George John Mitchell Jr. (born August 20, 1933) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. A leading member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
* Botswana Democratic Party
* Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*De ...
, he served as a
United States senator from
Maine from 1980 to 1995, and as
Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995. After retiring from the Senate, Mitchell played a leading role in negotiations for peace in
Northern Ireland and the
Middle East. He was appointed
United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland
The United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland (officially the Special Envoy of the President and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) is the top U.S. diplomat supporting the Northern Ireland peace process. The position is held ...
(1995–2001) by President
Clinton and as United States Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (2009–2011) by President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
.
Mitchell was a primary architect of the 1996
Mitchell Principles and the 1998
Good Friday Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement (GFA), or Belfast Agreement ( ga, Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta or ; Ulster-Scots: or ), is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April 1998 that ended most of the violence of The Troubles, a political conflict in N ...
in Northern Ireland, and was the main investigator in two "Mitchell Reports": one on the
Arab–Israeli conflict
The Arab–Israeli conflict is an ongoing intercommunal phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century, but had mostly faded out by th ...
(2001); and one on the
use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball (2007).
Mitchell served as chairman of
The Walt Disney Company from March 2004 until January 2007, and later as
chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
of the international
law firm DLA Piper
DLA Piper is a Multinational corporation, multinational law firm with offices in over 40 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In 2021, it had a total revenue of US$3.47 billion, an average prof ...
. He was the
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of
Queen's University in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
,
Northern Ireland, from 1999 to 2009. Mitchell also has served as a co-chair of the Housing Commission at the
Bipartisan Policy Center
The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that promotes bipartisanship. The organization aims to combine ideas from both the Republican and Democratic parties to address challenges in the U.S. BPC focuses on iss ...
.
Early life
Origins
Mitchell was born in
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The city is home to Colby College and Thomas College. As of the 2020 census the population was 15,828. Along with Augusta, Waterville is ...
. His father, George John Mitchell Sr. (born Joseph Kilroy), was born in Ireland and adopted by a
Lebanese American
Lebanese Americans ( ar, أمريكيون لبنانيون) are Americans of Lebanese descent. This includes both those who are native to the United States of America, as well as immigrants from Lebanon.
Lebanese Americans comprise 0.79% of the ...
when he was orphaned.
Mitchell's father was a janitor at
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanthro ...
in Waterville, where Mitchell was raised. Mitchell's mother, Mary (''née'' Saad), was a textile worker who immigrated to the United States in 1920 from
Bkassine
Bkassine, Beit Kassin ("village of the disappeared"), is a village in Lebanon surrounded by the Bkassine Pine Forest. The village is near Jezzine
Jezzine ( ''Jizzīn'') is a town in Lebanon, located from Sidon and south of Beirut. It is the c ...
,
Lebanon, at the age of eighteen.
Mitchell was raised a
Maronite Catholic
The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic ''sui iuris'' particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Th ...
and in his childhood served as an altar boy at St. Joseph's Maronite Church in Maine.
[AFP]
Obama's new Mideast envoy begins regional tour in Egypt
January 27, 2009. Throughout junior high school and high school, he worked as a janitor.
In the family of five children, all three of his brothers were athletes; though a talented student as a child, he found himself overshadowed by his brothers' athletic achievements.
Education and military service
After graduating from high school at the age of sixteen,
Mitchell attended
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...
in
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 21,756 at the 2020 United States Census. Part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area, Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin Inte ...
, where he worked several jobs and played on the basketball team.
He graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954, intending to attend graduate school and then teach, but instead served in the
United States Army from 1954 to 1956, rising to
First Lieutenant. In 1961, Mitchell received his
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...
from
Georgetown University Law Center by attending its part-time program at night. He has since received an honorary
Doctor of Laws degree from
Bates College
Bates College () is a Private college, private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the Campus of Bates College, campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of th ...
.
