Joseph John DioGuardi ( ; born September 20, 1940) is an American
accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy.
Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certif ...
and
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
. DioGuardi served as a
Republican U.S. Representative for
New York's 20th congressional district from 1985 to 1989. He was the first
Albanian American voting member of Congress. He was also the Republican nominee for
U.S. Senate in New York during the
2010 special election, but lost to incumbent senator
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York since 2009 ...
.
DioGuardi, a former partner at
Arthur Andersen & Co., also serves as president of the
Albanian American Civic League, an organization he runs with his wife, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi. He is the father of songwriter and record producer
Kara DioGuardi.
Early life, education, and business career
DioGuardi's father, Joseph Sr., immigrated to the United States from
Greci, Italy. Joseph Sr. was of
Albanian descent whose
ancestors had immigrated to Italy a couple centuries earlier. His father eventually established a grocery and vegetable store in
East Bronx. The family moved to
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
, in 1957. Joseph Sr. married Grace Paparella on January 8, 1939, and the couple settled in Orchard Hills in White Plains. Their son, Joseph J., is the oldest of three DioGuardi children. After the family's move to Westchester, he attended
Fordham Preparatory School. In 1957, he landed a summer job as a
busboy
In North America, a busser, sometimes known as a busboy or busgirl, is a person in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling and otherwise assisting the waiting staff ...
for Elmwood Country Club in Westchester County. He advanced to a waiter position.
DioGuardi graduated from
Fordham University
Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...
in 1962. After college, he was hired at
Arthur Andersen & Co. He became a
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the title of qualified accountants in numerous countries in the English-speaking world. It is generally equivalent to the title of chartered accountant in other English-speaking countries. In the United Stat ...
and achieved partner status at age 31, after 10 years at the firm.
DioGuardi specialized in federal and state taxation for non-profit organizations, as well as the tax economics of charitable giving.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
;1984
Incumbent Democrat U.S. Congressman
Richard Ottinger of
New York's 20th congressional district decided to retire in 1984. The Democratic leaning district had a sizable minority population in the cities of
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...
,
Yonkers
Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...
and
New Rochelle. DioGuardi decided to run as a Republican and defeated Oren Teicher 50%-48%.
;1986
DioGuardi won re-election to a second term, defeating former U.S. Congresswoman
Bella Abzug, who had relocated from Greenwich Village in Manhattan to Mount Vernon, 54%-45%.
;1988
DioGuardi ran for re-election to a third term but lost to
Nita Lowey, the Assistant
Secretary of State of New York, 50%-47%.
;Controversy
During the campaign, the
Gannett
Gannett Co., Inc. ( ) is an American mass media holding company headquartered in New York City. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation.
It owns the national newspaper ''USA Today'', as well as several ...
-owned
Gannett Suburban Newspapers accused one of the Westchester area's largest car dealers, Crabtree Automotive, of skirting federal election laws by funneling into DioGuardi's campaign. The'' New York Times'' reported: "Several employees explained in interviews that they were given $2,000 each in company checks and were asked to deposit them into their own bank accounts and then write personal checks for the same amount to the DioGuardi campaign. Joseph Crabtree, the company's chief executive, and his son Robert, the company's president, served on the campaign's finance committee." The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission and Mr. Crabtree resigned from the campaign. DioGuardi steadfastly denied the charges and his campaign also filed its own complaint with the State Board of Elections that argued, contrary to his opponent's commercial, that the employees in question put funds in a separate "People For DioGuardi" campaign account as required by law.
;1992
After redistricting, Lowey decided to run in the newly redrawn
New York's 18th congressional district. DioGuardi challenged her in a rematch and lost again, this time 56%-44%.
;1994
Incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman
Hamilton Fish IV of the neighboring
New York's 19th congressional district
New York's 19th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York (state), New York’s Catskill Mountains, Catskills, Hudson Valley, greater Capital District (New York), Capit ...
decided to retire in 1994. DioGuardi ran in the crowded six-candidate Republican primary, which was won by
Sue W. Kelly 23%-20%. DioGuardi then ran again in the general election as the
Conservative Party nominee. Kelly won the general election with 52% of the vote.
Hamilton Fish V, the Democratic nominee, ranked second with 37%, DioGuardi ranked third with 10%, and Catherine Portman-Laux ranked last with 1% of the vote.
;1996
DioGuardi challenged Kelly in a rematch in 1996 and lost again 53%-42%. He ran in the general election on the lines of the Conservative Party and the Right-to-Life Party. He got 12% in third place, while Kelly won re-election with 46% of the vote.
