.. New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books. - ISBN 978-0-7679-1979-1
• 2009: Bold Endeavors: How Our Government Built America, and Why It Must Rebuild Now. - New York: Simon & Schuster. - ISBN 978-1-4165-3312-2
• 2010: Dealings : A Political and Financial Life - New York: Simon & Schuster. - ISBN 978-1-4391-8196-6

References[link]

External links[link]

• Charlie Rose Show, 12/21/2000 The Life of Felix Rohatyn, 53 minutes, with Felix and Elizabeth Rohatyn and Hugh Carey.
• Rohatyn talk on New York City fiscal issues at Columbia University
• Namebase Entry (Archive)
• Rohatyn author page and archive from The New York Review of Books
• Rohatyn biography from Center for Strategic and International Studies

v t e United States Ambassadors to France Envoys Benjamin Franklin, Arthur Lee, Silas Deane (substituted by John Adams in 1778) 1776–1779 Ministers Plenipotentiary Franklin 1778–85 · Jefferson 1785–89 · Short 1790–92 · Morris 1792–94 · Monroe 1794–96 · Pinckney 1796–97 · Livingston 1801–04 · Armstrong 1804–10 · Russell (chargé d'affaires) 1811 Barlow 1811–12 · Crawford 1813–15 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Gallatin 1816–23 · Brown 1824–29 · Rives 1829–32 · Harris (chargé d'affaires) 1833 · Livingston 1833–35 · Barton (chargé d'affaires) 1835 · Cass 1836–42 · King 1844–46 · Rush 1847–49 · Rives 1849–53 · Mason 1853–59 · Faulkner 1860–61 · Dayton 1861–64 · Bigelow 1865–66 · Dix 1866–69 · Washburne 1869–77 · Noyes 1877–81 · Morton 1881–85 · McLane 1885–89 · Reid 1889–92 · Coolidge 1892–93 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Eustis 1893–97 · Porter 1897–05 · McCormick 1905–07 · White 1907–09 · Bacon 1909–12 · Herrick 1912–14 · Sharp 1914–1919 · Wallace 1919–21 · Herrick 1921–29 · Edge 1929–33 · Straus 1933–36 · Bullitt 1936–40 · Leahy 1941–42 · Tuck (chargé d'affaires) 1942 · Caffery 1944–49 · Bruce 1949–52 · Dunn 1952–53 · Dillon 1953–57 · Houghton 1957–61 · Gavin 1961–62 · Bohlen 1962–68 · Shriver 1968–70 · Watson 1970–72 · Irwin 1973–74 · Rush 1974–77 · Hartman 1977–81 · Galbraith 1981–85 · Rodgers 1985–89 · Curley 1989–93 · Harriman 1993–97 · Rohatyn 1997–2000 · Leach 2001–05 · Stapleton 2005–09 · Rivkin 2009–

Rohatyn Рогатин
Statue of Roxelana in downtown Rohatyn Statue of Roxelana in downtown Rohatyn
Coat of arms of Rohatyn Coat of arms
Rohatyn Location of Rohatyn within Ukraine
Coordinates: 49°25′N 24°37′E / 49.417°N 24.617°E / 49.417; 24.617Coordinates: 49°25′N 24°37′E / 49.417°N 24.617°E / 49.417; 24.617
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Raion	Rohatyn Raion
Founded	12th century
Population (2001)
• Total	8,800
Website	www.rohatyn.ronet.com.ua

Rohatyn (Ukrainian: Рогатин, Polish: Rohatyn) is a city located on the Hnyla Lypa River in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Rohatyn Raion (district).

The current estimated population is around 8,800 (as of 2001).

History[link]

It was first mentioned in historical documents in the 12th century. Its name seems to be derived from Ruthenia, name of the region of location. In 1415, under Polish rule, it was granted the Magdeburg rights, and subsequently developed into an important trading and manufacturing town. In 1520 Roxolana, a native of Rohatyn, was captured there by the Tatars and sold to the Turkish sultan of which she became first concubine, then haseki and finally official wife. In the 16th century a renowned school of icon painting arose in Rohatyn, and in the 1580s an Orthodox brotherhood was founded obtaining the stauropegion (a monastery exempt from the control of the local bishop) status. After the First Partition of Poland in 1772, Rohatyn was annexed by Austria, and became a county center. A Ukrainian gymnasium was established there in 1909, and a minor theological seminary in 1931. During the interwar period the town was under Polish rule. In 1939 it became part of Soviet Ukraine and was granted city status. Today it is an important highway junction; 26 percent of its inhabitants work in the transportation industry. During World War II, 99% of the 3000 strong Jewish population were murdered.

