Ray Blanton
Leonard Ray Blanton (April 10, 1930–November 22, 1996) was the 44th governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979.
Blanton was from Adamsville, Tennessee, and was from a farming family with road-building interests. He had a background as a schoolteacher and worked his way through the University of Tennessee. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1968 as a Democrat from a district in his native West Tennessee and served two terms. In 1972 he challenged Senator Howard Baker and was defeated, but succeeded in making many political connections around the state. In the subsequent nine-way primary race for the Democratic nomination for governor of Tennessee in 1974, Blanton won, defeating three well-financed opponents as well as five also-rans. He then defeated GOP nominee Lamar Alexander soundly in the November general election by the largest margin in Tennessee history. His strongest condemnation of Alexander seemed to be that he had served for a time on the White House staff of former President Richard Nixon, who had resigned in disgrace the previous August.
Blanton's administration was noted for extensive recruiting of foreign industrial and trade opportunities. Also, it was during his term that the state Office of Tourism was raised to a Cabinet-level position, making Tennessee the first state in the nation to do so. Blanton's administration emphasized equality for women and blacks, tax relief for older and fixed income citizens, and penal reform.
As governor, Blanton soon displayed an abrasive style that was interpreted by many as arrogance. He was suspected of playing favorites with his family and other highway contractors. He gained considerable negative attention when he told Carol Marin, then a reporter with Nashville's WSM-TV, that he would not be answering any more "negative" questions. His Administration seemed rife with "cronyism", and this became more apparent when Roger Humphries, a convicted double murderer, was pardoned for his crimes and it became public knowledge that his father was a county chairman for Blanton. It was later discovered that members of Blanton's staff were involved who were then convicted of selling pardons, in which Blanton was never charged.
Blanton seemed unphased by any criticism. The Tennessee state constitution was amended in February, 1978 in such a way as to allow Governor Blanton to succeed himself. In January, 1979, with his term expiring, the State's Pardon Board began to make a series of pardons that seemed to be either the product of sheer politics or open bribery. As the Tennessee state constitution is somewhat vague on when a new governor must be inaugurated, it was decided to swear in Lamar Alexander, who had been elected his successor, three days early to prevent any further pardons. This was done with the acquiescence, and in fact the assistance, of Lieutenant Governor John Wilder and Speaker of the House Ned McWherter, both Democrats, in order to prevent further damage to the state's reputation and its judicial system.
Out of office, Blanton found himself in legal difficulties. He was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among other law-enforcement agencies. Although never formally charged in the pardons matter, he was eventually indicted on charges of selling liquor licenses. He was convicted and sentenced to federal prison. After serving his sentence he returned to Tennessee and later had most charges against him dropped. Attempting a political comeback in 1992, he ran for the Democratic nomination for a Congressional seat in West Tennessee that was becoming vacant, garnering only seven percent of the vote. He sold used cars for a living and died in obscurity of liver failure in 1996 still proclaiming his innocence.
A portion of the story of the pardons scandal was made into a book, Marie: A True Story by Peter Maas, author of Serpico, and eventually made into a motion picture starring Sissy Spacek. Attorney Fred Thompson launched his acting career in this picture, portraying himself.
