29 Facts About Bill Delahunt

William David Delahunt was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts.

Bill Delahunt did not seek re-election in 2010, and left Congress in January 2011.

Bill Delahunt was succeeded by Norfolk County District Attorney Bill Keating.

Bill Delahunt was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, on July 18,1941.

Bill Delahunt was educated at Thayer Academy, Middlebury College, and Boston College Law School.

Bill Delahunt served as a radarman in the United States Coast Guard in 1963 and the United States Coast Guard Reserve from 1963 to 1971.

Bill Delahunt was elected as a city councillor for Quincy, taking office in January 1972.

Bill Delahunt served a term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1973 to 1975 before serving as district attorney of Norfolk County from 1975 to 1996.

Bill Delahunt won the Plymouth County portion of the district, while losing the Norfolk County portion.

Bill Delahunt narrowly defeated state legislator Philip W Johnston of Marshfield by just 119 votes after a recount, which was conducted in a handful of contested towns.

Bill Delahunt won re-election six times, defeating his opponent by at least 32 percentage points each time.

On March 4,2010, The Boston Globe confirmed that Bill Delahunt would retire that year rather than seek reelection for an eighth term.

Shortly before the announcement of his retirement, it was discovered that Bill Delahunt, while serving as district attorney for Norfolk County, Massachusetts, had refused to file charges against Amy Bishop for shooting and killing her brother in 1986.

In November 2005, Bill Delahunt met with President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez to arrange an assistance program in which Venezuela would supply winter home heating oil at a 40 percent price reduction to thousands of low-income Massachusetts residents.

The program, which has since been expanded to help 500,000 people across the US, was carried out via the Venezuelan owned Citgo, and brought accusations that Bill Delahunt was assisting an anti-American leader.

Bill Delahunt was a consistent opponent of the war in Iraq.

Bill Delahunt was a member of the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee, Judiciary Committee, House Older Americans Caucus, and the Congressional Working Group on Cuba.

Bill Delahunt told the Cape Cod Times that he viewed it as an extension of his work in Congress.

Less than two months after leaving Congress, Bill Delahunt lobbied on behalf of the Wampanoag people in Massachusetts to help them secure Indian gaming rights with the state legislature.

Bill Delahunt filled a gap left by the Wampanoag's previous lobbyist Jack Abramoff following his conviction associated with the renowned Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal.

Bill Delahunt received over $15,000 in campaign contributions from the Wampanoag and Abramoff prior to leaving office sparking criticisms from good government advocates and casino opponents.

Bill Delahunt formally announced his retirement from Congress in March 2010.

Bill Delahunt, who was President of Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc.

Bill Delahunt supported the creation of medical marijuana dispensaries to thwart the rise in prescription drug abuse.

Bill Delahunt was significantly involved in the operations of any of the dispensaries that Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts opens.

In September 2014, Bill Delahunt resigned from his position as President of Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc after the licenses for his planned dispensaries were rejected by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

In late May 2017, Bill Delahunt became the acting director of the Harvard Institute of Politics.

In 2013, Bill Delahunt helped free a US citizen who was imprisoned by the Venezuelan government.

Bill Delahunt died at his Quincy home on March 30,2024, at the age of 82.