Monuments[link]

• stone Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos (end of the 14th century)
• remnants of the town walls and gate from the 13th and 14th centuries
• wooden Church of the Holy Spirit (1644–5) with a magnificent iconostasis (1647–50)
• the ruins of the Dominican monastery (1614)
• Roman Catholic Saint Nicholas’s Church in the Renaissance style (1666)
• wooden Saint Nicholas's Church (1729).

Gallery[link]

• P7080422.JPG

  Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church

• 

  Holy Spirit church

• 

  Jewish musicians from Rohatyn, 1912

Location[link]

Local orientation

	Cherche Zalypia	Pidhoroddya Perenivka	Lisova Pidvynnya
	Potik Zaluzhya		Kutsi
		Rohatyn    East
	Zaluzhya	Verbylivtsi Babukhiv	Pukiv Putyantsi

Regional orientation

	Bibrka (Lviv Oblast)	Peremyshlyany (Lviv Oblast)	Pomoryany (Lviv Oblast)
	Khodoriv (Lviv Oblast)		Berezhany (Ternopil Oblast)
		Rohatyn    East
	Zhuravno (Lviv Oblast)	Bukachivtsi Burshtyn	Pidhaitsi (Ternopil Oblast)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rohatyn

• Rohatyn in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
• Website of Rohatyn
• Jewish Rohatyn
• Photographs of Jewish sites in Rohatyn in Jewish History in Galicia and Bukovina

v t e Administrative divisions of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Administrative center: Ivano-Frankivsk Districts Bohorodchany Dolyna Halych Horodenka Kalush Kolomyia Kosiv Nadvirna Rohatyn Rozhniativ Sniatyn Tlumach Tysmenytsia Verkhovyna Cities Major cities Bolekhiv Ivano-Frankivsk Kalush Kolomyia Yaremche Other cities Burshtyn Dolyna Halych Horodenka Kosiv Nadvirna Rohatyn Sniatyn Tlumach Tysmenytsia List of: urban-type settlements — villages

This article about a location in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Bernard Kouchner
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs
In office 17 May 2007 – 13 November 2010
Prime Minister	François Fillon
Preceded by	Philippe Douste-Blazy (Foreign and European Affairs)
Succeeded by	Michèle Alliot-Marie
Minister of Health
In office 2 April 1992 – 29 March 1993
Prime Minister	Pierre Bérégovoy
Preceded by	Claude Evin
Succeeded by	Simone Veil
Personal details
Born	(1939-11-01) 1 November 1939 (age 72) Avignon, France
Political party	Independent (2007–present)
Other political affiliations	Socialist Party (1966–2007) Communist Party (Before 1966)
Spouse(s)	Christine Ockrent
Profession	Physician

Bernard Kouchner (born 1 November 1939) is a French politician, diplomat, and doctor. He is co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Médecins du Monde. From 2007 until 2010 he was the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the right-wing Fillon government under president Nicolas Sarkozy, although he had been in the past a minister in socialist governments.

Humanitarian actions[link]

Kouchner was born in Avignon to a Jewish father and a Protestant mother, he began his political career as a member of the French Communist Party (PCF), from which he was expelled in 1966 for attempting to overthrow the leadership.^[1] On a visit to Cuba in 1964, Kouchner spent the night fishing and drinking with Fidel Castro.^[2] In the protests of May 1968, he ran the medical faculty strike committee at the Sorbonne. Kouchner has three children (Julie, Camille and Antoine) by his first wife, Évelyne Pisier, a professor of law, and one child, Alexandre, by his present wife Christine Ockrent, a television journalist. He worked as a physician for the Red Cross in Biafra in 1968 (during the Nigerian Civil War). He co-founded Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in 1971, and then, due to a conflict of opinion with MSF chairman Claude Malhuret, the Doctors of the World ('Médecins du Monde') in 1980. What made him co-found Médecins Sans Frontières was his experience as a physician for the Red Cross during the Nigerian Civil War that took place in Biafra, 1968. Kouchner worked as a humanitarian volunteer during the Siege of Naba’a refugee camp in Lebanon in East Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War taking risks that "other foreign aid workers weren’t, even worked closely with the Shia cleric Imam Musa al-Sadr."^[3]

Minister in left-wing governments[link]

From 1988, he began his government career in Socialist governments, though he was not always a member of the French Socialist Party. He became 'Secrétaire d'état', a lower position in the Cabinet, for Humanitarian Action in 1988, then Minister of Health in 1992, under Mitterrand's presidency. Later, he continued his political career in the European Parliament. Between 1993 and 1997, France was governed by right governments.

