Harry M. Daugherty

Harry M. Daugherty

Harry Micajah Daugherty (1860-1941) was an American politician. A key Ohio Democratic political insider, Daugherty is best remembered for his service as Attorney General of the United States under Presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge.

Despite his status as a key political leader of the Ohio Republican Party from the 1880s through the first decade of the 20th Century, Daugherty was himself only briefly a statewide elected politician, serving just two terms in the Ohio General Assembly, working closely during the last two years with Governor William McKinley. Although he sought national office several times, Daugherty was thwarted in his effort to obtain the nomination of his party and was never elected to office again.

Daugherty remained an influential figure behind the election of several Congressmen and U.S. Senators. In 1920 he was the campaign manager for Warren G. Harding for President of the United States at the Republican National Convention. Following Harding's successful election Daugherty was named Attorney General of the United States. In this capacity despite his personal law and order proclivities Daugherty was instrumental in winning Presidential pardons for jailed anti-war dissidents such as Eugene V. Debs.

Twice the subject of federal corruption investigations, in 1924 Daugherty was forced to resign his post as Attorney General by the late Harding's Presidential successor, Calvin Coolidge.