Maureen O'Connor
31st Mayor of San Diego
In office
June 3, 1986 – December 7, 1992
Preceded byRoger Hedgecock
Succeeded bySusan Golding
Personal details
Born (1946-07-14) July 14, 1946
San Diego, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1977; died 1994)​
Alma materSan Diego State University

Maureen Frances O'Connor (born July 14, 1946) is an American Democratic politician from California. She was the youngest person ever to be elected to the San Diego City Council and the first woman to serve as mayor of San Diego from 1986 to 1992. In 2013, federal prosecutors charged her with money laundering, but deferred prosecution based on her agreement to pay back the funds involved.[1] The charges were formally dismissed on February 24, 2015.[2]

Early life

Maureen O'Connor was born in 1946 in San Diego, California. She was one of 13 children, including a twin named Mavourneen who later became her campaign manager.[3] Her parents were Jerome O'Connor, formerly a local boxer known as "Kid Jerome" who later owned several liquor stores in San Diego, and Frances Mary O'Connor, who was named "Mother of the Year" by Parade magazine in 1955.

The O'Connors moved to the Mission Hills neighborhood when Bishop Charles F. Buddy was looking for a "good catholic family" to move into his mansion when he moved to the University of San Diego; but they only lived their for one year.[4] All seven O'Connor daughters competed as precision swimmers, together winning more than 1000 team and individual medals and trophies.[5]

In 1961, one of her brothers was stabbed by an employee at the Campus Drive-in movie theater in Rolando who was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The family unsuccessfully sued the Campus company and her father became locally famous as the president of the San Diego Court Watchers Association.[6]

O'Connor graduated from San Diego State University in 1970 with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology.[7] After graduation, O'Connor was a physical education teacher and counselor for Rosary High School .[3][4] She became inspired to enter politics after seeing Indians being treated poorly at a bicentennial celebration for the city and a City Hall taxicab scandal.[3]

Political career

In 1971, O'Connor became the youngest person ever[6] elected to the San Diego City Council and served to 1979. O'Connor was commissioner for the Port of San Diego from 1980–1985.

In 1983, she ran for mayor against Roger Hedgecock, but lost the race amid criticism that she and her millionaire husband attempted to buy the election after spending $560,000 of their own money.[3] O'Connor ran again and won in 1985 after Hedgecock resigned over a political corruption scandal. O'Connor was San Diego's first female mayor, and the first Democrat to hold the office since 1971. She served two terms. O'Connor once spent a few nights incognito with the homeless to see first-hand how they were doing. A nun recognized her and whispered to her that "if you want to conceal your identity, you should remember that homeless women don't read the financial pages."

Her nickname was "Mayor Mo" among her supporters. Former councilman (and future city mayor) Bob Filner accused her of avoiding debate and "bullying people, one issue at a time." Others charged that she avoided difficult issues and concentrated on her "'populist' appeal that [is] . . . 'a mile wide and an inch deep.'"[8]

In 2000 she joined consumer activists in decrying the notoriously destructive effects of utility deregulation on California. "This is turning into a nightmare for San Diego," O'Connor said. "It [deregulation] didn't work, unfortunately. . . Let's admit it, fix it and save San Diego."

In 1987, she was the first Mayor of San Diego to march in the Gay Pride Parade alongside the mother of an AIDS patient. She was fulfilling a campaign promise to the LGBT community. She was cheered and booed. She said she was not condoning or condemning anyone, just showing support.

Personal life

O'Connor met her future husband Robert O. Peterson,[3] founder of the Jack in the Box fast food chain, while first running for city council. They were married in 1977 in Europe. Although a Republican, he supported her in her political campaigns. He filed for divorce in 1985 but they soon reconciled. Peterson died in 1994. They had no children.[9]

2013 money laundering charges

In February 2013, O'Connor was charged in federal court with money laundering. Under an agreement with prosecutors, prosecution was deferred, contingent on her repaying $2 million which she allegedly took from a nonprofit foundation she managed, the R. P. Foundation, created by her late husband Robert O. Peterson. The fund is reported to be virtually defunct, its sole assets being $2 million owed to it by unspecified foundation insiders.[10] Prosecutors said her gambling activity exceeded $1 billion over the period 2000–2008, with net losses of around $13 million, leaving her "destitute".[11][12]

O'Connor attributed a brain tumor, which she had surgery for in 2011, as the reason for her addiction to gambling.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Moran, Greg (14 February 2013). "Ex-mayor gambled away $1 billion". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on 2013-05-22. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "Federal prosecution of former San Diego mayor Maureen O'Connor ends - 10News.com KGTV ABC10 San Diego". www.10news.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Cummings, Judith; Times, Special To the New York (1986-06-05). "WOMAN IN THE NEWS; VOTE WINNER IN SECOND TRY: MAUREEN F. O'CONNOR". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  4. 1 2 DeWyze, Jeanette (1979-03-08). "The Cinderella story of Mayor Maureen O'Connor | San Diego Reader". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  5. ↑ Zamichow, Nora (September 14, 1992). "Mayor's Father, Jerome O'Connor, Dies at 87". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  6. 1 2 Sanford, Jay Allen (2006-07-06). "Field of Screens: Drive-in theaters in San Diego | San Diego Reader". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  7. ↑ "Interview with Maureen O'Connor, 1973 | SDSUnbound". SDSU Digital Library. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  8. ↑ Bonfante, Jordan (1990-03-19). "Lady Power in the Sunbelt". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  9. ↑ Perry, Tony (1994-04-20). "Robert O. Peterson, Founder of Jack in the Box Restaurants, Dies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  10. ↑ Potter, Matt (February 14, 2013). "Foundation at heart of O'Connor scandal was big donor to San Diego police, John Burton Foundation". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  11. ↑ Ex-Mayor of San Diego Confronts $1 Billion Gambling Problem, NY Times, Feb 14, 2013
  12. ↑ "Ex-San Diego mayor gambled away nearly $1 billion, prosecutors say", LA Times, Feb 14, 2013
  13. ↑ Jennifer Medina (14 February 2013). "San Diego Ex-Mayor Confronts $1 Billion Gambling Problem". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
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