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{{short description|American politician from Illinois|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name        = Mel Reynolds
|image       = Mel Reynolds.jpg
|state       = [[Illinois]]
|district    = {{ushr|IL|2|2nd}}
|term_start  = January 3, 1993
|term_end    = October 1, 1995
|predecessor = [[Gus Savage]]
|successor   = [[Jesse Jackson Jr.]]
|birth_name  = Melvin Reynolds
|birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1952|1|8}}
|birth_place = [[Mound Bayou, Mississippi]], U.S.
|death_date  = 
|death_place = 
|party       = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]
|education   = [[City Colleges of Chicago]]<br>[[University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Lincoln College, Oxford]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])<br>[[Harvard University]] ([[Master of Public Administration|MPA]])
}}
'''Melvin Reynolds''' (born January 8, 1952) is an American politician from [[Illinois]].  A member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], he served in the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 1993 to 1995. He resigned in October 1995 after a jury convicted him of sexual assault charges related to sex with an underage campaign worker.<ref name=Conviction>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/23/us/congressman-convicted-of-sexual-assault.html |title=Congressman Convicted of Sexual Assault |work=New York Times |date=1995-08-23}}</ref><ref name="npr">{{cite news |author=Rudin |first=Ken |date=2007-06-06 |title=The Equal-Opportunity Culture of Corruption |url=https://www.npr.org/2007/06/06/10770284/the-equal-opportunity-culture-of-corruption |accessdate=2025-03-05 |work=[[NPR]] |publisher=}}</ref>

==Early life==
Reynolds and his twin brother, Marvin Jerry Reynolds, were born in [[Mound Bayou, Mississippi]] to Reverend J. J. Reynolds and Essie Mae Prather.<ref name="baic">{{cite web | url = http://history.house.gov/People/Detail/20307?ret=True | accessdate = 2016-07-02 | title = Black Americans in Congress | publisher = U.S. House of Representatives}}</ref> Reynolds moved to [[Chicago]] as a child. He received an [[Associate of Arts]] from one of the [[City Colleges of Chicago]], and graduated from the [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]], and from [[Harvard University]] with a [[Master of Public Administration|M.P.A.]]<ref name="baic" /> He also won a [[Rhodes Scholarship]] to the [[University of Oxford]], where he attended [[Lincoln College, Oxford|Lincoln College]] and  received an [[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B.]]<ref name="baic" />

Before entering politics, Reynolds worked as an assistant [[professor]] of [[political science]] at [[Roosevelt University]] in [[Chicago, Illinois]]. He also founded the Community Economic Development and Education Foundation.

==Political career==
Reynolds ran three times from 1988 to 1992 in Democratic Party elections for the 2nd District against incumbent [[Gus Savage]], who was known for racially incendiary and anti-Semitic remarks that drew criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.<ref name=History>{{cite web |url=https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/21235 |title=Savage, Gus |publisher=United States House of Representatives |accessdate=2019-02-03}}</ref><ref name=Denounced>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/28/us/colleague-denounces-comments-by-illinois-congressman-as-bigoted.html |title=Colleague Denounces Comments By Illinois Congressman as Bigoted |work=New York Times |date=1990-03-28}}</ref> In 1988, Reynolds finished third with only 14% of the vote with multiple candidates running.  In 1990, Reynolds lost, but ran much closer after Savage's conduct was criticized by the [[United States House Committee on Ethics|House Ethics Committee]] in connection with a sex scandal.<ref name=1988Vote>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/03/09/savage-running-on-the-edge/638e8d6a-6b6b-476d-a598-ef32e436482f/ |title=Savage Running on the Edge |newspaper=Washington Post |date=1990-03-09}}</ref><ref name=1990Vote>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/21/us/rep-savage-claims-victory-in-illinois.html |title=Rep. Savage Claims Victory in Illinois |work=New York Times |date=1990-03-21}}</ref>