When Lionel Jospin became Prime Minister in 1997, he became Minister of Health for the second time.

UN Representative in Kosovo[link]

On 15 July 1999, pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1244, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan nominated Kouchner as the first UN Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).^[4] During 18 months, he led UN efforts to create a new civil administration and political system replacing the Serbian ones, and to rebuild the economy shattered by the Kosovo War. Thus, municipal councils were elected at local level by the end of 2000.^[5] He was replaced on 21 January 2001 by Danish Social Democrat Hans Hækkerup. He became at this time Minister of Health for the third time, until the 2002 Elections. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Pristina for his services to Kosovo.

On the US-led invasion of Iraq[link]

Kouchner is a long-time advocate of humanitarian intervention. In early 2003, he pronounced himself in favour of removing Saddam Hussein as President of Iraq, arguing that interference against dictatorship should be a global priority, and continued to say that now, the focus should be on the actual people themselves, and that they are the only ones who could answer yes or no to war.

In a 4 February 2003 editorial with Antoine Veil in Le Monde, entitled "Neither War Nor Saddam", Kouchner said that he was opposed to the impending War in Iraq, and, as the title suggests, to the remaining in power of Saddam Hussein, the removal of whom should be accomplished via a concerted UN, preferably diplomatic, solution.^[6][7]

On Europe[link]

Kouchner is a well-known pro-European. He mooted for the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty when the latter was threaten to be rejected by the Irish in referendum^[8]. Recently, he co-signed the Soros call for a strenghtenning of the European prerogatives as an answer to the eurozone crisis^[9].

Candidate for UN positions[link]

In 2005, Kouchner was a candidate for the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but lost the appointment in favor of former Portuguese Prime Minister, António Guterres, who was nominated by then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

In 2006, Kouchner was also a candidate to become Director-General of the World Health Organisation.^[10] He lost before the final election round, and (Hong Kong) Chinese candidate Margaret Chan was later elected.

French Foreign Minister[link]

After the election of Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007, Kouchner was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in François Fillon's government, even though Kouchner supported Sarkozy's Socialist rival Ségolène Royal during the campaign. He has since been expelled from the Socialist Party for his acceptance of the post.^[11] He lost his job in the November 2010 Fillon cabinet reshuffle.

Comments on Iran nuclear situation[link]

In September 2007, Kouchner's public comments on the Iranian nuclear situation attracted much attention and controversy. In an interview on 16 September 2007, he said, "We will negotiate until the end. And at the same time we must prepare ourselves [...] for the worst.... The worst, it's war....".^[12] He stated that France was committed to a diplomatic resolution and that no military action was planned, but that an Iranian nuclear weapon would pose "a real danger for the whole world".^[13] Iranian officials criticized the comments as "inflammatory".^[12] The chief UN nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency indirectly responded to Kouchner by characterizing talk of attacking Iran as "hype", saying the use of force should only be considered as a last resort and only if authorized by the UN Security Council.^[14]

"I would not talk about any use of force", he said. On 18 September 2007, Kouchner attempted to respond to criticisms. In comments to newspaper Le Monde, he stated, "I do not want it to be said that I am a warmonger! [...] My message was a message of peace, of seriousness and of determination. [...] The worst situation would be war. To avoid that, the French attitude is to negotiate, negotiate, negotiate, without fear of being rebuffed, and to work with our European friends on credible sanctions."^[15]

Comments on the Irish ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon[link]

In the run up to the referendum in the Republic of Ireland on the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon, Kouchner warned that any "No" vote towards the treaty would be detrimental to Ireland and the Irish economy. He also commented that "It would be very, very awkward if we were not able to count on the Irish, who have often counted on Europe.".^[16] His comments were dismissed as "unhelpful" by leading Irish politicians, and some media commentators have suggested that his remarks may have galvanised the "No" campaign in the run up to the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty on 13 June 2008.^[17]

Comments on the European Union and a unity government for Zimbabwe[link]

On 1 July 2008, France assumed presidency of the Council of the European Union. In his capacity as the French foreign minister, he commented after the African Union summit, that The European Union would only recognise a Zimbabwe unity government headed by Morgan Tsvangirai not Robert Mugabe.^[18]

Use of condoms to prevent AIDS in Africa[link]

Kouchner denounced statements by Pope Benedict XVI claiming that condoms promoted AIDS, saying they were "the opposite of tolerance and understanding".^[19]

Positions held[link]

