Ronald MacKenzie

MacKenzie was born on May 3, 1934, in Waltham, Massachusetts. He graduated from Winchester High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Dartmouth College in 1956.{{cite book|title=Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1977-1978|url=https://archive.org/stream/publicofficersof19771978bost#page/58/mode/2up}}{{cite news|title=MacKenzie seeks Morse seat|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=April 19, 1972}} He served as First Lieutenant in the United States Army. Prior to becoming a legislator, MacKenzie sold insurance.{{cite news|title=MacKenzie: GOP leader since 1972|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=August 13, 1976}} In 1976, MacKenzie graduated from Suffolk University Law School.

In 1963 MacKenzie served as chairman of a signature drive for an initiative petition drive to weaken the power of the Massachusetts Governor's Council.{{cite news|title=Move On to Weaken Governor's Council|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=August 1, 1963}} The drive was successful and the question appeared on the ballot in 1964. It failed, 1,059,352 votes to 625,194.{{cite book|title=Election Statistics Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1964|year=1964 |url=https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti1964mass#page/570/mode/2up}}

In 1964, MacKenzie challenged incumbent Democratic state senator James J. Long in the 7th Middlesex District. He lost 53% to 47%.{{cite book|title=Election Statistics Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1964|year=1964 |url=https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti1964mass#page/474/mode/2up}} In 1966, MacKenzie challenged Long again. This time, MacKenzie won with 55% of the vote.{{cite book|title=Election Statistics Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1966|url=https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19651966mass#page/284/mode/2up}} In the 1970 election, MacKenzie defeated future Nashville, Tennessee, mayor and Governor of Tennessee Phil Bredesen.{{cite news |via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/435197452/ |date=November 4, 1970 |newspaper=The Boston Globe |title=Stunning Democratic gains confront Sargent |accessdate=November 11, 2022}}

In 1969, MacKenzie and Representative John Mella sponsored a plan to expand Fenway Park. Their bill would have granted the Boston Redevelopment Authority the power to purchase land outside Fenway Park and sell it to a private developer. The park's capacity would have been raised to 50,000 by knocking out the Green Monster and installing double-decker bleachers throughout the park. In addition to housing the Boston Red Sox, the expanded stadium would have been home to the Boston Patriots.{{cite news|last=O'Neill|first=Gerard M.|title=Plan to Expand Fenway Stadium Gaining Support|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=April 6, 1969}} In November of that year, MacKenzie filed legislation to select a 4,000 acre (1,600 ha) site for the construction of a planned community that could house 250,000 people.{{cite news|last=Turner|first=Robert L.|title=Bill filed to locate New City of 250,000|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=November 21, 1969}} Also in 1969, MacKenzie filed a bill that would make possession of marijuana a misdemeanor rather than a felony.{{cite news|title=Study commission bickers on legalizing marijuana|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=December 31, 1969}}

From 1971 to 1977, MacKenzie served as Assistant Minority Floor Leader. In 1972 he chaired a special legislative committee that studied the effect salting roads had on water sources. The committee recommended that the Department of Health control the storage of de-icing materials and ban their use if water sources become endangered. It also recommended that all levels of government be required to report how much salt they use.{{cite news|last=Patterson|first=Rachelle|title=Road salting endangers water, commission says|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=December 29, 1972}}

{{Main article|MBM scandal}}

On August 13, 1976, a grand jury indicted MacKenzie and fellow Senator Joseph DiCarlo on charges that they extorted $40,000 from a consulting company. According to the indictment, MacKenzie and DiCarlo threatened McKee-Berger-Mansueto, Inc. (MBM), the consulting company supervising construction of the University of Massachusetts Boston campus at Columbia Point, with an unfavorable report from the legislative committee investigating their contract unless they were paid.{{cite news|title=Two Legislators Accused in Boston|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 13, 1976}} MacKenzie and DiCarlo were charged with violating the Hobbs Act, which forbids extortion by public officials, and the Travel Act, which forbids crossing state lines for the purpose of extortion.{{cite news|last=Doherty|first=William F.|title=Sen. Kelly named co-conspirator in extortion case|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=January 26, 1977}} On February 25, 1977, they were found guilty of all charges.{{cite news|last=Doherty|first=William F.|title=DiCarlo, MacKenzie convicted on all 8 counts of corruption|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=February 26, 1977}} MacKenzie was sentenced to one year in prison and fined $5,000.{{cite news|last=Doherty|first=William F.|title=Senators get 1-year terms in extortion|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=March 24, 1977}}

Three days after his conviction for extortion, on February 28, MacKenzie resigned as Assistant Minority Floor Leader. However, he refused to resign his Senate seat. The conduct of MacKenzie and DiCarlo was referred to the newly formed Senate Ethics Committee, and on March 31, 1977, the day before the committee was to issue its report, MacKenzie resigned from the Senate.{{cite book|last=Hogarty|first=Richard A.|title=Massachusetts Politics and Public Policy: Studies in Power and Leadership|year=2002|publisher=University of Massachusetts Press|pages=242–246|isbn=9781558493629|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PUp71Q9xngAC&pg=PA242}}

MacKenzie served ten months at the Federal Correctional Institution in Allenwood. After his release in October 1978 he did paralegal work in the offices of attorney Richard M. Riley and State Senator Michael LoPresti Jr. On August 19, 1981, the Burlington Board of Selectmen voted 3 to 2 to make MacKenzie the town's Director of Veterans' Services.{{cite news|last=Bauer|first=Nancy|title=MacKenzie is appointed to town post|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=August 20, 1981}} In December 1983 the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners ruled that MacKenzie was eligible to be a lawyer in spite of his conviction.{{cite news|last=Harvey|first=Joseph M.|title=MacKenzie Ruled Eligible to be Lawyer|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=December 24, 1983}} He went on to pass the bar and practice law part-time. On June 24, 1991, the Board of Selectmen voted 3 to 2 against Mackenzie's reappointment as Director of Veterans' Services on the grounds that they did not want him to practice law while serving as the town's veterans' agent.{{cite news|last=Hart|first=Jordana|title=Lawsuit promised over ouster of Burlington veterans' agent|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=November 3, 1991}} MacKenzie operated a law practice in Burlington.{{cite news|title=Ronald C. Mackenzie|url=http://burlington.patch.com/listings/ronald-c-mackenzie|newspaper=Burlington Patch|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325053438/http://burlington.patch.com/listings/ronald-c-mackenzie|archivedate=March 25, 2014}} MacKenzie died on October 29, 2020.{{cite web |title=Obituary of Ronald C. MacKenzie |url=https://sullivanfuneralhome.net/tribute/details/2999/Ronald-MacKenzie/obituary.html |website=Sullivan Funeral Home |publisher=Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home |access-date=September 25, 2021}}

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Category:1934 births

Category:2020 deaths

Category:Dartmouth College alumni

Category:Suffolk University Law School alumni

Category:Massachusetts lawyers

Category:Republican Party Massachusetts state senators

Category:People from Burlington, Massachusetts

Category:People from Winchester, Massachusetts

Category:Politicians convicted of extortion under color of official right

Category:Politicians convicted under the Travel Act

Category:Massachusetts politicians convicted of corruption

Category:Winchester High School (Massachusetts) alumni

Category:20th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court