Former Illinois Rep. Rostenkowski has died

Former Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.) reportedly died Wednesday morning from natural causes at the age of 82.

Known as “Rosty,” Rostenkowski, who served in Congress for 36 years and became a powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, lost reelection in 1994 during the Republican wave.

Indicted on corruption charges earlier that year, Rostenkowski allegedly used federal funds for personal gifts and used the House post office to trade stamps for cash.

Rostenkowski would later plead ignorance, claiming he hadn’t paid attention to numerous rule changes during
his years in Congress.

He eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and was sentenced to 17 months in a federal prison. Rostenkowski was pardoned for his crimes by President Clinton in 2000.

The son of a Chicago alderman, Rostenkowski started his political career in the Illinois legislature, to which he was elected in 1952. A close ally of Mayor Richard Daley, Rostenkowski was elected to Congress in 1958.

Years of seniority eventually allowed Rostenkowski to bring home millions of dollars in federal funding for his distrct, cementing his popularity in Chicago.