Peter Moraites

Moraites was born June 8, 1922, in North Carolina. He was a graduate of St. John's College and St. John's University School of Law. He served as a Secretary to Congressman Jacob K. Javits (R-New York); after Javits was elected Attorney General of New York in 1954, Moraites became his Special Assistant. He later served as an assistant to Congressman Frank C. Osmers, Jr. (R-New Jersey). In the 1950s, before moving to New Jersey, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the New York State Senate.{{cite news|last1=Levin|first1=Jay|title=Peter Moraites, Assembly speaker derailed by prison|url=http://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/peter-moraites-assembly-speaker-derailed-by-prison-1.647208?page=all|accessdate=3 December 2014|publisher=The Record (of Hackensack)|date=15 January 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002330/http://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/peter-moraites-assembly-speaker-derailed-by-prison-1.647208?page=all|archive-date=4 March 2016}}

Moraites was elected Assemblyman from Bergen County in 1961,{{cite web|title=1961 General Election Results|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/1920-1970-results/1961-general-election.pdf|publisher=New Jersey Division of Elections|accessdate=24 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001200/http://nj.gov/state/elections/1920-1970-results/1961-general-election.pdf|archive-date=3 December 2013|url-status=dead}} He was re-elected in 1963.{{cite web|title=1963 General Election Results|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/1920-1970-results/1963-general-election.pdf|publisher=New Jersey Division of Elections|accessdate=24 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203000652/http://nj.gov/state/elections/1920-1970-results/1963-general-election.pdf|archive-date=3 December 2013|url-status=dead}}

After the U.S. Supreme Court, in Reynolds v. Sims (more commonly known as One Man, One Vote), required redistricting by state legislatures for congressional districts to keep represented populations equal, as well as requiring both houses of state legislatures to have districts drawn that contained roughly equal populations, and to perform redistricting when needed.{{cite news|title=Jersey Ordered to Reapportion – Judge Finds Congressional Districts Unconstitutional|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/05/22/archives/jersey-ordered-to-reapportion-judge-finds-congressional-districts.html|work=New York Times|date=21 May 1965|page=15|access-date=July 4, 2019}} Because of its population, Bergen County gained a three Senate seats. Moriates chose to run for the State Senate.

A deep split among Bergen County Republicans intensified in 1963 when incumbent Senator, Pierce H. Deamer, Jr. and former State Senator Walter H. Jones faced off in an election for Bergen County Republican Chairman. Jones won,{{cite news|last1=Wright|first1=George Cable|title=Jersey to Choose Candidates For Legislative Seats Tuesday; State Senate Assembly|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1963/04/14/archives/jersey-to-choose-candidates-for-legislative-seats-tuesday-state.html|work=New York Times|date=14 April 1963|page=92|access-date=July 4, 2019}} and by 1965, Deamer found himself dumped from the Bergen County Republican Organization line. Jones backed Moraites for Senate and put him on a ticket with Assembly Speaker Marion West Higgins, and former Assemblymen Nelson G. Gross and Arthur Vervaet. Deamer ran on an insurgent ticket with Assemblymen Richard Vander Plaat and Harry Randall, Jr., and former Assemblyman Carmine Savino.{{cite news|last1=Waggoner|first1=Walter H.|title=G.O.P. Fights Pace Jersey Primaries – 3,146,000 Are Eligible to Vote on Tuesday|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/05/30/archives/gop-fights-pace-jersey-primaries-3146000-are-eligible-to-vote-on.html|work=New York Times|date=30 May 1965|page=54|access-date=July 4, 2019}} Jones' slate won decisively, with Moraites finishing second.{{cite web|title=Our Campaigns|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html|accessdate=3 December 2014}}

He ran again for Assemblyman in 1967 and won.{{cite web|title=1967 General Election Results|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/1920-1970-results/1967-general-election.pdf|publisher=New Jersey Division of Elections|accessdate=24 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060115/http://nj.gov/state/elections/1920-1970-results/1967-general-election.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}} He was re-elected to a fourth term in the State Assembly in 1969.{{cite web|title=1969 General Election Results|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/1920-1970-results/1969-general-election.pdf|publisher=New Jersey Division of Elections|accessdate=24 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224090518/http://nj.gov/state/elections/1920-1970-results/1969-general-election.pdf|archive-date=24 December 2013|url-status=dead}}

In 1968, Moraites was the Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives against three-term Democrat Henry Helstoski,{{cite news|last=Shipler|first=David|title=2 G. O. P. Jersey House Aspirants Counting on Nixon – Moraites Contesting Helstoski in District With New Lines|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/10/10/archives/2-g-o-p-jersey-house-aspirants-counting-on-nixon-moraites.html|newspaper=New York Times|date=10 October 1968|page=52|access-date=July 4, 2019}} but narrowly lost by 2,332 votes, 51%-49%.{{cite web|title=1968 General Election Results|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/1920-1970-results/1968-general-election.pdf|publisher=New Jersey Division of Elections|accessdate=24 December 2013}}

In 1970, Moraites was indicted on bank fraud charges.{{cite news|last=Waggoner|first=Walter H.|title=Jersey's Assembly President Pro Tem Indicted in Bank Case|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/03/25/archives/jerseys-assembly-president-pro-tem-indicted-in-bank-case.html|date=March 25, 1970|page=41|access-date=July 4, 2019}} He was later convicted, and served nine months of a 16-month sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut.{{cite web|title=Moraites Is Freed on Parole|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/21/archives/moraites-is-freed-on-parole.html|agency=Associated Press| work=The New York Times |date=December 21, 1971|page=41|accessdate=July 4, 2019}} Moraites and Jones were indicted on bank fraud charges in 1971; he was acquitted of those charges three years later.

While he was in prison, he and another prominent Bergen County political figure associated with the bank, Walter H. Jones, were indicted on charges of trying to conceal unsecured loans made by the bank to shipping companies three years earlier. A judge acquitted them in February 1974 after a non-jury trial.

After prison, Moraites regained his law license and practiced in New York City until retiring in 2002. He lived in Alpine. His wife, Helen, died in October, 2013.

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