• Became the first "Secrétaire d'état" (lower ministerial cabinet) in charge of humanitarian action from 1988 to 1992 (in the Michel Rocard cabinet.)
• Health Minister in 1992–1993 (under Pierre Bérégovoy).
• Member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1997.
• Health Minister from 1997 to 1999. (under Lionel Jospin)
• Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN in Kosovo from 1999 to 2001.
• Health-Delegated Minister from 2001 to 2002.
• Foreign Minister from 2007 to 2010.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bernard Kouchner

• Jaroslav Formánek: Dwarves and giants English, salon.eu.sk, February 2009
• A Statesman Without Borders, the New York Times Magazine, 3 February 2008
• Kosovo’s Kouchner, Inventor Of ‘Humanitarian Interventionism’, To Monitor Sri Lanka, Asian Tribune, 25 December 2006
• A Surprising Choice for France’s Foreign Minister, by Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 18 May 2007
• CFR.org Video Highlights: Bernard Kouchner
• Karina Paulina Marczuk, A Visionary and a Practitioner: the Bernard Kouchner vs. David Kilcullen[2], "Defence and Strategy", vol. 2/2007
• Christopher Caldwell: Communiste et Rastignac London Review of Books, 9 July 2009

v t e Foreign Ministers of France Ancien régime Revol Villeroy A. J. Richelieu Sillery R. Phélypeaux Bouthillier Chavigny Brienne Lionne Pomponne Croissy Torcy Huxelles Dubois Morville Chauvelin Chaillou Noailles Argenson Puisieulx Saint-Contest Rouillé Bernis E. Choiseul C. Choiseul E. Choiseul L. Phélypeaux Aiguillon Bertin Vergennes Montmorin Vauguyon Montmorin Lessart Dumouriez Naillac Chambonas Dubouchage Sainte-Croix Lebrun First Republic Lebrun Deforgues Goujon Herman Delacroix Talleyrand Reinhard Talleyrand First Empire Talleyrand Champagny Bassano Caulaincourt Restoration Laforest Talleyrand Hundred Days Caulaincourt Bignon Restoration Talleyrand A. E. Richelieu Dessolles Pasquier M. Montmorency Chateaubriand Damas La Ferronays A. Montmorency Portalis Polignac Mortemart July Monarchy Bignon Jourdan Molé Maison Sébastiani V. Broglie Rigny Bresson Rigny V. Broglie Thiers Molé Montebello Soult Thiers Guizot Second Republic Lamartine Bastide Bedeau Bastide Drouyn de Lhuys Tocqueville Rayneval La Hitte Drouyn de Lhuys Brénier Baroche Turgot Drouyn de Lhuys Second Empire Drouyn de Lhuys Walewski Baroche Thouvenel Drouyn de Lhuys La Valette Moustier La Valette La Tour Auvergne Daru Ollivier Gramont La Tour d'Auvergne Third Republic Favre Rémusat A. Broglie Decazes Banneville Waddington Freycinet Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire Gambetta Freycinet Duclerc Fallières Challemel-Lacour Ferry Freycinet Flourens Goblet Spuller Ribot Develle Casimir-Perier Hanotaux Berthelot Bourgeois Hanotaux Delcassé Rouvier Bourgeois Pichon Cruppi Selves Poincaré Jonnart Pichon Doumergue Bourgeois Viviani Doumergue Delcassé Viviani Briand Ribot Barthou Pichon Millerand Leygues Briand Poincaré Lefebvre Herriot Briand Herriot Briand Laval Tardieu Herriot Paul-Boncour Daladier Barthou Laval Flandin Delbos Paul-Boncour Bonnet Daladier Reynaud Daladier Reynaud Baudouin Vichy France Baudouin Laval Flandin Darlan Laval Provisional Government Bidault Blum Fourth Republic Bidault Schuman Bidault Mendès France Faure Pinay Pineau Pleven Couve de Murville Fifth Republic Couve de Murville Debré Schumann Bettencourt Jobert Sauvagnargues Guiringaud François-Poncet Cheysson Dumas Raimond Dumas Juppé Charette Védrine Villepin Barnier Douste-Blazy Kouchner Alliot-Marie Juppé Fabius

v t e First Fillon Cabinet François Fillon Alain Juppé Bernard Kouchner Hervé Morin Michèle Alliot-Marie Brice Hortefeux Rachida Dati Jean-Louis Borloo Éric Wœrth Xavier Bertrand Christine Boutin Christine Lagarde Xavier Darcos Valérie Pécresse Christine Albanel Roselyne Bachelot

v t e Second Fillon Cabinet François Fillon François Baroin Alain Juppé Jean-Louis Borloo Michèle Alliot-Marie Bernard Kouchner Hervé Morin Brice Hortefeux Xavier Darcos Christine Lagarde Éric Wœrth Éric Besson Luc Chatel Bruno Le Maire Valérie Pécresse Frédéric Mitterrand Roselyne Bachelot Michel Mercier

