Randolph Blake Farenthold (born December 12, 1961) is an American politician and lobbyist.
A member of the
Republican Party, Farenthold co-hosted a conservative talk-radio program before beginning a career in politics. Farenthold served as the
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for from 2011 until his resignation in April 2018 in the wake of reports he used public funds to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit and had created an intensely hostile work environment for women in his congressional office.
[Yamiche Alcindor & Sheryl Gay Stolberg]
Taxpayers Paid $84,000 to End Sex Harassment Claim Against Texas Lawmaker
''The New York Times'' (December 1, 2017), "...In 2014, the congressman's former communications director, Lauren Greene, accused him of regularly making comments to gauge her interest in a sexual relationship....Farenthold of drinking "to excess" on numerous occasions..." Upon resigning, Farenthold pledged to reimburse the
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
84,000 in public money that he used to settle the lawsuit and then reneged on his pledge to repay in May 2018.
Early life and education
Farenthold was born and raised in
Corpus Christi, Texas, the son of Mary Sue (née Ogg; 1939–2014) and George Randolph "Randy" Farenthold (1939–1972). His wealthy paternal grandfather, George Edward Farenthold (1915–2000), was a Belgian immigrant descended from an aristocratic industrialist family, and worked in the oil industry in Texas.
Blake is the former step-grandson of
Frances Farenthold, who married and divorced his grandfather, George Farenthold.
Farenthold attended
Incarnate Word Academy and the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...
where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in radio, television, and film. He received a
Juris Doctor from
St. Mary's University School of Law
St. Mary's University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of St. Mary's University, a private Catholic university located in San Antonio, Texas.
Academics
The School of Law has an enrollment of about 770 students, pursu ...
in San Antonio,
and was admitted to the Texas Bar (Bar# 06814500).
Early career
Farenthold was a radio
DJ in college. Before running for office, he was a right-wing talk radio host in Corpus Christi (co-hosting ''Lago in the Morning'') and spent seven years at the Kleberg Law Firm, where his stepfather, Hayden Head Sr., was a partner.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
;2010
Farenthold defeated
incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...
Democratic Rep.
Solomon Ortiz by 799 votes on election night. Ortiz asked for a manual recount. On Monday, November 22, Ortiz conceded the race to Farenthold. Farenthold's final margin of victory over Ortiz was 47.85 to 47.1 percent.
His margin of victory was 799 votes. Ortiz had represented the district since its creation in 1982.
;2012
Redistricting after the 2010 census made Farenthold's district significantly more Republican. His old district had been 70 percent Latino, but the new map shifted most of the Latino areas to the newly created 34th district. To make up for the loss in population, his district was shifted well to the north and east, absorbing some heavily Republican territory near
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
and
Austin.
He defeated Democratic nominee Rose Meza Harrison 57-39%.
;2014
Farenthold was not challenged in the Republican primary. In the general election, he defeated Democrat Wesley Reed by a margin of 83,342 to 44,152 (63.6 to 33.7%).
;2016
Farenthold won renomination in the March 1 Republican primary with 42,872 votes (56%) to 33,699 (44%) for his challenger, Gregg Patrick Deeb (born ''circa'' 1964) of Corpus Christi, who formerly lived in
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
. In the general election held on November 8, Farenthold defeated the Democrat Raul "Roy" Barrera, who had won his party nomination on March 1 with 16,140 votes (50.3%) over two opponents. Farenthold polled 142,251 votes (61.7%) to Barrera's 88,329 (38.3%).
Farenthold joined the
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana.
Although the prima ...
, as well as the
Tea Party Caucus
The Tea Party Caucus (TPC) was a congressional caucus of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. The Caucus was founded in July 2010 by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in coordination w ...
. Since redistricting in 2011, his district ran along the middle Texas Gulf Coast from
Corpus Christi to
Bay City and inland to
Luling, and includes
Aransas,
Calhoun
John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States.
Calhoun can also refer to:
Surname
* Calhoun (surname)
Inhabited places in the United States
*Calhoun, Georgia
*Calhoun, Illinois
* Calhoun, Kansas
* Calhoun, Kentuc ...
,
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Qu ...
,
Lavaca,
Matagorda,
Nueces,
Refugio,
San Patricio,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
,
Wharton, and parts of
Bastrop,
Caldwell, and
Gonzales Counties.
Political positions
Internet
Having used the Internet since the mid-1980s,
Farenthold received praise from the online privacy community when he introduced bipartisan legislation that would prevent states from forcing companies to weaken encryption for law enforcement purposes. However, Farenthold voted to
repeal
A repeal (O.F. ''rapel'', modern ''rappel'', from ''rapeler'', ''rappeler'', revoke, ''re'' and ''appeler'', appeal) is the removal or reversal of a law. There are two basic types of repeal; a repeal with a re-enactment is used to replace the law ...
an FCC Internet privacy rule that would have prohibited
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privat ...
s from selling the browsing history of their customers without customers' consent.
Donald Trump
Farenthold endorsed Trump in the 2016 presidential race.
After the
Donald Trump and Billy Bush recording was made public, Farenthold was asked what it would take for him to rescind his endorsement, and whether Trump saying "I really like raping women" would be sufficient, Farenthold said that he "would have to consider it."
Farenthold later apologized, saying "I do not, and have not ever condoned rape or violence against women. That is not the kind of man I believe Donald Trump to be."
He supported
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's 2017
executive order
In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of t ...
to impose a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, saying "we must be cautious who we allow into our country."
Ethics
In January 2017, Farenthold voted in favor of gutting the powers of the
Office of Congressional Ethics
The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), established by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2008, is a nonpartisan, independent entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against members of the House of Representatives and the ...
