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Anthony Lee Coelho (June 15, 1942 -- ) was a United States Congressman from California. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the Majority Whip until he resigned amidst a scandal.
He was born in rural Los Banos, California, and attended public schools in Dos Palos, California. He graduated from Loyola University in 1964 and worked as a staff member for Bernie Sisk from 1965 until 1978. He ran for Congress himself in 1978, when Bernie Sisk retired. He was elected to represent Merced, California. He served for ten years rising to the position of Majority Whip. He authored the Americans with Disabilities Act. He himself suffers from epilepsy.
He resigned from office in 1989 amidst allegations that he had received special treatment in the purchase of junk bonds. Although he was investigated, he was never charged with a crime. It turned out that he did worse with his junk bond investment than members of the general public who bought similar bonds at the same time.
After resigning, he worked for Wertheim Schroder & Company, Inc an investment firm as a managing director.
In the summer of 1994, Democratic Party tracking polls predicted the landslide Republican Party victory in the fall congressional elections. Coelho successfully urged the Democratic Party to focus on Social Security, instead of Hillary Clinton's medical insurance proposals and Newt Gingrich's Contract with America. This change in focus prevented the landslide from being even larger.
In 1995, Coelho formed ETC w/tci, an education and training technology company in Washington, D.C. He was the chairman and chief executive officer until 1997.
He later served as Vice President Al Gore's campaign chairman in the 2000 election, but resigned in June before the election due to health reasons.
He and his wife, Phyllis, have two daughters, Nicole and Kristin.
In September 2004, Coelho publicly criticized John Kerry's campaign, particularly strategist Bob Shrum, and alleged that Shrum's group was not working well with former Clinton associates brought in after the Republican National Convention. Coelho said:
There is nobody in charge and you have these two teams that are generally not talking to each other. Here are two groups that have never gotten along and have fought, and it is a lot over money, because in the Democratic Party the consultants get paid for the creation and the placement of [advertising]. Republicans only pay you for the creation.
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