Jimmy Wilson - Wilson Refuses To Concede Defeat

Wilson Refuses To Concede Defeat

Having come so close, Wilson refused to accept defeat, and he continued to challenge Leach's victory. The Republicans supporting Wilson maintained that Leach won on the basis of votes bought by the Democrats in Vernon Parish, especially in the predominantly black section of Leesville known as "The Crossing." Wilson's challenge led to 22 persons pleading guilty to vote-buying on Leach's behalf in 1979 court litigation. Two others were convicted on similar charges. Leach himself was acquitted on November 3, 1979, by a federal district court in Lake Charles on bribery charges stemming from the 1978 general election. The U.S. Justice Department later dropped similar charges against Leach dealing with the 1978 primary.

The U.S. House appointed a special subcommittee of the Administration Committee to investigate Wilson's charges against Leach. On December 20, 1979, the subcommittee voted 2-1 on party lines to dismiss Wilson's petition, which charged that voters were paid on Leach's behalf in sufficient numbers to alter the outcome of the general election. Two Democrats, John Burton and Joseph Minish, voted to dismiss, but the Republican Robert Badham favored continuance. Wilson claimed that he lost the general election because 440 votes were bought in Vernon Parish, but the Democratic majority on the subcommittee said that the available evidence showed only 66 votes were bought, a number insufficient to alter the outcome.

In February 1980, the House Administration Committee voted 11-7 to reject Wilson's call for the unseating of Leach. The vote mirrored party alignment, with all Democrats voting to dismiss, and each Republican favoring continuance of the investigation. Finally, on March 4, 1980, the full House voted 241-153 to drop Wilson's challenge. Leach's Democratic colleagues from Louisiana, Jerry Huckaby, Gillis William Long, John Breaux, and Lindy Boggs all voted to dismiss, but the three Louisiana Republican congressmen, David C. Treen, W. Henson Moore, and Robert L. "Bob" Livingston abstained. A handful of Republicans voted with Leach, and a handful of Democrats sided with Wilson's allegations.