Christopher J. Lee
Encyclopedia
Christopher John "Chris" Lee (born April 1, 1964) is an American businessman and former U.S. Representative for who served from January 2009 until he resigned on February 9, 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party
.
. He comes from a politically active family. His sister ran regional affairs in western New York for former Governor
George Pataki
, and his father was the finance chairman on several campaigns for former Congressman Jack Quinn.
He earned a bachelor's degree in economics
and finance
from the University of Rochester
and a master of business administration from Chapman University
in California
. While at Rochester, he was a member of the Upsilon chapter of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity
.
He worked for Microtek Laboratory
in California as director of sales before returning to New York in 1995 to work for Enidine, Inc., a company founded by his father. Under Lee's direction, the business was transformed "from a small machine shop in western New York to a global enterprise," according to The New York Times. Lee worked at Enidine in various roles including Pacific Rim Sales Manager, Director of International Sales and Marketing, and lastly General Manager. Enidine manufactured products for commercial aviation, and for the industrial and defense markets and had manufacturing capabilities in Orchard Park, New York, as well as Bad Bellingen
, Germany
and Yokohama, Japan.
In 2003, Lee became Automation Group President of International Motion Control (IMC) of Erie County
, another company founded by his father. He oversaw the group's acquisition of the solenoid valve
firm Evolutionary Concepts Inc., and worked at IMC until it was sold to the ITT Corporation
for nearly $400 million dollars.
for the United States House of Representatives
in New York's 26th congressional district
in April 2008. He was endorsed by the incumbent Representative Thomas M. Reynolds
. and ultimately supported by all seven Republican county chairmen in the district, who met in May 2008 to announce Lee would hold the party's official endorsement. His candidacy garnered the support of state GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik
in an election year in which the Republican party was looking for self-financed candidates. He won reelection in 2010 with 76 percent of the vote. His district consistently votes Republican, according to The Weekly Standard.
During the campaign, it emerged that Lee had been fired from a sales job at Ingram Micro
(now based in Amherst
, but then in Buffalo) when he was 25 years old. He had obtained his supervisor's password and accessed customer accounts to change their credit limits with the company. This meant that the customers could purchase on account more of Ingram's products, thus increasing Lee's commission. Lee and another employee were fired. During the campaign, Lee's office issued a statement: "At my first job out of college, I made a mistake and broke company policy and was let go. What's important is that I learned from that mistake, and have had a successful career building a business and creating jobs for families here in Western New York."
Although Lee was a fiscally conservative budget hawk, he obtained $29.7 million in federal funds (known as earmarks
) for his district—more than any of the Democratic U.S. congressmen in neighboring districts. Lee explained that earmarks can be helpful in promoting job growth and said it is better to have earmarks than to have spending decisions made by unelected bureaucrats. He obtained earmarks for a small arms practice range for an Air Reserve station, high speed rail, and local defense contractors.
He was criticized for large use of his franking privilege to send constituents glossy newsletters, some of which were described as promotional whereas others only gave constituents information on new legislation and proposals. In August 2010, Lee proposed a plan to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. The plan involved lowering the corporate tax rate, student loan forgiveness for students who enter fields related to manufacturing, and trade reform to open up new markets.
In December 2010, he met with representatives of online travel agencies to pressure them into complying with a law that requires websites to show when regional airlines are operating any part of a flight. “It's embarrassing that this stuff has not been done”, Lee said. “I made that painfully clear to them. No excuses.”
On February 9, 2011, Lee was found to have been soliciting at least one male-to-female transsexual on Craigslist
. Claiming to be a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist but using his real name, he used a Google Gmail
account to send her a shirtless photo taken with his BlackBerry
phone. The recipient searched his name, discovered he was a married Congressman, and turned over her email correspondence to the New York news blog Gawker. After confirming the facts, Gawker published its exposé on February 9, 2011.
Lee resigned from office the same day. He also issued a statement of apology, saying, “I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents.... I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness.” Lee did not return to Western New York after his resignation.
Democrat Kathleen Hochul filled his seat after winning the special election
on May 24 set by Governor Andrew Cuomo
.
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Family, education and business career
Lee was raised in Tonawanda, New YorkTonawanda, New York
Tonawanda may refer to:*Glacial Lake Tonawanda*North Tonawanda, New York, a city in Niagara County, north across Tonawanda Creek from the City and Town*Tonawanda , New York, consisting of the Town of Tonawanda less the Village of Kenmore...
. He comes from a politically active family. His sister ran regional affairs in western New York for former Governor
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
, and his father was the finance chairman on several campaigns for former Congressman Jack Quinn.
He earned a bachelor's degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
from the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
and a master of business administration from Chapman University
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private, non-profit university located in Orange, California affiliated with the Christian Church . Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. While at Rochester, he was a member of the Upsilon chapter of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity
Psi Upsilon
Psi Upsilon is the fifth oldest college fraternity in the United States, founded at Union College in 1833. It has chapters at colleges and universities throughout North America. For most of its history, Psi Upsilon, like most social fraternities, limited its membership to men only...
.
