The Wall Street Journal - 28.10.2019

A4| Monday, October 28, 2019 PWLC101112HTGKBFAM123456789OIXX ** THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

The Democratic 2020 presidential field boasts the largest-ever group of male spouses. Clockwise

from top, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her husband, Bruce Mann, in Hanover, N.H., last week; Sen.

Kamala Harris with husband Doug Emhoff at the Iowa State Fair in August; and South Bend, Ind.,

Mayor Pete Buttigieg, left, with husband Chasten Buttigieg in South Bend in April.

ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES

WASHINGTON—Rep. John

Conyers, the former Michigan

Democratic congressman who

was one of the longest-serving

members of the House of Rep-

resentatives, died Sunday at

age 90.

His death was confirmed by

a spokeswoman for the family,

who said he died in his sleep.

The Detroit-born lawmaker

was first elected in 1964. He re-

signed from Congress in late

2017 after facing calls to step

down over allega-

tions of inappropri-

ate sexual behavior

toward multiple fe-

male staff mem-

bers, which he de-

nied. He initially resisted calls

to resign but eventually stepped

aside in what he called a retire-

ment after then-House Minority

Leader Nancy Pelosi called for

his departure. The move made

him one of the first powerful

men to lose his job as the Me-

Too movement gained steam.

Seen as an icon of the civil-

rights movement, Mr. Conyers

co-founded the Congressional

Black Caucus in 1969 and spon-

sored a bill to establish the

Martin Luther King Jr. Day holi-

day. He is one of only a handful

of people to serve in Congress

for at least 50 years, and the

only African-American to do so.

Mr. Conyers’s seat was later

filled by Rashida Tlaib, who on

Sunday evening said on Twit-

ter that he “never once wa-

vered in fighting for jobs, jus-

tice and peace.”

The onetime lawyer and

Army veteran, whose father

worked as a union organizer in

the automotive industry, began

his career working for U.S. Rep.

John Dingell in the late 1950s.

Several years after his elec-

tion, destructive riots broke

out in his Detroit district. De-

troit Mayor Mike Duggan said

Sunday that hearing Rep. Con-

yers recount his “efforts to

calm the angry crowds” in 1967

was a special memory for him.

Mr. Conyers routinely won

re-election by wide margins

and went on to become chair-

man of the House Judiciary

Committee. The Congressional

Black Caucus grew into a pow-

erful, predominantly Demo-

cratic voice in Washington for

improving voting access, elimi-

nating racial health disparities

and expanding benefits for mi-

nority-owned businesses.

Mr. Conyers once called for

banning handgun ownership

by private citizens because of

gun violence in his district,

and pushed to end racial pro-

filing by law enforcement. He

also was an early backer of

creating a taxpayer-funded na-

tional health-care program

and an early supporter of Ba-

rack Obama during his first

presidential run.

BYKATYSTECHFEREK

Lawmaker

Served

More Than

50 Years

U.S. NEWS

president’s inauguration in

May, and Kathryn Wheel-

barger, the acting assistant

secretary of defense for inter-

national security affairs.

Former Pentagon officials

said she would likely have

been involved in discussions

about the freeze on security

assistance to Ukraine this

summer.

Two State Department offi-

cials also are set to testify this

week: Catherine Croft, who

served as special adviser for

Ukraine, and Christopher An-

derson, who was a special ad-

viser to Kurt Volker, the for-

mer U.S. envoy for Ukraine

negotiations who testified ear-

lier this month.

House impeachment inves-

tigators have maintained a

rapid clip of depositions in re-

cent weeks as they investigate

efforts by Mr. Trump and his

lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to pres-

sure Ukraine to announce in-

vestigations into former Vice

President Joe Biden and al-

leged interference in the 2016

U.S. election. Mr. Biden is run-

ning for the 2020 Democratic

nomination for president.

Democrats say the presi-

dent’s pressuring of a foreign

leader to undertake a probe

that would benefit him politi-

cally amounts to an abuse of

power. Mr. Trump has said he

acted appropriately.

Investigators have heard

from two current U.S. diplo-

mats who say they understood

there to be a quid pro quo re-

lated to the probes Mr. Trump

wanted Ukraine to pursue.

