The Rise and Fall of Congress Member Tony Coelho

The story of the rise and fall of congressman Toney Coelho, a former democratic congressional representative of California from 1978 to 1989, represents the complicated relationship between the special- interest money and Congress members as they compete for power. It is also the story of Big Money's noxious impact on the U.S politics. In election after election, special-interest money buys influence over government policy and legislators as well. As Coelho himself said, “The process buys you out” (Jackson, 1990). According to Brooks Jackson, “The system also insidiously robs ordinary American citizens of the right to choose their own leaders” (Jackson, 1990). The strategic alliance between business and trade PACs and lawmakers, like Tony Coelho, creates congressmen-for-life and, because the PACs shun challengers, protects all but the most assailable members of Congress from meaningful challenge. In this research paper, I will explain why and how Coelho raised such unprecedented fund raises, how he spent them, and argue whether or not he was following an entrepreneurial style or was only another chapter in the corruption culture of the congress.

Coelho’s Congressional career and politics

In November 1978, Coelho was elected as a Democrat to the 96th Congress. He served on the Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Interior, and Administration Committees. In 1980, he became the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In 1986, Coelho was elected House Majority Whip (Epilepsy Foundation). Seeing himself as a kind of political Robin Hood, Coelho collected millions of dollars in political donations for the Democratic Party (Jackson, 1990, 2). Coelho realized that money is a decisive factor, both to keep his party in power and to advance his own career. Nevertheless, his good intentions did not build such an invisible shield against the intimidation of the special-interest money, as I will explain later.

When Tony Coelho failed to be become a priest...