Chris Dodd
Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America
Incumbent
Assumed office March 17, 2011
Preceded by	Dan Glickman
United States Senator from Connecticut
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Abraham A. Ribicoff
Succeeded by	Richard Blumenthal
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981
Preceded by	Robert H. Steele
Succeeded by	Sam Gejdenson
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
In office January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by	Mitch McConnell
Succeeded by	Mitch McConnell
In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Mitch McConnell
Succeeded by	Trent Lott
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
In office January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Richard Shelby
Succeeded by	Tim Johnson
General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
In office 1995 – 1997 with Donald Fowler
Preceded by	Debra DeLee
Succeeded by	Steve Grossman & Roy Romer
Personal details
Born	Christopher John Dodd (1944-05-27) May 27, 1944 (age 68) Willimantic, Connecticut
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Susan Mooney (1970-1982) Jackie Marie Clegg (1999-present)
Children	Grace Dodd Christina Dodd
Residence	East Haddam, Connecticut
Alma mater	Providence College (B.A.) University of Louisville (J.D.)
Occupation	Attorney
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature
Website	Chris Dodd
Military service
Service/branch	United States Army Reserve
Years of service	1969-1975

Christopher John "Chris" Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress.

Dodd is a Connecticut native and a graduate of Georgetown Preparatory School in Bethesda, Maryland, and Providence College. His father, Thomas J. Dodd, was one of Connecticut's United States Senators from 1959-1971. Chris Dodd served in the Peace Corps for two years prior to entering law school at the University of Louisville, and during law school concurrently served in the United States Army Reserve.

Dodd returned to Connecticut, winning election in 1974 to the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut's 2nd congressional district and was reelected in 1976 and 1978. He was elected United States Senator in the elections of 1980, and was the longest-serving senator in Connecticut's history.

Dodd served as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1995 to 1997. He served as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee until his retirement.^[1] In 2006, Dodd decided to run for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, but eventually withdrew after running behind several other competitors. In January 2010, Dodd announced that he would not run for re-election in the 2010 midterm elections.^[2] Dodd was succeeded by Richard Blumenthal. On March 1, 2011, the Motion Picture Association of America announced that Dodd will head that organization.^[3]

Early life, education, and early political career[link]

Dodd was born in Willimantic, Connecticut. His parents were Grace Mary Dodd (née Murphy) and U.S. Senator Thomas Joseph Dodd; all eight of his great-grandparents were born in Ireland.^[4] He is the fifth of six children;^[5] his eldest brother, Thomas J. Dodd, Jr., is a professor emeritus of the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University, and served as the U.S. ambassador to Uruguay and Costa Rica under President Bill Clinton.

Dodd attended Georgetown Preparatory School, a Jesuit boys' school in Bethesda, Maryland. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English literature from Providence College in 1966. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small rural town in the Dominican Republic from 1966 to 1968. While there, he became fluent in Spanish.^[6] Dodd then joined the United States Army Reserve, serving until 1975 (and thereby avoiding active duty service in Vietnam).

Dodd was part of the "Watergate class of '74" which CNN pundit David Gergen credited with bringing "a fresh burst of liberal energy to the Capitol."^[7] Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 2nd congressional district and reelected twice, he served from January 4, 1975 to January 3, 1981. During his tenure in the House, he served on the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations.

U.S. Senate (1981-2011)[link]

Elections[link]

Dodd was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980, and was subsequently reelected in 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2004. He is the first senator from Connecticut to serve five consecutive terms.

Facing a competitive reelection bid for his Senate seat in 2010 and trailing against both of his likely Republican challengers in public opinion polling,^[8] Dodd announced in January 2010 that he would not seek re-election for a sixth term in the Senate. Polls of Connecticut voters in 2008 and 2009 had consistently suggested Dodd would have difficulty winning re-election, with 46% viewing his job performance as fair or poor and a majority stating they would vote to replace Dodd in the 2010 election.^[9]

Tenure[link]

During the 1994 elections, the Republicans won the majority in both houses of Congress. Dodd therefore entered the minority for the second time in his Senate career. He ran for the now vacant position of Senate Minority Leader, but was defeated by South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle by one vote. The vote was tied 23-23, and it was Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell who cast the deciding vote by absentee ballot in favor of Daschle.

From 1995 to 1997, he served as General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As General Chairman, Dodd was the DNC's spokesman. Donald Fowler served as National Chairman, running the party's day to day operations. Dodd has also involved himself in children’s and family issues, founding the first Senate Children’s Caucus^[10] and authoring the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA),^[11] which requires larger employers to provide employees unpaid leave in the event of illness, a sick family member, or the birth or adoption of a child. To date, more than 50 million employees have taken advantage of FMLA mandates. He is working to support a bill that would require employers to provide paid family and medical leave. For his work on behalf of children and families, the National Head Start association named him “Senator of the Decade” in 1990.^[11]

Dodd briefly considered running for President in 2004, but ultimately decided against such a campaign and endorsed fellow Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. He then was considered as a likely running mate for his friend, eventual Democratic nominee John Kerry. He was also considered a possible candidate for replacing Daschle as Senate Minority Leader in the 109th Congress, but he declined, and that position was instead filled by Harry Reid.

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs
  • Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
  • Subcommittee on European Affairs
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (Chairman)
  • As Chairman of the committee, Dodd may serve an ex officio member of all subcommittees of which he is not already a full member.
  • Subcommittee on Economic Policy
  • Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
• Committee on Rules and Administration
• Joint Committee on the Library
• Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

2008 Presidential campaign[link]

On January 11, 2007, Dodd announced his candidacy for the office of President of the United States on the Imus in the Morning show. On January 19, 2007, Dodd made a formal announcement with supporters at the Old State House in Hartford.

Dodd speaking on the campaign trail, January 2007.

The watchdog group opensecrets.org pointed out that the Dodd campaign was heavily funded by the financial services industry, which is regulated by committees Dodd chairs in the Senate.^[12][13]

In May, he trailed in state and national polls and acknowledged he wasn't keeping pace with rival campaigns' fund raising. However, he said that as more voters became aware of his opposition to the Iraq War, they would support his campaign.^[14] However, his prospects did not improve; a November 7, 2007 Gallup poll placed him at 1%.^[15] Dodd dropped out of the primary race on the night of the January 3, 2008 Iowa caucuses after placing seventh with almost all precincts reporting, even though he had recently moved from his home state to Iowa for the campaign.^[16]

Among eight major candidates for the nomination Dodd, even with later states where he was on the ballot after withdrawal, won last place by popular vote in primary (after Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Biden and Mike Gravel, also including uncommitted delegates and scattering votes).^[17] He won a total of 25,252 votes in delegates primaries and 9,940 in penalized contests.

Dodd later said he was not interested in running for Vice President or Senate Majority Leader.^[18] Dodd endorsed former rival Barack Obama on February 26, 2008.^[19]

CEO of MPAA (2011-Present)[link]

In February 2011, despite "repeatedly and categorically insisting that he would not work as a lobbyist,"^[20][21] Dodd was identified by The New York Times as the likely replacement for Dan Glickman as chairman and chief lobbyist for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).^[22] The hiring was officially announced on March 1, 2011,^[23] with his salary estimated at $1.5 million per year.^[24]

On January 17, 2012, Dodd released a statement criticizing "the so-called 'Blackout Day' protesting anti-piracy legislation."^[26] Referring to the websites participating in the blackout, Dodd said, "It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information and use their services. It is also an abuse of power... when the platforms that serve as gateways to information intentionally skew the facts to incite their users in order to further their corporate interests."^[26] In further comments, Dodd threatened to cut off campaign contributions to politicians who did not support PIPA and SOPA, legislation supported by the MPAA.^[27]

Controversies[link]

Countrywide Financial loan controversy[link]

In his role as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Dodd proposed a program in June 2008 that would assist troubled sub-prime mortgage lenders such as Countrywide Financial in the wake of the United States housing bubble's collapse.^[28] Condé Nast Portfolio reported allegations that in 2003 Dodd had refinanced the mortgages on his homes in Washington, D.C. and Connecticut through Countrywide Financial and had received favorable terms due to being placed in the "Friends of Angelo" VIP program, so named for Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo. Dodd received mortgages from Countrywide at allegedly below-market rates on his Washington, D.C. and Connecticut homes.^[28] Dodd had not disclosed the below-market mortgages in any of six financial disclosure statements he filed with the Senate or Office of Government Ethics since obtaining the mortgages in 2003.^[29]

Dodd's press secretary said "The Dodds received a competitive rate on their loans", and that they "did not seek or anticipate any special treatment, and they were not aware of any", then declined further comment.^[30] The Hartford Courant reported Dodd had taken "a major credibility hit" from the scandal.^[31] At the same time, the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee Kent Conrad and the head of Fannie Mae Jim Johnson received mortgages on favorable terms due to their association with Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo.^[32] The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and two Connecticut papers have demanded further disclosure from Dodd regarding the Mozilo loans.^{[33][34][35][36]}

