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Former Senator Bob Packwood, 93, Dies After Ethics Scandal

6/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Bob Packwood died Saturday at age 93 in hospice care in Rancho Mirage, California.
In 1995 the Senate Ethics Committee issued a 10,145-page report that unanimously recommended his expulsion for a pattern of sexual misconduct.
He resigned in September 1995 rather than face a Senate vote on expulsion.
After leaving office he founded the lobbying firm Sunrise Research Corporation.

History

Historical Context

The June 17 1972 Watergate break-in sparked the Senate’s Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, led by Senator Sam Ervin, whose televised hearings in 1973 uncovered the “smoking gun” tape released August 5 1974 and forced President Richard Nixon’s resignation on August 8 1974. That congressional probe established a precedent for later ethics investigations of officials and shaped modern oversight rules for members of Congress.

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Story summary

Bob Packwood died Saturday at age 93 in hospice care in Rancho Mirage, California.
In 1995 the Senate Ethics Committee issued a 10,145-page report that unanimously recommended his expulsion for a pattern of sexual misconduct.
He resigned in September 1995 rather than face a Senate vote on expulsion.
After leaving office he founded the lobbying firm Sunrise Research Corporation.

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