In 1992, redistricting pushed the 2nd further into Chicago's suburbs. The [[New York Times]] reported that this change was "seen as a benefit to the 40-year-old Mr. Reynolds, whose appeals for accountability and racial unity sit well with middle-class black moderates embarrassed by Mr. Savage and whites frightened by his often combative, racially charged speech."  Shortly before the primary, Reynolds was lightly injured when unknown gunmen fired shotguns at his vehicle while he was waiting at an intersection. 
He was given police protection for the rest of the campaign; Savage's supporters accused Reynolds of staging the incident to generate sympathy for himself and suspicion of Savage.  Reynolds did not directly accuse Savage of organizing the attack.<ref>"Gunshots Fired at Congressional Candidate in Bitter Chicago Race," New York Times, March 14, 1992</ref>

Days later, Reynolds beat Savage in the Democratic primary on March 17, and easily won the general election in November.<ref name=1992Vote>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/19/us/the-1992-campaign-primaries-brown-and-tsongas-search-for-victory-in-connecticut.html |title=THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Primaries; Brown and Tsongas Search For Victory in Connecticut |work=New York Times |date=1992-03-19}}</ref>  In Congress, he was granted a seat on the [[United States House Committee on Ways and Means|Ways and Means Committee]], the first freshman to serve on this committee in 14 years.  He voted for the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] and introduced legislation on gun control.<ref name=Reynolds>{{cite web |url=https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/20307| title=Reynolds, Mel |publisher=United States House of Representatives |accessdate=2019-02-03}}</ref>

==Convictions and resignation==
In August 1994, Reynolds was [[indictment|indicted]] for [[rape|sexual assault]] and criminal [[sexual abuse]] for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old campaign volunteer that began during the 1992 campaign.<ref name="npr"/> He also faced charges of child pornography for asking the underage campaign worker to obtain "lewd photographs of another girl who was age 15" and obstruction of justice for convincing one of the girls involved to lie to authorities.<ref name=Indictment>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/20/us/illinois-indicts-a-congressman-in-a-sex-case-involving-2-girls.html |title=Illinois Indicts a Congressman In a Sex Case Involving 2 Girls |work=New York Times |date=1994-08-20}}</ref> Despite the charges, he continued his campaign and was re-elected in November without opposition.<ref name="npr"/> Reynolds initially denied the charges, which he claimed were racially motivated.

On August 22, 1995, Reynolds was convicted on 12 counts of criminal sexual assault, sexual abuse, obstruction of justice, and solicitation of [[child pornography]].<ref name=Conviction/> He resigned his seat on October 1 of that year.<ref name="baic" /> Had he attempted to stay in office, his role in Congress would have been very limited, as longstanding House rules state that a member convicted of a felony should not take part in floor votes or committee work until the [[United States House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct|House Ethics Committee]] reviews the matter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33229.pdf|title=Status of a Member of the House Who Has Been Indicted For or Convicted of A Felony|author=United States House of Representatives|author-link=United States House of Representatives}}</ref> Reynolds was sentenced to five years in federal prison and was expected to be released in 1998.

==Bank fraud==
In April 1997, Reynolds was convicted on 16 new counts of bank [[fraud]], misusing campaign funds for personal use, and lying to [[Federal Election Commission|FEC]] investigators. Specifically, one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud, eight counts of making false statements on loan applications, one count of conspiracy to defraud the Federal Election Commission, and four counts of making false statements to the FEC.

These charges resulted in an additional sentence of 78 months in federal prison, to run consecutively with his 1995 sentence. Reynolds served all of his first sentence, and served 42 months in prison for the later charges. [[List of people pardoned by Bill Clinton|President Bill Clinton then commuted]] his sentence for bank fraud and Reynolds was released from prison. He served the remaining time in a [[halfway house]].<ref name="Chicago Reporter Reynolds Interview">{{cite news |title=Interview with Mel Reynolds |work=Chicago Reporter |date=January 2001 |url=http://chicagoreporter.com/interview-mel-reynolds/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | publisher =  chicagotribune.com | date = April 17, 1997 | title = April 1997 Reynolds guilty of fraud counts | author =  Matt O’Connor | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-mel-reynolds-guilty-fraud-case-19970417-story.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | publisher = chicagotribune.com | date =  November 8, 1996 | title =  REYNOLDS, WIFE INDICTED ON U.S. FRAUD CHARGES | author = Ray Gibson and Matt O'Connor, Tribune staff writers | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-11-08-9611080150-story.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | publisher =  usatoday.com | date =  May 10, 2018 | title = Former U.S. congressman Mel Reynolds is headed back to prison - and then Africa | author =  Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY | url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/05/10/former-u-s-congressman-mel-reynolds-prison-tax-fraud/598489002/}}</ref>