In testimony last week, Bill

Taylor, the top diplomat in

Kyiv, said Mr. Morrison relayed

to him conversations that sug-

gested there was a link be-

tween the $400 million in

Ukraine aid that was being held

over the summer and the an-

nouncements of investigations.

Gordon Sondland, the U.S.

ambassador to the European

Union, testified earlier this

month about a separate quid

pro quo, telling House com-

mittees he believed Ukraine

agreeing to open probes into a

company where Mr. Biden’s

son served on the board and

into election interference was

a condition for a White House

meeting between Mr. Trump

and Ukrainian President Vo-

lodymyr Zelensky, said Robert

Luskin, a lawyer who is repre-

senting Mr. Sondland.

Mr. Trump’s ouster of the

former U.S. ambassador to

Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch,

also has come under height-

ened scrutiny in recent weeks.

On Saturday, a senior State

Department official told House

investigators that top officials

stymied a show of solidarity

for Ms. Yovanovitch after Mr.

Trump had her removed, ac-

cording to a person familiar

with his closed-door testi-

mony.

Philip Reeker, the acting as-

sistant secretary of state in

the Bureau of European and

Eurasian Affairs, was named

to the job in March, around

the time Mr. Trump ordered

the removal of Ms. Yovano-

vitch. Mr. Giuliani and others

had said Ms. Yovanovitch was

obstructing efforts to per-

suade Kyiv to investigate Mr.

Biden, which the envoy char-

acterized as a “concerted cam-

paign” against her in testi-

mony this month.

The committees also had

scheduled a deposition on

Monday for Charles Kupper-

man, Mr. Trump’s former dep-

uty national security adviser

who listened in on the July 25

call between Mr. Trump and

Mr. Zelensky that sparked the

impeachment inquiry.

Mr. Kupperman late Friday

asked a federal judge to rule

on whether he must testify, af-

ter the White House instructed

him not to appear in response

to a House subpoena. That rul-

ing hasn’t yet been issued.

Top Democrats have said

they hope to hold impeach-

ment proceedings in public be-

fore Thanksgiving and that

they hope to conclude the in-

vestigations before presiden-

tial primaries begin in January.

WASHINGTON—House com-
mittees are expected to hear
from about a half dozen more
witnesses in their impeach-
ment inquiry this week, in-
cluding a top White House of-
ficial who has been mentioned
in testimony linking a hold on
aid to Ukraine to investiga-
tions President Trump and his
allies pressured the country to
pursue.
Tim Morrison, the National
Security Council’s Russia and
Europe director, is slated to
testify behind closed doors on
Thursday, an official working
on the impeachment inquiry
said. The committees also are
expected to hear this week
from Alexander Vindman, the
director of European affairs at
the National Security Council
who attended the Ukrainian

BYREBECCABALLHAUS
ANDVIVIANSALAMA

More Impeachment Witnesses to Testify

House committees

are expected to hear

from about six more

people this week.

focus that it takes away from

your life and impact on the

people around you.”

The husbands have been

easing into those roles and

seem to be more visible on the

campaign trail than some fe-

male partners of White House

contenders. Tech entrepreneur

Andrew Yang mentions often

that his wife, Evelyn Yang, is

home with their two young

children. New Jersey Sen. Cory

Booker’s significant other, ac-

tress Rosario Dawson, filmed a

TV show in New Mexico over

the summer and hasn’t been a

regular on the campaign trail.

Chasten Buttigieg, a former

drama teacher, has been front

and center since his husband

launched his campaign, head-

lining high-dollar fundraising

events. He also is the draw for

a new contest the campaign is

promoting that requires a small

donation, with the winner get-

ting a chance to see the hit

Broadway musical “Hamilton”

with Chasten Buttigieg.

Besides fundraising, Chasten

Buttigieg said he has been

meeting with teachers and stu-

dents on the trail and visiting

arts and LGBT centers. “I think

that the really important part

is that I’m being myself,” he

said in an interview. “I’m out

there talking about this guy

that I love, and why I fell in

love with him and support him,

and why I believe in him.”

He sought advice from Con-

nie Schultz, a columnist and

professor who is married to

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, on

how to navigate being a helpful

spouse while preserving an in-

dependent voice. “I hope I

made it clear he’s got to be who

he is,” Ms. Schultz said.

