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Former Maryland Gov. Marvin Mandel, a divisive figure, dead at 95

By Andrew V. Pestano
Former Gov. of Maryland Marvin Mandel, a Democrat, alongside current Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican. Mandel died on Sunday at the age of 95. Photo Courtesy of Larry Hogan/Facebook
Former Gov. of Maryland Marvin Mandel, a Democrat, alongside current Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican. Mandel died on Sunday at the age of 95. Photo Courtesy of Larry Hogan/Facebook

BALTIMORE, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Former Maryland Gov. Marvin Mandel, a popular politician until his conviction for mail fraud and racketeering, which was later overturned, died Sunday at the age of 95.

Mandel was a powerful Democratic governor from 1969 until 1979 when he was forced out of office over the corruption scandal. He won elections twice by large margins after he was chosen as the replacement of former Gov. Spiro T. Agnew, who resigned to become Richard Nixon's vice president.

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Mandel was indicted in 1975 and convicted in 1977 of accepting $350,000 to help longtime allies get extra racing days for a racetrack they had secretly purchased, The Baltimore Sun reported..

After years of trials and appeals, Mandel began serving 19 months of a three-year sentence, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit overturned his conviction in 1988. The appeals court's decision followed a Supreme Court decision on a different case that restricted the use of a 115-year-old mail fraud statute for prosecution.

Despite the corruption scandal that ended his political career, Mandel as governor placed strict limits on carrying handguns, protected the environment, streamlined the court system, helped Washington and Baltimore build subways, and helped local schools by having the state pay for construction costs, The New York Times reported.

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"The state of Maryland lost not only a former governor but also a truly great leader and someone countless people thought of as a friend, including myself," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement.

"I will be forever grateful for the advice, wisdom, and stories Governor Mandel has shared with me throughout the years. No other governor has had the lasting impact on all three branches of Maryland government," Hogan added.

Although seen as a successful governor, Mandel's surrounding scandals make him a divisive figure.

"Part of us will remember him in a period of great corruption... and part of us will remember him as someone who contributed to the well being of the state," former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening said, quoted by The Baltimore Sun. "The state will be better because of his work long after we've forgotten his personal failures."

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