;2000 (U.S. Senate)
In 2000 DioGuardi launched a bid to run as the
Conservative Party challenger for the
2000 Senate race as a consequence of
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and Disbarment, disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney ...
not running on the line. Giuliani was asked to renounce his
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
endorsement, which he refused to do, hence the decision of Conservative Party Chairman
Mike Long to initiate DioGuardi's campaign. DioGuardi ended this bid after Giuliani ended his campaign, and the Conservative line was given to Congressman
Rick Lazio
Enrico Anthony Lazio (; born March 13, 1958) is an American attorney and former four-term United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from the State of New York. A Long Island native, Lazio became well-known during his bid for Uni ...
, the new Republican candidate.
;2008
After Democrat
John Hall defeated Kelly in 2006, DioGuardi decided to run against Hall in 2008. In May 2008, Republicans held a convention in
Mahopac, New York, with delegates from each of the five counties to endorse a candidate and nominate their candidate.
Kieran Michael Lalor won the convention vote with 46% of the vote, while DioGuardi finished last with 13% of the vote.
[It’s Lalor against Hall in the 19th Congressional District]
".
Mid-Hudson News
'. May 23, 2008.
Tenure
Dioguardi voted against the
Abandoned Shipwrecks Act of 1987. The Act asserts United States title to certain abandoned shipwrecks located on or embedded in submerged lands under state jurisdiction, and transfers title to the respective state, thereby empowering states to manage these cultural and historical resources more efficiently, with the goal of preventing
treasure hunters and salvagers from damaging them. Despite his vote against it, President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
signed it into law on April 28, 1988.
He was the original author of the Chief Financial Officer and Federal Financial Reform Act (
CFO Act), signed by President
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
in 1990. The act mandated the assignment of a
chief financial officer
A chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization who is assigned the primary responsibility for making decisions for the company for projects and its finances; i.a.: financial planning, management of financial risks, ...
to each major department and agency of the U.S. government. Former
Comptroller General of the United States Charles Bowsher later said in testimony before the U.S. Senate that since the enactment of the bill, "We have seen important progress in directly confronting serious financial management weaknesses."
Of the 1.55 million Black American military servicemen, not one had received the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
. DioGuardi and Democratic Congressman
Mickey Leland initiated legislation to confer the honor on Black World War I and World War II military heroes who had been recommended for, but had not received, the medal. Nine Medals of Honor have since been awarded.
Committee assignments
DioGuardi was an active member of the executive committee of the
Congressional Human Rights Caucus
The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) is a bipartisan body of the United States House of Representatives. Its stated mission is "to promote, defend and advocate internationally recognized human rights norms in a nonpartisan manner, both ...
(CHRC) and worked with Caucus founder
Tom Lantos
Thomas Peter Lantos (born Tamás Péter Lantos; February 1, 1928 – February 11, 2008) was a Hungarian-born American politician who served as a United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from California from 1981 until his deat ...
(D-CA) on
apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, and on the repression of Jews in the Soviet Union and the
Tibetan people
Tibetans () are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group Indigenous peoples, native to Tibet. Their current population is estimated to be around 7.7 million. In addition to the majority living in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, sig ...
and monks in China.
Caucus memberships
He founded and co-chaired the Congressional Long Island Sound and Hudson River Caucuses, which secured substantial increases in federal support.
He co-founded with Congressman
Jerrold Nadler
Jerrold Lewis Nadler (; born June 13, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician from the state of New York. A Manhattan resident and a member of the Democratic Party, he has served as the U.S. representative for since 2023. Nadler was first ...
the New York Task Force for Port, Rail and Industrial Development in order to restore lost jobs to New York's manufacturing and transportation sectors and preserve a portion of the Port of New York on the New York side of the harbor.
Albanian American Civic League
In the mid-1980s, Dioguardi along with a handful of Albanian-American businessmen founded the Albanian lobby, culminating in the establishment of the
Albanian American Civic League (AACL) in January 1989. The lobby raised the issue of Albanian rights in Yugoslavia to the attention of U.S. policy makers in Washington. Under Dioguardi's leadership, the AACL raised millions of dollars, arranged demonstrations, testified and passed resolutions in Congress promoting the issue of
Kosovo Albanians
The Albanians of Kosovo (, ), also commonly called Kosovo Albanians, Kosovan Albanians or Kosovars (), constitute the largest ethnic group in Kosovo.
Kosovo Albanians belong to the Albanians, ethnic Albanian sub-group of Ghegs, who inhabit the ...
, putting pressure on U.S. administrations.
Dioguardi's influence over the Albanian American lobby later diminished with the formation of the
Democratic League of Kosovo
The Democratic League of Kosovo (, LDK) is the oldest and one of the largest list of political parties in Kosovo, political parties in Kosovo.
History
During the late 1980s, nationalism was on the rise throughout the Socialist Federal Republi ...
(LDK). Some former members of the Civic League defected to the LDK, citing Dioguardi's behavior and style. According to them, Dioguardi "hangs onto the Civic League in order to promote his own thinly veiled political ambitions" and "demand
that everything go through him, even the demonstrations". Still, political analyst
Paul Hockenos noted in 2003 that "Dioguardi and the Albanian lobby as a whole still pack a formidable punch, even after the dust of the wars has settled. Its sustained activity is something the other diaspora lobbies, those associated with the former Yugoslavia, no longer muster. In contrast, they are spent forces." The AACL is run by Dioguardi and his second wife who also serves as "Balkan Affairs Adviser".
Post-congressional career
Non-profit organization
In 1989, DioGuardi founded a non-profit organization that is known as Truth in Government. According to its website, "the mission of Truth in Government is to strengthen our country's financial foundation by promoting accountability and transparency in Congressional spending and reporting."
Book
In 1992, DioGuardi authored the book ''Unaccountable Congress: It Doesn't Add Up'', published by Regnery. The book was re-released in 2010 with a new introduction that claimed to explain the chronology of events leading to the
2008 financial crisis
The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
.
2010 U.S. Senate election
On March 16, 2010, DioGuardi announced at Grand Central Terminal in New York City that he was seeking the Republican nomination for the
U.S. Senate seat held by incumbent Democratic senator
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York since 2009 ...
. Gillibrand had been appointed to the seat by Gov. Paterson after it was vacated by Hillary Clinton. DioGuardi pledged to raise over in his campaign. He secured the nomination for U.S. Senate from the
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an List of political parties in the United States, American political party founded in 1962 following conservative dissatisfaction with the New York Republican State Committee, Republican Party in New Y ...
on May 28, 2010, but did not secure enough votes from the New York Republican party contingencies at their state convention on June 2 to appear on the Republican line in the New York primary race on September 14. On August 9, the New York Board of Elections officially certified DioGuardi's qualification for the September 14th GOP primary.
During the campaign, DioGuardi attracted some press attention for his advocacy of Albanian rights and his claim that without his efforts, there would be no independent
Kosovo
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
.
DioGuardi narrowly defeated
David Malpass in the primary election (with
Bruce Blakeman finishing distant third), securing the Republican line in the general election. He also, after the primary, secured the line of the nascent
Taxpayers Party of New York when Malpass stepped aside.
Prior to the election, DioGuardi was linked to a Ponzi scheme by the SEC. From 2007 to 2009, the former Westchester Republican congressman was paid a month as a consultant for the subsidiary Medical Capital Corp. – and also got a year to sit on boards of various other MCH subsidiaries. DioGuardi said he was oblivious to any wrongdoing. "As a consultant, Joe was tasked with saving hospitals in New York from being shut down, but knew nothing of the schemes that were occurring behind the scenes," said his spokesman Brian Hummell, adding that his boss "has never seen the books."
DioGuardi lost the general election to Gillibrand, 63.0% to 35.1%.
Personal life
DioGuardi lives in
Ossining, New York, with his wife, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi. His first wife, Carol, died in 1997 of ovarian cancer. His son John is a counselor at the
Phoenix House, a national non-profit drug treatment organization on whose board Joseph has served since 1972. His daughter
Kara DioGuardi is a songwriter and artist who has appeared as a judge on the ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' show, and has also been involved in Phoenix House.
References
Books
*
External links
People for DioGuardi– official campaign website
USA Former Members of Congress profileJoseph Dioguardi DioGuardi family website.
DioGuardi and Cloyes get Kosovo Bill HR 36 introduced early in the 110th Congress*
ttps://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0717F7385F0C708DDDA80994D0484D81&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fR%2fRepublican%20Party Lowey Victory: Anatomy Of an Upsetbr>
Kelly Defeats DioGuardi In Republican Primary*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dioguardi, Joseph J.
1940 births
American people of Arbëreshë descent
American people of Italian descent
Living people
Knights of Malta
Fordham Preparatory School alumni
Fordham University alumni
Politicians from the Bronx
Politicians from New Rochelle, New York
Politicians from Westchester County, New York
Conservative Party of New York State politicians
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives