Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., is resigning from his post to return to the private sector — despite the fact he ran for re-election and won his race in the November 2018 midterm elections.
Marino was first elected to Congress in 2010, after serving as a state and federal prosecutor. In 2017, he was nominated twice to lead the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, but he withdrew his name from consideration on both occasions. The second withdrawal came after media reports emerged about his involvement with a measure that hindered the Drug Enforcement Administration’s ability to intervene in suspicious prescription opioid transactions.
“Having spent over two decades serving the public, I have chosen to take a position in the private sector where I can use both my legal and business experience to create jobs around the nation,” Marino said in a statement on Thursday.
“I want to thank the people of the 12th Congressional District of Pennsylvania for the faith they have placed in me to represent them in Congress. It truly has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Marino said.
Prior to serving in Congress, Marino reportedly earned a $250,000 salary as a U.S. attorney. It was during this time that Marino’s office was investigating convicted felon Louis DeNaples. However, at the same time, Marino wrote a letter of recommendation for convicted felon Louis DeNaples to help him launch a casino and failed to get approval from his supervisors. Marino ultimately stepped down from his position to work for DeNaples, coinciding with the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility examining his behavior.
Marino’s last day in Congress will be Jan. 23 — next Wednesday.
