A former Pennsylvania congressman who was expelled from the House 40 years ago after being convicted of bribery is again in legal trouble.
Former Rep. Michael “Ozzie” Myers, 77, who is now a campaign consultant, was charged with stuffing the ballot boxes for candidates from 2014-2016, bribing an election official, falsifying records, voting more than once in federal elections, and obstruction of justice, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday.
He is accused of conspiring with and bribing the former judge of elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division in South Philadelphia, Domenick Demuro, who has already been convicted for his role in accepting bribes to cast fraudulent ballots and certifying false voting results in those elections.
“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If only one vote has been illegally rung up or fraudulently stuffed into a ballot box, the integrity of that entire election is undermined,” said U.S. Attorney William McSwain of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Votes are not things to be purchased and democracy is not for sale. If you are a political consultant, election official, or work with the polling places in any way, I urge you to do your job honestly and faithfully. That is what the public deserves, it is what democracy demands, and it is what my office will enforce.”
Myers is accused of working with candidates running for office as a consultant, but he would take the money he received from the campaign and pay Demuro with it to rig the election in the candidate’s favor. The alleged bribes ranged from $300-$5,000. He is also accused of bribing the judge to influence elections where Myers was not working with a candidate, but when he wanted that particular person to win the election.
Myers, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District between 1976 and 1980 until he was convicted on bribery charges stemming from an FBI sting operation and sentenced to three years in prison. He was caught accepting a $50,000 bribe from an undercover FBI agent who posed as an Arab “sheik” interested in obtaining building permits and casino licenses in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“Money talks in this business and bullshit walks,” he told the undercover officer.
Myers was expelled from Congress in a 376-30 vote in 1980 shortly after being found guilty.