During a presidential forum

in San Francisco in June, Mr.

Emhoff was in the back of the

theater when a protester

jumped up on stage, inter-

rupted Ms. Harris’s appearance

and snatched her microphone.

Sprinting to the front, Mr. Em-

hoff quickly joined a scrum of

people near the protester and

ripped the microphone from

the man’s fingers.

Mr. Bessler and Ms. Klobu-

char, who was speaking next at

the event, watched the incident

from their hold room. “You’re

now officially the head of secu-

rity for Kamala’s campaign,”

Mr. Bessler quipped to Mr. Em-

hoff in an email afterward.

Mr. Emhoff has likened the

campaign trail to being “shot

out of a cannon,” and pointed

to the need for striking a bal-

ance between family, work and

the campaign. He is continuing

to work full-time and typically

does events for Ms. Harris on

the weekends.

Mr. Mann, who is teaching

full-time at Harvard Law, said

he also prefers a more low-key

role. “I’m a husband,” he said.

“I’m not a policy adviser.” Mr.

Mann said his wife, who is

known for all her policy pro-

posals, “bounces ideas” off him,

“but in a very limited sense.”

Mr. Mann and Ms. Warren

are known for taking walks on

the campaign trail when time

permits. Awaiting a flight to

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in June,

the couple strolled through Chi-

cago’s O’Hare International Air-

port hand-in-hand and ate take-

out from Tortas Frontera.

During the flight, a Wall

Street Journal reporter

watched as the pair, seated in

the exit row, were asked by a

flight attendant if they would

help people in the event of an

emergency. When Ms. Warren

enthusiastically volunteered,

the flight attendant joked to

the senator, “You’re in charge

and the rest of you are middle

management,” pointing in jest

to Mr. Mann and the third pas-

senger in the row.

Mr. Bessler has helped Ms.

Klobuchar’s campaigns since

she was first elected as Henne-

pin County’s prosecutor in

1998, but he has kept his advice

private. For example, he has

conducted research on antitrust

policies as the senator has

warned of the monopoly power

of the tech industry.

“I give her advice behind the

scenes, but I don’t interfere

with her work. She’s plenty

smart to do her own job,” Mr.

Bessler said.

Chasten Buttigieg said he

has run into Mr. Bessler at Bos-

ton’s Logan Airport and has

kept in touch with Mr. Emhoff.

“Doug is very fond of taking

selfies,” Mr. Mann said of Mr.

Emhoff.

Mr. Emhoff recalled sitting

next to Mr. Mann at a recent

debate. “Bruce and I were el-

bowing each other at various

moments” and sharing text

messages with Chasten Butt-

igieg, he said.

“I’ve found on the spouse

side, it’s almost, like, nonparti-

san,” Mr. Emhoff said. “It’s such

a unique thing to go through.”

—Eliza Collins

contributed to this article.

Chasten Buttigieg thinks of
himself as a story collector,
gathering anecdotes from vot-
ers across the country to pass
along to his husband, South
Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Butt-
igieg.
Bruce Mann is Elizabeth
Warren’s sounding board and
joked that his most formal role
in his wife’s campaign is man-
aging their dog Bailey when he
joins the Massachusetts senator
in New Hampshire.
Doug Emhoff, California Sen.
Kamala Harris’s husband, mem-
orably rushed to her defense
when a protester charged to-
ward her on stage at an event.
In a presidential field with a
historic number of women and
the first openly gay candidate,
those three are part of the larg-
est-ever group of male spouses
of White House contenders, and
they are figuring out their roles
in boosting their partners’
prospects.
The husbands—largely polit-
ical novices—are discovering
ways to get involved in the
campaigns and finding comfort
in one another’s company when
they cross paths at campaign
events, airports or in hotel lob-
bies.
The spouses of senators
knew each other from frequent
events in Washington, and
some of them share a legal
background. Mr. Emhoff is a
California-based media and en-
tertainment attorney, while Mr.
Mann and John Bessler, hus-
band of Minnesota Sen. Amy
Klobuchar, are law professors.
Unlike the male partners of
2020 candidates, some of the
women—Jane Sanders and Jill
Biden—have participated in
presidential campaigns before
and served as advisers and sur-
rogates for years.
Ms. Biden, the former sec-
ond lady, has been campaigning
on her own in early voting
states and holding fundraisers
on behalf of her husband, for-
mer Vice President Joe Biden.
Mrs. Sanders is a trusted ad-
viser to her husband, Vermont
Sen. Bernie Sanders, and is
heavily engaged in campaign
operations. She said that on an
average day, she could be work-
ing on speeches or scheduling,
reviewing ads or even joining
her husband on stage.
“We knew more what we
were getting into this time than
we did in 2016,” she said; “The
amount of travel, the amount of