, supporting a measure that would remove the office's independence by placing it under the jurisdiction of the Republican-led
House Ethics Committee
The Committee on Ethics, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives. Prior to the 112th Congress it was known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.
The House Et ...
. Following a backlash, the decision was reversed.
Health care
On May 4, 2017, Farenthold voted to repeal the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and pass the
American Health Care Act.
In a radio interview in July 2017, he said it was "absolutely repugnant" that the
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
had not been repealed yet. In particular, he criticized "some female senators from the Northeast," and stated "if it was a guy from south Texas, I might ask him to step outside and settle this
Aaron Burr-style."
2016 election conspiracy theories
In a May 2017 appearance on CNN, Farenthold publicly doubted the
Russian hack of Democratic Party servers and instead promoted a debunked
conspiracy theory that the hack was an "inside job." When pressed by journalist
John Berman
John Berman (born March 21, 1972) is an American news anchor, formerly the co-anchor of CNN's ''New Day'' with Brianna Keilar on CNN, and a regular relief presenter of ''Anderson Cooper 360°''. Having been a weekday relief co-anchor of CNN's ...
, Farenthold defended his statement by saying that there were "Things circulating on the internet." Farenthold's claim contradicted testimony from former
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
(CIA) Director
John Brennan and the conclusions of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
and CIA. Farenholdt's statement was criticized by the editorial board of the ''
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
The ''Corpus Christi Caller-Times'' is the newspaper of record for Corpus Christi, Texas.
History
There has been a newspaper in Corpus Christi for almost as long as there has been a town. In 1883, the ''Caller'' was started in a frame building ...
'', who called it "Farenthold's latest new low" and said "Farenthold's antics are becoming increasingly cartoonish."
Allegations of inappropriate behavior and resignation from Congress
Lauren Greene
In 2014, Farenthold was sued by a former staffer, Lauren Greene, who accused the congressman of gender discrimination, saying that he created a
hostile work environment and improperly fired her after she complained. Greene said another Farenthold aide told her the lawmaker said he had "sexual fantasies" and "wet dreams" about Greene. She also claimed that Farenthold "regularly drank to excess" and told her in February 2014 that he was "estranged from his wife and had not had sex with her in years."
When she complained about comments Farenthold and a male staffer made to her, Greene said the congressman improperly fired her. The
sexual harassment lawsuit was settled out of court in November 2015 on confidential terms. In December 2017, it was reported that the settlement, for $84,000, was made with taxpayer money.
Michael Rekola
In December 2017, Michael Rekola, a former senior aide and communications director to Farenthold, alleged that the congressman was verbally abusive and sexually demeaning, and described his congressional office as an intensely hostile environment with Farenthold often making comments about women's physical features, including their breasts or behinds.
Past co-workers and relatives have corroborated Rekola's story, some having first-hand accounts of Farenthold subjecting his staff "to a stream of angry behavior... screaming fits of rage, slamming fists on desks and castigating aides", and regularly using profane slurs to describe those who worked in his office.
Farenthold denied using sexual insults, but admitted to using vulgar language, claiming that it was "in jest".
Resignation from Congress
Farenthold announced on December 14, 2017, that he would retire and not seek reelection to his seat in 2018.
On April 6, 2018, he suddenly resigned from office.
On April 24, 2018, Texas Governor
Greg Abbott
Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 ...
ordered an emergency special election for the
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
. Abbott asked Farenthold to pay the cost for the special election; Farenthold declined to do so. The June 30, 2018 special election to replace Farenthold was won by fellow Republican
Michael Cloud
Michael Jonathan Cloud (born May 13, 1975) is an American politician representing Texas's 27th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2018. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Early life and career
Cl ...
.
Farenthold rejected calls for him to repay the public funds used to settle the sexual harassment case against him.
Lobbying career
After resigning from Congress, Farenthold announced on May 14, 2018 that he would be serving as the
legislative liaison for the
Calhoun Port Authority at a salary of $160,000.10 after resigning his Congressional seat.
Farenthold's appointment was questioned because of the reasons for the resignation and because
"Revolving Door" laws generally prohibit former representatives from immediately lobbying their recent colleagues.
Farenthold resigned as lobbyist for the port authority in January 2019. In May 2019 the board member who directed port staff to hire Farenthold as a lobbyist was defeated for reelection.
Personal life
Farenthold lives with his wife Debbie and two daughters Morgan and Amanda in
Corpus Christi.
In 1972, when Farenthold was ten years old, his father disappeared and was later found dead, his body having washed ashore after being weighed down with a cement block and deposited in
Corpus Christi Bay
Corpus Christi Bay is a scenic semi-tropical bay on the Texas coast found in San Patricio County, Texas, San Patricio and Nueces County, Texas, Nueces counties, next to the major city of Corpus Christi, Texas, Corpus Christi. It is separated from ...
.
The gangland-style murder was the work of enemies of the elder Farenthold, who feared he would testify against a group of con artists who had tried to defraud him out of $100,000.
Electoral history
References
External links
*
*
Profileat ''
The Texas Tribune
''The Texas Tribune'' is a news website headquartered in Austin, Texas. It aims to promote civic engagement through original, explanatory journalism and public events.
Its website and content in various delivery platforms serve as an alternati ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farenthold, Blake
1961 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American lawyers
Activists from Texas
American people of Belgian descent
American radio personalities
Converts to Anglicanism from Roman Catholicism
Living people
People from Corpus Christi, Texas
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas
St. Mary's University School of Law alumni
Tea Party movement activists
Texas lawyers
Moody College of Communication alumni