Lee Alexander (politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Lee Alexander

| office = 49th Mayor of Syracuse, New York

| termstart = 1970

| termend = 1985

| predecessor = William F. Walsh

| successor = Thomas Ganley Young

| office1= 35th President of the United States Conference of Mayors

| termstart1= 1977

| termend1= 1978

| predecessor1= Kenneth A. Gibson

| successor1= William H. McNichols Jr.

| birth_date = May 18, 1927

| death_date = December 25, 1996 (aged 69)

| birth_place = Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_place = Syracuse, New York, U.S.

| image = Lee Alexander.jpg

| alma_mater = Syracuse University
Syracuse University College of Law (JD)

}}

Lee Alexander (May 18, 1927 – December 25, 1996) was an American attorney and politician who served as the mayor of Syracuse, New York for 16 years.{{cite news|last=Van Gelder|first=Lawrence|title=Lee Alexander, 69, Mayor Whose Career Ended in Jail|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/27/nyregion/lee-alexander-69-mayor-whose-career-ended-in-jail.html|accessdate=March 28, 2025|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 27, 1996}}

Career

Alexander was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and grew up in South Amboy, New Jersey. He served in the United States Army at the end of World War II. He then graduated from Syracuse University in 1950 and Syracuse University College of Law in 1955.{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/syracuse/obituary.aspx?n=elizabeth-alexander&pid=135157259|title=Elizabeth Alexander|last=|first=|date=|website=Legacy.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}} Alexander practiced law in Syracuse. In 1966 he won election to the Syracuse City Council.

He was elected as mayor of Syracuse in 1969, and served from 1970 to 1985. He also served as the president of the United States Conference of Mayors in 1977 and 1978, and was elected six times as the president of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors.

He unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in 1974, coming in second place in the Democratic primary after former United States Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

= Conviction =

After Frederick Scullin was nominated to serve as a United States Attorney, a probe was established after rumors surfaced about Alexander's relationships with city contractors. Eventually, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service joined the investigation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-06-mn-712-story.html|title=The Rise and Fall of a Mayor: From Up and Coming to Prison-Bound|date=1988-03-06|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-13}}

On July 16, 1987, Alexander was indicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York on 40 counts of extortion, income tax evasion, racketeering and conspiracy.{{cite news|last=Boostin|first=Robert O.|title=8 Plead Guilty in Syracuse Kickback Case|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/18/nyregion/8-plead-guilty-in-syracuse-kickback-case.html?gwh=B640AC4CFAB6812A12170950F17ABCF1|accessdate=August 28, 2012|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 18, 1987}} In January 1988, Alexander pleaded guilty to racketeering and extortion, conspiracy to obstruct the Government's investigation and income-tax evasion on at least $1.2 million in bribes and kickbacks.{{cite news|last=Lynn|first=Frank|title=Ex-Syracuse Mayor's Schemes Detailed in Memo|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/07/nyregion/ex-syracuse-mayor-s-schemes-detailed-in-memo.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm&gwh=9F4B6AB6F52B23449F5F466C12DE9CD3|accessdate=August 28, 2012|newspaper=New York Times|date=February 7, 1988}} As part of a plea bargain, he agreed to serve 10 years in prison and pay a $100,000 fine. Alexander spent nearly six years in jail for his crimes and was released from prison in 1994.

Death

Alexander died at his home of cancer on December 25, 1996.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/27/nyregion/lee-alexander-69-mayor-whose-career-ended-in-jail.html|title=Lee Alexander, 69, Mayor Whose Career Ended in Jail|last=Gelder|first=Lawrence Van|date=1996-12-27|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-01-13|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}