Political career
Early legal career
After having performed well academically at Georgetown, Mitchell served as a trial attorney for the
Antitrust Division
The United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division is a division of the U.S. Department of Justice that enforces U.S. antitrust law. It has exclusive jurisdiction over U.S. federal criminal antitrust prosecutions. It also has jurisdict ...
of the
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
in Washington from 1960 to 1962, and then as executive assistant to Senator
Edmund S. Muskie from 1962 to 1965, where he first gained interest in the political world.
Afterwards, Mitchell practiced law with Jensen & Baird in
Portland, Maine, from 1965 to 1977 and was assistant county attorney for
Cumberland County, Maine, in 1971.
From judge to senator
In 1974 Mitchell won the Democratic nomination for
governor of Maine, defeating
Joseph E. Brennan
Joseph Edward Brennan (born November 2, 1934) is an American Democratic Party lawyer and politician from Maine. He served as the 70th Governor of Maine from 1979 to 1987. He is a former commissioner on the Federal Maritime Commission.
Early lif ...
. He lost in the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
to independent candidate
James B. Longley
James Bernard Longley Sr. (April 22, 1924 – August 16, 1980) was an American politician. He served as the 69th Governor of Maine from 1975 to 1979, and was the first Independent to hold the office. In 1949, he married the former Helen Angela W ...
, but was appointed
United States Attorney for Maine by President
Jimmy Carter in 1977. Mitchell served in that capacity from 1977 to 1979.
Mitchell was nominated by President Carter on July 31, 1979, to the
United States District Court for the District of Maine, to a new seat authorized by 92 Stat. 1629. He was confirmed by the Senate on October 4, 1979, and received his commission on October 5, 1979. His service terminated on May 16, 1980, due to his resignation.
Mitchell was appointed to the
United States Senate in May 1980 by the governor of Maine, Joseph Brennan, when
Edmund Muskie resigned to become
US Secretary of State.
After serving out the remainder of Muskie's term, Mitchell was elected to his first full term
in 1982 with approximately 61 percent of the vote against Congressman
David Emery, and rose quickly in the Senate Democratic leadership. He was elected as the chair of the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current Chair is S ...
in 1984, helping the Democrats regain control of the Senate in 1986 with a net eight new seats and a 55—45 majority in the Senate. He served as
Deputy President pro tempore in the
100th United States Congress
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
, because of the illness of President pro tempore
John C. Stennis, and remains the only senator other than
Hubert Humphrey to have held that post.
The position of Deputy President pro tempore was created specifically to be held by a current Senator who is a former president or former Vice President of the United States. Humphrey is a former Vice President of the United States and Mitchell is the only person to have been Deputy President pro tempore who has never held one or both of the two highest offices of the US government.
In 1988 Mitchell was reelected with 81 percent of the vote, the largest margin of victory in a Senate election that year and the largest majority ever for a senator from Maine.
Mitchell voted in favor of the
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Pla ...
establishing
Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a
federal holiday and the
Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 (as well as to override
President Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
's veto). Mitchell voted against the nominations of
Robert Bork and
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall and has served since 1991 ...
to the
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
, stating explicitly that he believed Thomas’ nomination constituted a
racial quota
Racial quotas in employment and education are numerical requirements for hiring, promoting, admitting and/or graduating members of a particular racial group. Racial quotas are often established as means of diminishing racial discrimination, addr ...
.
Senate Majority Leader
Mitchell served as
Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995. While in this role, Mitchell led the movement to reauthorize the
Clean Air Act in 1990 and pass the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 196 ...
. Additionally, under his leadership, the Senate approved the
North American Free Trade Agreement and the formation of the
World Trade Organization.
In 1994, he turned down an offer of appointment by President
Bill Clinton to the
United States Supreme Court,
to replace the retiring
Harry A. Blackmun so that he could continue helping with efforts in the Senate to pass significant health-care legislation. The seat ultimately went to
Stephen Breyer. Nevertheless, Congress was not able to pass any significant health-care legislation at the time, and Mitchell did not run for reelection in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...
.
Political leanings
For 1994, Mitchell's last year in the Senate, the
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded o ...
gave him a rating of 0.00 on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being most conservative. For the same year, the
Americans for Democratic Action gave him a score of 90 on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being most liberal.
After the Senate
Mitchell has served as a director of companies including
Walt Disney Company;
FedEx
FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...
;
Xerox;
Unilever
Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, ...
;
Staples, Inc.
Staples Inc. is an American retail company headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, that offers products and services designed to support working and learning.
The company opened its first store in Brighton, Massachusetts on May 1, 1986. By ...
;
Starwood; and the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's ei ...
baseball team. After leaving the Senate, Mitchell joined the Washington, D.C., law firm
Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand; he later became the firm's chairman. He was criticized for
lobbying
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...
on behalf of the firm's
Big Tobacco
Big Tobacco is a name used to refer to the largest companies in the tobacco industry. According to the World Medical Journal, the five largest tobacco companies are: Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Japa ...
clients.
He is also senior counsel to
Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau, Pachios, Orlick & Haley in Portland, Maine. He is Partner and Chairman of the Global Board of
DLA Piper
DLA Piper is a Multinational corporation, multinational law firm with offices in over 40 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In 2021, it had a total revenue of US$3.47 billion, an average prof ...
, US LLP, a global law firm. Mitchell served as an Advisor of
ZeniMax Media Inc. He has also served on the advisory board of
The Iris Network, a nonprofit blindness rehabilitation agency in Portland.
In 2007, Mitchell joined fellow former Senate Majority Leaders
Howard Baker,
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the Senate during the final 11 years of his t ...
, and
Tom Daschle to found the
Bipartisan Policy Center
The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that promotes bipartisanship. The organization aims to combine ideas from both the Republican and Democratic parties to address challenges in the U.S. BPC focuses on iss ...
, a non-profit think tank that works to develop policies suitable for bipartisan support.
Democratic politics
Mitchell was reportedly among those considered by
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic nom ...
as a
running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pr ...
for his
2000 presidential run, but Gore selected
Joe Lieberman.
Had Mitchell been nominated and had the Democratic ticket won that year, he would have been the first
Arab American to serve as the
Vice President of the United States, and only the second Vice President from Maine, after
Hannibal Hamlin. He also was mentioned in both 2000 and in 2004 as a potential
Secretary of State for a Democratic administration, due to his role as Senate Leader and the Good Friday agreements.
Education
Since 2002, Mitchell has been a Senior Fellow and Senior Research Scholar at
Columbia University's
Center for International Conflict Resolution, where he works to help end or avert conflicts between nations. He was the Chancellor of the
Queen's University of Belfast,
Northern Ireland, until his resignation in April 2009, and namesake of the
George J. Mitchell Scholarship, which sponsors graduate study for twelve Americans each year in the
Republic of Ireland and
Northern Ireland.
He is the founder of the
Mitchell Institute
The Mitchell Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Portland, Maine. Its mission is to increase the likelihood that young people from Maine will aspire to, pursue and achieve a college education.
The Institute was found ...
, in
Portland, Maine, whose mission is to increase the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue and achieve a college education.
In 2007, he became a visiting
Professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
in
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The unive ...
's School of Applied Global Ethics, and the university is developing a new Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution bearing his name.
Mitchell Report (Arab–Israeli conflict)
Mitchell led an American fact-finding commission initiated under President
Bill Clinton in 2000 intended to find solutions for solving the situation between
Israel and the
Palestinians. Mitchell's
report, published in 2001, stressed the need for Israel to halt the expansion of its settlements in the Palestinian territories and for the Palestinians to prevent violence. Interest in the report was renewed when Mitchell was named Special Envoy for Middle East Peace in 2009.
United Nations
Mitchell served as co-chairman (with
Newt Gingrich) of the
Congressionally mandated Task Force on the United Nations, which released its findings and recommendations on June 15, 2005, after having been formed that January.
World Justice Project
George J. Mitchell serves as an Honorary Co-chair for the
World Justice Project. The World Justice Project works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the
Rule of Law for the development of communities of opportunity and equity.
Northern Ireland peace process
Since 1995, Mitchell has been active in the
Northern Ireland peace process, having served as the
United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland
The United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland (officially the Special Envoy of the President and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) is the top U.S. diplomat supporting the Northern Ireland peace process. The position is held ...
under President
Bill Clinton. He first led an international body to review options for
paramilitary arms decommissioning, which produced the
Mitchell Principles that regulated access to subsequent all-party peace talks. Mitchell then co-chaired the all-party talks, leading to the
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement (GFA), or Belfast Agreement ( ga, Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta or ; Ulster-Scots: or ), is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April 1998 that ended most of the violence of The Troubles, a political conflict in N ...
, signed on Good Friday 1998 (known since as the "Good Friday Agreement"). Mitchell's mediation between the parties was crucial to the success of the talks. He was succeeded as special envoy by
Richard Haass
Richard Nathan Haass (born July 28, 1951) is an American diplomat. He has been president of the Council on Foreign Relations since July 2003, prior to which he was Director of Policy Planning for the United States Department of State and a close ...
.
For his leadership in the Northern Ireland peace negotiations, Mitchell was awarded the
Liberty Medal
The Liberty Medal is an annual award administered by the National Constitution Center (NCC) of the United States to recognize leadership in the pursuit of freedom. It was founded by the Philadelphia Foundation. In 2006 an agreement was made with ...
(on July 4, 1998) and the
Presidential Medal of Freedom (on March 17, 1999). In accepting the Liberty Medal, he stated: "I believe there's no such thing as a conflict that can't be ended. They're created and sustained by human beings. They can be ended by human beings. No matter how ancient the conflict, no matter how hateful, no matter how hurtful, peace can prevail."
Chairman of Disney
On March 4, 2004, Disney's
board of directors
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
, on which Mitchell had served since 1995, named him
Michael Eisner's replacement as
Chairman of the Board
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
after 43% of the company's shares were voted against Eisner's reelection (35% was the minimum for disposal). Mitchell himself received a 24% negative vote,
a fact that led dissident Disney shareholders
Roy E. Disney
Roy Edward Disney KCSG (January 10, 1930 – December 16, 2009) was an American businessman. He was the longtime senior executive for the Walt Disney Company, which was founded by his father, Roy O. Disney, and his uncle, Walt Disney. At the t ...
and
Stanley Gold
Stanley Phillip Gold (born September 10, 1942) is the former president and CEO of Shamrock Holdings, Roy E. Disney's private investment company, from 1985 to 2013, and is currently serving as chairman of its board of directors. He was on the W ...
to criticize the appointment of Mitchell, whom they saw as Eisner's puppet.
Having already served on the boards of companies including
Xerox,
Starwood,
FedEx
FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...
, and
Staples, Inc.
Staples Inc. is an American retail company headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, that offers products and services designed to support working and learning.
The company opened its first store in Brighton, Massachusetts on May 1, 1986. By ...
, Mitchell assumed his new role at a particularly tumultuous time in the company's history, needing to face such issues as
Comcast's hostile takeover attempts and a possible split with
Pixar.
[ Mitchell played an important role in the selection of Robert A. Iger as Eisner's successor as CEO in 2005.][ On June 28, 2006, Disney announced that its board had elected one of its members, John Pepper Jr., former CEO of Procter & Gamble, to replace Mitchell as chairman effective January 1, 2007.
]
Baseball's steroids investigation
In 2006, Mitchell was tapped by MLB Commissioner
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as "organized baseball". Under the direction of the Commiss ...
Bud Selig to lead an investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs by Major League Baseball players. The investigation derived largely from charges against Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants ...
, and revelations in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative
The Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) (1984–2003) was an American company led by founder and owner Victor Conte. In 2003, journalists Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada investigated the company's role in a drug sports scandal later r ...
(BALCO) trials of Victor Conte
Victor Conte Jr. (born 1950 in Fresno, California) is a former bassist with Tower of Power and the founder and president of Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), a sports nutrition center in California. He served time in prison in 2005 after p ...
and Greg Anderson. Selig has said that revelations brought forth in the 2005 book ''Game of Shadows
''Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports'' is a bestselling non-fiction book published on March 23, 2006, and written by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, reporters for the ''San Franc ...
'' were, by way of calling attention to the issue, in part responsible for the league's decision to commission an independent investigation. To this day Mitchell is known to have held meetings with only two active players, Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi (; born January 8, 1971) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. In his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, which began in 1995, Giambi played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yan ...
, who was ordered to meet Mitchell by Commissioner Selig in light of his public admissions on the issue, and one additional player whose name was initially not made public but was later revealed to be Frank Thomas. Mitchell did however hold extensive meetings with several known steroid dealers, club attendants, personal trainers, and others who had ties to all players named in the report. Even though the union that protects the players had pressured all but Giambi and Thomas into maintaining the culture of silence that had helped the drug problem remain a secret, there was plenty of other evidence against those named in his report.
Mitchell released a 409-page report of his findings on December 13, 2007. The report includes the names of 89 former and current players for whom it claims evidence of use of steroids or other prohibited substances exists. This list includes names of Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
s and All-Stars, such as Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...
, Andy Pettitte
Andrew Eugene Pettitte (; born June 15, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the New York Yankees. He also pitched for the Houston Astros. Pettitte won fiv ...
, Miguel Tejada, Denny Neagle, Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca (born April 12, 1972) is an American retired professional baseball player and television personality. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers (–), Florida Marlins (2004–, ), New Yo ...
, David Justice, Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants ...
, Éric Gagné, Todd Hundley
Todd Randolph Hundley (born May 27, 1969) is a former Major League Baseball catcher and outfielder. He was a two-time All-Star who played for 14 seasons with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs.
Early life
Hundley was born i ...
, Randy Velarde
Randy Lee Velarde (born November 24, 1962) is an American former baseball infielder and utility player who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played the majority of his career for the New York Yankees, and also played for the C ...
, and Benito Santiago
Benito Santiago Rivera (born March 9, 1965), is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 2005, most prominently as a member of the San Diego Padres, with whom he was a fou ...
.
Mitchell was criticized for having a conflict of interest with the report as he was a director of the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's ei ...
, especially because no prime Red Sox players were named in the report, despite the fact that Red Sox stars David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were later accused of using performance-enhancing substances during the 2003 season, as reported by '' The New York Times'' on July 30, 2009. Likewise, the report was commissioned by Selig, and no members of the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...
, whom Selig once owned, appeared in the report. The '' Los Angeles Times'' reported that Mitchell acknowledged that his "tight relationship with Major League Baseball left him open to criticism". Mitchell responded to the concerns by stating that readers who examined the report closely "will not find any evidence of bias, of special treatment of the Red Sox".[
]
Special Envoy for Middle East Peace
On January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appointed Mitchell as the administration's Special Envoy to the Arab-Israeli peace process, formally known as the "Special Envoy for Middle East Peace". The appointment was seen as an indication of the new Obama administration's increased focus on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other eff ...
. The choice of Mitchell allowed Obama to demonstrate the seriousness and sincerity of his intentions regarding the peace process, without forcing him to immediately embark on a specific initiative before conditions were yet ripe. An analyst at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars said Mitchell's appointment "says to the world, 'I care about this issue; be patient with me.'" Abraham Foxman
Abraham Henry Foxman (born May 1, 1940) is an American lawyer and activist. He served as the national director of the Anti-Defamation League from 1987 to 2015, and is currently the League's national director emeritus. From 2016 to 2021 he served a ...
, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...
, has stated that, "Sen. Mitchell is fair. He's been meticulously even-handed".
Within the first week of his appointment, Mitchell was dispatched to visit Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia for peace discussions in light of the 2008-09 Gaza War between Israel and the Gaza Strip, in which both sides had recently entered into unilateral ceasefire
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
s. Mitchell began his meetings in Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
on January 27, and Obama said his visit was part of the president's campaign promise to listen to both sides of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other eff ...
and negotiate a peace deal. However, in a continuation of a George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, administ ...
policy, Mitchell did not plan to talk to Hamas
Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni- Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Br ...
, a group Israel and the United States consider a terrorist organization, but instead focus on talks with the Palestinian National Authority.[Witte, Griff]
"Blast at Gaza Border Kills Israeli Soldier; Palestinian Farmer Killed by Gunfire."
'' The Washington Post'', January 28, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2008. Mitchell first met with new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February 2009 and has met with many notable figures of the Middle East since. In 2010, he led the US delegation to the Palestine Investment Conference.[Remarks by Senator George J. Mitchell at Palestine Investment Conference.](_blank)
Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem, June 3, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
On May 13, 2011, George Mitchell tendered his resignation from the post of Special Envoy to the Middle East. Obama praised Mitchell, stating, "His deep commitment to resolving conflict and advancing democracy has contributed immeasurably to the goal of two states srael and Palestineliving side by side in peace and security."
San Bruno pipeline explosion
In 2012, Mitchell was asked to lead talks towards determining fines involved in the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion
The San Bruno pipeline explosion occurred at 6:11 pm PDT on September 9, 2010, in San Bruno, California, when a diameter steel natural gas pipeline owned by Pacific Gas & Electric exploded into flames in the Crestmoor residential neighbo ...
.
Consultant and advisor
In June 2014, Mitchell was hired as a senior advisor at the public relations and advisory company Teneo, a firm closely connected to the Clintons. Like Mitchell, who in 1995 had been appointed special envoy to Northern Ireland by President Bill Clinton, Teneo founder and CEO Declan Kelly had been appointed economic envoy to Northern Ireland in September 2009 by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Personal life
Mitchell was married for 26 years until he and his wife Sally divorced in 1987. They are the parents of a daughter, Andrea. In December 1994, he married Heather MacLachlan, 35, a sports management consultant. They have a son, Andrew, and daughter, Claire, named in honor of Claire Bowes (''née'' Gallagher) who had so inspired him when she was blinded in the Omagh bombing
The Omagh bombing was a car bombing on 15 August 1998 in the town of Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA), a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter group who oppo ...
.
Mitchell was diagnosed with a "small, low grade, and localized" prostate cancer in 2007.
In August 2020, he was diagnosed with leukemia.
Epstein scandal
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a woman who has long claimed that disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
Jeffrey Edward Epstein ( ; January 20, 1953August 10, 2019) was an American sex offender and financier. Epstein, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, began his professional life by teaching at the Dalton School in Manhattan, des ...
forced her to have sex with powerful men, named Mitchell in documents unsealed on August 9, 2019 (a day before Epstein's death) by a Federal court in the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York State. Two of these are in New York City: New ...
. The papers included affidavits and depositions of key witnesses in a 2015 lawsuit that Giuffre filed against Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre accused the two individuals of sex-trafficking her to high-profile individuals, including Mitchell, in the early 2000s while she was underage. Mitchell denied ever having met or spoken with Giuffre, and stated that he became aware of Epstein's criminal prosecution only through the media.
On November 30, 2021, Epstein's former pilot Larry Visoski named Mitchell as one of the people he recalled flying on one of Epstein's private planes, but claimed to have never seen sexual activity nor indication that such activity had taken place.
Awards and honors
In 1994, Mitchell received the US Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official, an award distributed annually by Jefferson Awards.
In recognition for his role in the Northern Ireland peace process, Mitchell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Liberty Medal, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998. In addition, in 1999 Mitchell was invested as an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE).
In 2002, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...
.
In 2003, he received the Freedom Medal.[ Four Freedoms Award#Freedom Medal]
On January 28, 2014, a portrait of Mitchell was unveiled for display at the Maine State Capitol alongside those of other notable Mainers.
On April 10, 2018, Mitchell was awarded Freedom of the City of Belfast
The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...
, alongside former President Bill Clinton in a ceremony at the Ulster Hall.
Books
*(with Senator William Cohen, co-author) ''Men of Zeal: A Candid Inside Story of the Iran-Contra Hearings'' (September 1988)
*''World on Fire: Saving an Endangered Earth'' (January 1991)
*''Not For America Alone: The Triumph of Democracy and The Fall of Communism'' (May 1997)
*''Making Peace'' (April 1999 – 1st Edition, July 2000 – Updated)
*''The Negotiator: A Memoir'' (May 2015)
*(with Alon Sachar, co-author) ''A Path to Peace: A Brief History of Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations and a Way Forward in the Middle East'' (November 2016)
See also
* Bill Clinton Supreme Court candidates
President Bill Clinton made two appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States, both during his first term.
On March 19, 1993, Associate Justice Byron White announced his retirement (and assumption of senior status), which ultimately took ...
* List of Arab and Middle-Eastern Americans in the United States Congress
References
Further reading
* Bosse, Michael R. "George J. Mitchell: Maine's Environmental Senator." ''Maine Law Review'' 47 (1995): 179+
online
* Curran, Daniel, and James Sebenius. "The mediator as coalition builder: George Mitchell in Northern Ireland." ''International Negotiation'' 8.1 (2003): 111-14
online
* Curran, Daniel, James K. Sebenius, and Michael Watkins. "Two Paths to Peace: Contrasting George Mitchell in Northern Ireland with Richard Holbrooke in Bosnia–Herzegovina." ''Negotiation Journal'' 20.4 (2004): 513-53
online
* Gormley-Heenan, Cathy. ''Political leadership and the Northern Ireland peace process: Role, capacity and effect'' (Springer, 2006).
* Gould, Alberta. ''George Mitchell: In Search of Peace''. Farmington, Maine: Heritage Pub., 1996
* Mackenzie, G. Calvin. "Senator George Mitchell and the Constitution." ''Maine Law Review'' 47 (1995): 163
online
* Mitchell, George J. "Toward Peace in Northern Ireland." ''Fordham International Law Journal'' 22 (1998): 1136+. a primary source
Fiction
* McCann, Colum. ''Transatlantic''. Random House, New York, 2013
Novel
External links
at the US Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other ...
*
*
*
*
*
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*
Profile: George Mitchell
at '' BBC News'', 13 May 2011
Interview with George J. Mitchell
by Don Nicoll, May 2, 2002 – summary sheet, transcript and audio link at Bates College
Bates College () is a Private college, private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the Campus of Bates College, campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of th ...
Digital Library
Interview with George Mitchell
1 Previously appointed to the office by then-Governor Joe Brennan in 1980 following the resignation of Ed Muskie to become Secretary of State
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Events January
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, style="background:#B3D9FF;" , George Mitchell (inc.)1
, style="background:#B3D9FF;" , Democratic
, style="background:#B3D9FF;" , 61%
, style="background:#FFB3B3;" , David F. Emery
, style="background:#FFB3B3;" , Republican
, style="background:#FFB3B3;" , 39%
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File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicentenn ...
, style="background:#B3D9FF;" , George Mitchell (inc.)
, style="background:#B3D9FF;" , Democratic
, style="background:#B3D9FF;" , 81%
, style="background:#FFB3B3;" , Jasper Wyman
, style="background:#FFB3B3;" , Republican
, style="background:#FFB3B3;" , 19%
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, George J.
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