==Later career==
In January 2001, Reynolds was hired by [[Jesse Jackson]]'s [[Rainbow/PUSH Coalition]] to decrease the number of young African-Americans going to prison.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/reynolds.asp |work=Snopes.com |title=Reynolds Rap: About the sexual trials of Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, and Mel Reynolds|date=26 June 2015 }}</ref>

In 2004, Reynolds sought to win back his old House seat, but was overwhelmingly defeated in the Democratic primary by the man who had succeeded him, [[Jesse Jackson, Jr.]], with Jackson netting 88% of the vote.<ref name="baic"/> Reynolds sought the seat again, running in the 2013 special election to replace Jackson after Jackson retired. He came in 7th place in the Democratic primary.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kelly Easily Wins Democratic Nomination to Replace Jesse Jackson Jr. in Congress |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/ct-xpm-2013-02-27-chi-2nd-congressional-district-jackson-20130226-story.html |work=Chicago Tribune |date=2013-02-27}}</ref>

==Later legal troubles==
On February 18, 2014, Reynolds was arrested in [[Zimbabwe]] for overstaying his [[visa (document)|visa]]. He was allegedly found to be in possession of pornographic videos he had filmed with several women at the hotel where he was staying. Possession of [[pornography]] is a crime in the country. He had also purportedly accrued over $24,000 in hotel charges that he had yet to pay.<ref name="allAfrica.com">{{cite news |last=Kuvirimirwa |first=Farai |title=Zimbabwe: Former U.S Congressman Arrested |work=The Herald |date=18 February 2014 |publisher=allAfrica.com |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201402180404.html}}</ref> The pornography charges were later dropped, but he pleaded guilty to violating immigration laws, and was deported to [[South Africa]].<ref name=Zimbabwe>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-mel-reynolds-zimbabwe-20140224-story.html |title=Official: Mel Reynolds deported from Zimbabwe |work=CHicago Tribune |date=2014-02-24}}</ref>  He claimed in early March 2014 to be hiding there from Zimbabwean [[death squad]]s, who he claimed were targeting him because he possessed information about American companies from Chicago doing business illegally in Zimbabwe.

On June 26, 2015, Reynolds was indicted by a grand jury for failure to file federal income tax returns for the 2009 through 2012 tax years on more than $400,000 income.<ref name=Taxes>{{cite news |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/mel-reynolds-begins-prison-sentence/ |title=Ex-U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds reports to prison to start four-month sentence |work=Chicago-Sun-Times |date=2018-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/06/26/former-representative-mel-reynolds-indicted-federal-income-taxes/29329055/ |title=Ex-Rep. Mel Reynolds indicted on income tax charges |date=26 June 2015 |work=USA TODAY}}</ref> The next month he missed his arraignment, because he claimed he could not return to the U.S. due to issues with his daughter's health. It was not clear where Reynolds was, although he had previously hidden in South Africa out of fear for his life.<ref>{{cite news |title=Illinois: Ex-Congressman Is No-Show at Arraignment |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/07/us/illinois-ex-congressman-is-no-show-at-arraignment.html |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=New York Times |date=6 July 2015}}</ref>

