Richard Kelly (politician)

Richard Kelly

Richard Kelly (born July 31, 1924 in Atlanta , Georgia , †  August 22, 2005 in Stevensville , Montana ) was an American politician . Between 1975 and 1981 he represented the state of Florida in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Richard Kelly attended the public schools in Crystal Springs and then through 1946 the high school in Zephyrhills . In between he served in the Marine Corps from 1942 to 1946 during World War II . After high school, Kelly attended other schools in Colorado and Tennessee . After studying law and his admission as a lawyer in 1952, he began to work in Zephyrhills in his new profession. From 1956 to 1959 he was on the staff of the federal attorney for southern Florida. Kelly was a judge in the Florida Sixth Judicial District between 1960 and 1974.

Politically, Kelly was a member of the Republican Party . In the 1974 congressional elections , he was elected to the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the fifth constituency of Florida , where he succeeded Democrat Bill Gunter on January 3, 1975 . After two re-elections, he was able to complete three legislative terms in Congress by January 3, 1981 . In 1980, Kelly was embroiled in the Abscam scandal that cost him the re-nomination of his party. He was charged with taking a $ 25,000 bribe. For this he was sentenced to 13 months in prison. That also meant the end of his political career. He died in Stevensville on August 22, 2005.

Web links

• Richard Kelly in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Richard Kelly in the database of Find a Grave (English)