He worked for Microtek Laboratory
Microtek
Microtek International Inc. is a Taiwan-based manufacturer of digital imaging products and other consumer electronics. Among its current product line are Microtek branded plasma and LCD TVs, LCD flat panel monitors, LCD and DLP projectors, and digital cameras as well as their flagship line of...
in California as director of sales before returning to New York in 1995 to work for Enidine, Inc., a company founded by his father. Under Lee's direction, the business was transformed "from a small machine shop in western New York to a global enterprise," according to The New York Times. Lee worked at Enidine in various roles including Pacific Rim Sales Manager, Director of International Sales and Marketing, and lastly General Manager. Enidine manufactured products for commercial aviation, and for the industrial and defense markets and had manufacturing capabilities in Orchard Park, New York, as well as Bad Bellingen
Bad Bellingen
Bad Bellingen is a municipality in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is on the border with France to the west. It is in the German landkreis of Lörrach. The closest larger city is Müllheim which is about 10 km to the north....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Yokohama, Japan.
In 2003, Lee became Automation Group President of International Motion Control (IMC) of Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
, another company founded by his father. He oversaw the group's acquisition of the solenoid valve
Solenoid valve
A solenoid valve is an electromechanical valve for use with liquid or gas. The valve is controlled by an electric current through a solenoid: in the case of a two-port valve the flow is switched on or off; in the case of a three-port valve, the outflow is switched between the two outlet ports...
firm Evolutionary Concepts Inc., and worked at IMC until it was sold to the ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation is a global diversified manufacturing company based in the United States. ITT participates in global markets including water and fluids management, defense and security, and motion and flow control...
for nearly $400 million dollars.
Political campaigns
Lee announced his candidacy as a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in New York's 26th congressional district
New York's 26th congressional district
The 26th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in Western New York. It includes all of Genesee, Livingston, and Wyoming counties, and parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans counties...
in April 2008. He was endorsed by the incumbent Representative Thomas M. Reynolds
Thomas M. Reynolds
Thomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives...
. and ultimately supported by all seven Republican county chairmen in the district, who met in May 2008 to announce Lee would hold the party's official endorsement. His candidacy garnered the support of state GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik
Stephen Minarik
Stephen J. Minarik III was a New York State political figure who served as the chairman of the Monroe County, New York and New York State Republican Committees.-Life:...
in an election year in which the Republican party was looking for self-financed candidates. He won reelection in 2010 with 76 percent of the vote. His district consistently votes Republican, according to The Weekly Standard.
During the campaign, it emerged that Lee had been fired from a sales job at Ingram Micro
Ingram Micro
Ingram Micro, Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and the world’s largest information technology distributor, providing sales, marketing and logistics services for the IT industry in all corners of the globe.-Overview:...
(now based in Amherst
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
, but then in Buffalo) when he was 25 years old. He had obtained his supervisor's password and accessed customer accounts to change their credit limits with the company. This meant that the customers could purchase on account more of Ingram's products, thus increasing Lee's commission. Lee and another employee were fired. During the campaign, Lee's office issued a statement: "At my first job out of college, I made a mistake and broke company policy and was let go. What's important is that I learned from that mistake, and have had a successful career building a business and creating jobs for families here in Western New York."
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
|
First term
Lee was a conservative congressman who voted with the Republican party 93% of the time during his first term. He voted "no" on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and "no" on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and the health care reform bills. He voted with the Democrats to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, provide compensation to the 9/11 responders, overhaul the nation's food safety system, and reauthorize the America Competes Act. In 2009, Lee supported the proposed "Student Internet Safety Act," which was aimed at protecting children from internet predators.Although Lee was a fiscally conservative budget hawk, he obtained $29.7 million in federal funds (known as earmarks
Earmark (politics)
In United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
) for his district—more than any of the Democratic U.S. congressmen in neighboring districts. Lee explained that earmarks can be helpful in promoting job growth and said it is better to have earmarks than to have spending decisions made by unelected bureaucrats. He obtained earmarks for a small arms practice range for an Air Reserve station, high speed rail, and local defense contractors.
He was criticized for large use of his franking privilege to send constituents glossy newsletters, some of which were described as promotional whereas others only gave constituents information on new legislation and proposals. In August 2010, Lee proposed a plan to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. The plan involved lowering the corporate tax rate, student loan forgiveness for students who enter fields related to manufacturing, and trade reform to open up new markets.
In December 2010, he met with representatives of online travel agencies to pressure them into complying with a law that requires websites to show when regional airlines are operating any part of a flight. “It's embarrassing that this stuff has not been done”, Lee said. “I made that painfully clear to them. No excuses.”
Second term and resignation
In the wake of the January 2011 shooting of U.S. Representative Giffords and others in Tucson, Arizona, Lee said "I think what we need to look at is ensuring there are sufficient background checks to make sure that those who are unstable don’t have access to weapons of that nature."On February 9, 2011, Lee was found to have been soliciting at least one male-to-female transsexual on Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
. Claiming to be a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist but using his real name, he used a Google Gmail
Gmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
account to send her a shirtless photo taken with his BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
phone. The recipient searched his name, discovered he was a married Congressman, and turned over her email correspondence to the New York news blog Gawker. After confirming the facts, Gawker published its exposé on February 9, 2011.
Lee resigned from office the same day. He also issued a statement of apology, saying, “I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents.... I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness.” Lee did not return to Western New York after his resignation.
Democrat Kathleen Hochul filled his seat after winning the special election
New York's 26th congressional district special election, 2011
A 2011 special election in New York's 26th congressional district was held on May 24, 2011 to fill a seat in the U.S. Congress for New York's 26th congressional district. The vacancy was due to the February 2011 resignation of married Republican Chris Lee who resigned amid a scandal involving...
on May 24 set by Governor Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
.
Other
Chris Lee's father established the Patrick P. Lee Foundation, which Chris Lee served as director. The foundation promotes cancer and mental illness awareness, education, prevention, and research in Western New YorkWestern New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
.
External links
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...