In April 2016, Reynolds was sentenced to two months of prison for two bond violations in his tax case and his trial was scheduled for September; Reynolds decided to represent himself in court.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-mel-reynolds-jail-release-order-met-20160623-story.html|title=Former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds released on bond|first=Jason|last=Meisner|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=23 June 2016 }}</ref> Reynolds claims the majority of the income the government claimed should be filed on income tax returns was given by Elzie Higginbottom, the key witness for the trial on misdemeanor tax charges, to him in order to travel to South Africa to set up opportunities in real estate and the diamond industry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-mel-reynolds-twitter-met-20170516-story.html|title=Mel Reynolds says feds dragged his name through mud with sex tape talk|first=Jason|last=Meisner|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=16 May 2017 }}</ref>

On September 28, 2017, Judge [[Robert Gettleman]] found Reynolds guilty on tax charges, on all four counts alleging he failed to file a federal income tax return for four consecutive years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-mel-reynolds-tax-trial-20170928-story.html|title=Judge finds Mel Reynolds guilty of tax charges, marking his third conviction|first=Jason|last=Meisner|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=28 September 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mel Reynolds, former Representative for Illinois's 2nd Congressional District |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/mel_reynolds/409154 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref> He was sentenced by Gettleman to six months in prison on May 10, 2018, which he began serving at the [[Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago|Metropolitan Correctional Center]] in Chicago on August 1.<ref name=Taxes/><ref>{{cite news |first=Rosemary |last=Sobol |date=August 2, 2018 |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-mel-reynolds-prison-20180801-story.html |title=Ex-U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds Surrenders to Prison to Serve Rest of 6-Month Sentence for Tax Conviction |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=August 2, 2018}}</ref> At a press conference after the sentencing, Reynolds stated he planned to move to South Africa with his daughter after his release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-mel-reynolds-tax-evasion-sentencing-20180509-story.html|title=Mel Reynolds given 6 months in prison, says he's 'done with America'|first=Jason|last=Meisner|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=11 May 2018 }}</ref>

Released into a halfway house in November 2018, Reynolds filed a lawsuit against deposed Zimbabwean dictator [[Robert Mugabe]] and a Chicago-area businessman for what he said was "physical and psychological torture" that took place during his 2014 detainment in Zimbabwe.  Reynolds received permission from the U.S. court to travel to Africa while on supervised release.  But as of August 2019, he was still living in the Chicago area.<ref>Ex-U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds: I Was Tortured in Africa, by Dan Mihalopoulos, National Public Radio, August 22, 2019</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of African-American United States representatives]]
*[[List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes]]
* [[List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{CongLinks |  congbio = R000178}}
* {{C-SPAN|26158}}

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{{s-bef|before=[[Gus Savage]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States representatives from Illinois|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Illinois's 2nd congressional district]]|years=1993–1995}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jesse Jackson Jr.]]}}
|-
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John W. Cox Jr.]]|as=Former U.S. Representative}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[United States order of precedence|Order of precedence of the United States]]<br>''{{small|as Former U.S. Representative}}''|years=}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Michael Patrick Flanagan]]|as=Former U.S. Representative}}
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{{USCongRep-start |congresses=103rd–104th [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[United States congressional delegations from Illinois|Illinois]]}}
{{USCongRep/IL/103}}
{{USCongRep/IL/104}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Mel}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American criminals]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American criminals]]
[[Category:21st-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:African-American United States representatives]]
[[Category:African-American people in Illinois politics]]
[[Category:Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford]]
[[Category:American people convicted of child sexual abuse]]
[[Category:American people convicted of child pornography offenses]]
[[Category:American people convicted of obstruction of justice]]
[[Category:American people convicted of tax crimes]]
[[Category:American politicians convicted of fraud]]
[[Category:American politicians convicted of sex offences]]
[[Category:American Rhodes Scholars]]
[[Category:American twins]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1988 United States elections]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1992 United States elections]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2004 United States elections]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2013 United States elections]]
[[Category:Commutations granted by Bill Clinton]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois]]
[[Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni]]
[[Category:Illinois Democrats]]
[[Category:Illinois politicians convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:People convicted of statutory rape offenses]]
[[Category:People deported from Zimbabwe]]
[[Category:People from Mound Bayou, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Politicians from Chicago]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of Zimbabwe]]
[[Category:Roosevelt University faculty]]
[[Category:University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni]]