On June 17, 2008, Dodd met twice with reporters and gave accounts of his mortgages with Countrywide. He admitted to reporters in Washington, D.C. that he knew as of 2003 that he was in a VIP program, but claimed it was due to being a longtime Countrywide customer, not due to his political position. He omitted this detail in a press availability to Connecticut media.^[37]

On July 30, 2009, Dodd responded to news reports about his mortgages by releasing information from the Wall Street Journal showing that both mortgages he received were in line with those being offered to general public in fall 2003 in terms of points and interest rate.^[38]

On August 7, 2009, a Senate ethics panel issued its decision on the controversy. The Select Committee on Ethics said it found "no credible evidence" that Dodd knowingly sought out a special loan or treatment because of his position, but the panel also said in an open letter to Mr. Dodd that the lawmaker should have questioned why he was being put in the "Friends of Angelo" VIP program at Countrywide: "Once you became aware that your loans were in fact being handled through a program with the name 'V.I.P.,' that should have raised red flags for you."^[39]

Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac controversies[link]

Dodd was involved in issues related to the federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. As part of Dodd's overall mortgage bill the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 before Congress in the summer of 2008, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson sought provisions enabling the Treasury to add additional capital and regulatory oversight over these government sponsored enterprises. At the time, it was estimated that the federal government would need to spend $25 billion on a bailout of the firms.^[40]

During this period, Dodd denied rumors these firms were in financial crisis. He called the firms "fundamentally strong",^[41] said they were in "sound situation" and "in good shape" and to "suggest they are in major trouble is not accurate".^[42] In early September, after the firms continued to report huge losses,^[43] Secretary Paulson announced a federal takeover of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Dodd expressed skepticism of the action, which the Treasury estimated could cost as much as $200 billion.

Dodd is the number one recipient in Congress of campaign funds from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.^[44]

Irish Cottage controversy[link]

In February 2009, Kevin Rennie, a columnist at the Hartford Courant, ran an op-ed concerning Dodd's acquisition of his vacation home in Roundstone, Ireland.^[45] The article alleged that Dodd's former partner in buying the home had ties to disgraced Bear Stearns principal Edward Downe, Jr. who has since been convicted of insider trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission.^[46] After paying an $11 million fine for his role in the scam, Downe later obtained a pardon in the waning days of the Bill Clinton administration. The controversial pardon was granted after Dodd lobbied Clinton on Downe's behalf. Dodd's letter to the President said, "Mr. President, Ed Downe is a good person, who is truly sorry for the hurt he caused others".^[47] After Downes' pardon, Dodd bought out the interests of his partner for a price allegedly based on a 2002 bank appraisal of the Roundstone home, which yielded little profit for Dodd's partner.^[48][49] Rennie criticized Dodd for claiming the Roundstone home was worth less than $250,000 in Senate ethics filings; some observers estimated the likely value in excess of $1 million USD.^[50]

In June 2009, Dodd provided a new statement to the Senate reporting the actual value of his Irish property at $658,000.^[51] The Wall Street Journal later compared this issue to the ethical charges which led to the political demise of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.^[52]

AIG federal assistance and bonuses controversy[link]

From the fall of 2008 through early 2009, the United States government spent nearly $170 Billion to assist failing insurance giant, AIG. AIG then spent $165 million of this money to hand out executive "retention" bonuses to its top executives. Public outrage ensued over this perceived misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Dodd was responsible for the inclusion of a clause limiting excessive executive pay in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. On February 14, 2009, the Wall Street Journal published an article, Bankers Face Strict New Pay Cap, discussing a retroactive limit to bonus compensation inserted by Chris Dodd into the stimulus bill that passed in the Senate.^[53]

The same article went on to mention that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers "had called Sen. Dodd and asked him to reconsider".

When the bill left conference, Dodd's provision had been amended to include a provision preventing limits on bonuses previously negotiated and under contract. This provision was lobbied for by Geithner and Summers.

As Dodd explained in his March 18 interview on CNN,^[54] at Geithner and the Obama Administration's insistence he allowed his provision's original language to include Geithner and Summers' request, which in turn allowed AIG to give out bonuses under previously negotiated contracts. However, Dodd's provision also includes language allowing the Treasury Secretary to examine bonuses doled out and, if they are found to be in violation of the public interest, recoup those funds.

Dodd retreated from his original statement that he did not know how the amendment was changed.^[55] Dodd was criticized by many in the Connecticut media for the apparent flip-flop.^[56][57] In a March 20, 2009 editorial the New Haven Register called Dodd "a lying weasel"^[58] The same day, Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green called on Dodd not to seek re-election in 2010.^[59]

The Hill.com described Dodd as "reeling" from the controversy^[60] and having "stepped in it" after changing his story as to the bonus amendment.^[61]

At a press conference in Enfield, Connecticut, on Friday, March 20, Dodd responded to critics and explained that his original answer to a CNN answer was based on a misunderstanding of the question.^[62] He also said he was disappointed that the Treasury officials who asked him to make the legislative changes had not identified themselves, refusing to confirm the actual identity of the individuals responsible for changing the amendment.^[63]

The next day, voters in Ridgefield rallied against Dodd and the Obama economic agenda^[64][65] The Manchester Journal Inquirer suggested that "Chris Dodd's explaining may have only begun".^[66]

Opensecrets.org reports Dodd has received over $223,000 from AIG employees, many of whom were Connecticut residents, for his recent campaigns.^[67] Additionally, it has recently been revealed that Dodd's wife is a former Director for Bermuda-based IPC Holdings, a company controlled by AIG. She held this position before she married him.^[68] On May 3, 2009, the Courant reported Dodd's wife served on a number of corporate boards, including the CME Group and could be earning as much as $500,000 annually for her service on said boards.^[69] On March 30, 2009, it was reported that former AIG Financial Products head Joseph Cassano personally solicited contributions from his employees in Connecticut via an e-mail in fall 2006 suggesting that the contributions were related to Dodd's ascension to the chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee.^[70]

Political positions[link]

Dodd giving a speech at Naval Submarine Base New London, July 1985.

Dodd has supported amending the Family and Medical Leave Act, which he authored in 1993, to include paid leave,^[71] and a corporate carbon tax to combat global warming.^[72]

Dodd is credited with inserting the last-minute pay limit into American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The pay restrictions included prohibition of bonuses in excess of one-third of total salary for any company receiving any money from the plan and was retroactive to companies that received funds under Troubled Assets Relief Program.^[73] Fortune magazine however, panned this provision as likely to "drive the craftiest financial minds away from the most troubled institutions". This article also pointed out the Dodd bill delegated to the Treasury Secretary the right to approve appropriate restaurants for client entertainment.^[74]

In May 2009, Dodd was the author and lead sponsor of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on May 22, 2009. The law requires card companies give cardholders 45 days notice of any interest rate increases, prevents card companies from retroactively increasing interest rates on the existing balance of a cardholder in good standing for reasons unrelated to the cardholder's behavior with that card, and prohibits card companies from arbitrarily changing the terms of their contract with a cardholder, banning the so-called practice of "any-time, any-reason repricing." Also included in the bill were provisions requiring companies to give cardholders time to pay their bills by requiring card companies to mail billing statements 25 calendar days before the due date and individuals under the age of 21 to either show income or have a co-signer in order to obtain a credit card. In a conference call with reporters after the bill was signed, Dodd stated his intention to continue work on capping credit card interest rates at thirty percent and to establish limits on fees that merchants pay when a customer uses a credit card for a purchase.^[75]

Dodd announced on June 22, 2009, that he supports same-sex marriage. He had opposed gay marriage in the 2008 election, but stated that his daughters are growing up in a different generation than his and that his views have evolved over time.^[76] Same-sex couples have been able to marry in Connecticut since November 12, 2008, following the Connecticut Supreme Court's ruling.^[77][78] In April 2009, the legislature overwhelmingly passed and Governor Jodi Rell signed a bill making all references to marriage in law gender neutral.^[79][80]

Dodd was also responsible for writing and getting passed S. 1858 (Public Law 110-204): Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007.^[81] The implications of this law are many, including that any child born after April 2008 have a sample of their blood taken for DNA analysis. This sample is taken without consent or knowledge of the parents and then becomes property of the Federal Government. This data is supposed to be used for the good of the children such as testing for rare genetic disorders but is controversial in that it is not optional.^[82]

Personal life[link]

In July 1970, Dodd married Susan Mooney; they divorced in October 1982. Afterwards, he dated at different times Bianca Jagger and Carrie Fisher, among others.^[83] In 1999, he married his second wife, Jackie Marie Clegg, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The couple has two daughters, Grace (born September 2001) and Christina Dodd (born May 2005). Dodd is also the godfather of singer/actress Christy Carlson Romano, who once interned in his office.

On July 31, 2009, he announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which his aides said was at an early stage and would result in surgery during the Senate August recess.^[84] Dodd has since had the operation, and says his operation was fully successful.

Dodd won the Washington Office on Latin America's prestigious Human Rights Award^[85] in 2008.

Electoral history[link]

References[link]