BYTARINIPARTI
ANDKENTHOMAS

Husbands Find Roles on the Campaign Trail

ELISE AMENDOLA/ASSOCIATED PRESS

tion. The new interim senator

will take office Jan. 1.

Mr. Kemp seeks an interim

senator who immediately can

campaign, raise money, field

media questions and learn the

Senate amid a contentious po-

litical atmosphere both in

Georgia and Washington.

Mr. Perdue said he spoke

with the governor about the

appointment, as have other

Republicans in the Georgia

delegation. Mr. Perdue, an ally

of President Trump who like

the president is seeking re-

election next fall, will cam-

paign alongside Mr. Kemp’s

choice in 2020.

“The governor will make

the appointment at the appro-

priate time,” said Kemp

spokesman Cody Hall when

asked about the timing of the

announcement.

Mr. Kemp opened the pro-

cess to allow anyone to apply

for the job online, and those

applications have been made

public. Hundreds have applied,

from members of Congress

and state representatives to a

Best Buy inventory specialist

and a pharmacy manager.

Closed-door meetings have

focused on serious candidates,

some who have officially ap-

plied and others who haven’t.

Deliberations in recent weeks

have included talk of minority

and women candidates to bol-

ster GOP chances in Atlanta’s

burgeoning suburbs, consid-

ered key in the coming con-

test. Names mentioned include

Harold Melton, African-Ameri-

can chief justice of the Georgia

Supreme Court, and state Rep.

Jan Jones, a white woman rep-

resenting suburban Atlanta.

“I trust Governor Kemp to

make an excellent decision and

will actively support whomever

he selects,” Ms. Jones said.

Justice Melton didn’t respond

to a request for comment.

Recent speculation has fo-

cused on Rep. Doug Collins, a

vocal ally of President Trump,

a Republican congressional

aide familiar with the matter

said. Mr. Collins, who repre-

sents conservative northeast

Georgia and who is the high-

est-ranking Republican on the

House Judiciary Committee,

said he wanted the Senate job

shortly after Mr. Isakson an-

nounced his resignation. Don-

ald Trump Jr. came to the

state on Oct. 24 to raise

money for Mr. Collins, and

President Trump is planning a

trip to Georgia on Nov. 8.

Mr. Collins declined to com-

ment through a spokeswoman.

Some GOP strategists are

concerned about the delay in

part because they have lost pre-

cious time they could have used

for fundraising for the 2020

Senate race. But B.J. Van Gundy,

assistant secretary of the Geor-

gia Republican Party, said rais-

ing money won’t be a problem.

Kerwin Swint, a political-

science professor at Kennesaw

State University, said the gov-

ernor is taking his time be-

cause it is a big decision. “It

could have an impact on the

fate of the Georgia Republican

Party for years,” he said.

ATLANTA—Georgia Repub-
licans are antsy for Gov. Brian
Kemp to name a replacement
for outgoing Sen. Johnny Isak-
son, with some pushing for a
woman or minority candidate
and others pressing for a
Trump loyalist.
“I’m anxious. I think we’re
getting close, but I’m not go-
ing to put any pressure on the
governor,” said Republican
Sen. David Perdue, who holds
the other seat in the state.
Mr. Isakson, 74 years old,
said he would resign Dec. 31
because of health problems,
including Parkinson’s disease.
Under Georgia law, the gover-
nor appoints an interim sena-
tor, who must then seek elec-
tion for the remainder of the
term in the next general elec-

BYCAMERONMCWHIRTER
ANDLINDSAYWISE

Georgia Republicans Await Governor’s Senate Choice

Gov. Brian

Kemp will

appoint an

interim senator

to succeed

Johnny

Isakson,

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGE

OBITUARY

JOHN

CONYERS

1929-

CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES