Death of Former Oregon Senator Bob Packwood Marks End of a Controversial Legacy

Bob Packwood died on Saturday at age 93. Family-issued obituaries reported his death without a cause. Sources place the passing in hospice care, while others specify Rancho Mirage, California. His death concludes a public life that spanned more than a quarter-century in the U.S. Senate.

TMZ

Elected in 1968 at age 36, Packwood served 27 years (1969-1995) as a Republican from Oregon. He was a social moderate and fiscal conservative, championing abortion rights, environmental protection, and tax reform. As chair of the Senate Finance Committee, he helped pass the sweeping Tax Reform Act of 1986, which lowered the top income tax bracket and eliminated many itemized deductions. He also led the National Republican Senatorial Committee (1977-1979, 1981-1983) and briefly considered a 1980 presidential run.

The Guardian

In November 1992, The Washington Post published accusations from more than two dozen women alleging unwanted sexual advances dating back to the 1970s. The Senate Ethics Committee opened an investigation that expanded to include alleged job-selling for Packwood’s ex-wife, staff intimidation, and diary alteration. The committee’s final report spanned 10,145 pages (approximately 40 lb) and documented at least 18 separate unwanted advances between 1969 and 1990. The panel unanimously recommended expulsion, prompting Packwood’s resignation in September 1995.

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The Senate voted 94-6 in November 1993 to enforce a subpoena for Packwood’s diaries, a decision upheld by the courts after Chief Justice William Rehnquist denied a Supreme Court stay. Senate Ethics Committee chair Mitch McConnell declared, “The committee has heard enough, the Senate has heard enough, the public has heard enough.” Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, Packwood’s 1996 successor, later emphasized that Packwood’s abuse of women “will forever overshadow” his legislative record. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) later praised Packwood’s post-Senate work on tax reform, citing redemption.

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Women’s-rights groups, including Planned Parenthood, initially lauded Packwood’s abortion advocacy but later condemned his conduct. Diane Linn, an Oregon abortion-rights activist, expressed “betrayal” after the 1992 allegations. Former staffer Gena Hutton wrote, “I believed his ideals would make a difference… Unfortunately, that was not the case.” These voices framed the scandal as a breach of public trust.

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• Senate tenure: 27 years (1969-1995)

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• Alleged victims: > 24 women

LA Times

• Documented advances: >= 18 (1969-1990)

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• Ethics report length: 10,145 pages (~40 lb)

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• Senate vote on diary subpoena: 94-6

The Independent

• Post-Senate lobbying revenue: $1.5 million (1999)

LA Times

Packwood’s rise and fall illustrate how personal misconduct can eclipse policy achievements. The exhaustive ethics investigation set a precedent for Senate accountability and foreshadowed later #MeToo scrutiny of elected officials. His mixed legacy continues to shape discussions of bipartisan policy making versus ethical standards in Washington.

Politico

Sources differ on the precise location of Packwood’s death (hospice care vs. Rancho Mirage) and provide no official cause of death. The full content of Packwood’s diaries, cited repeatedly in the ethics report, remains unavailable to the public.

LA Times

• “His horrible history as documented in his own diaries will forever overshadow that public record. Simply put, historians’ first line about Bob Packwood must include those women who he abused and assaulted for years and years,” — Ron Wyden, U.S. Senator (D-Oregon)

The Guardian

• “Packwood engaged in a pattern of abuse of his position of power and authority as a United States Senator by repeatedly committing sexual misconduct, making at least 18 separate unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances between 1969 and 1990,” — Senate Ethics Committee (report)

Politico

• “It is the honorable thing to do for the country, for the Senate.” — Bob Packwood (resignation statement)

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• “I would like to think that I am nobody's lackey. I try to reach conclusions independently and then I'm willing to fight for those conclusions; if necessary, having to fight against my party or my party's president.” — Bob Packwood (Associated Press, 1992)

The Independent

• “I believe that you don’t judge people for mistakes made in the past, you judge them for what they are today and, frankly, he did a terrific job of working on tax reform.” — Orrin Hatch, U.S. Senator (R-Utah)

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