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U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, R-12, announced Thursday that he will resign from office next week to take an unspecified job in the private sector.
Marino, a former U.S. Attorney and Lycoming County district attorney, was first elected in 2010 and was re-elected to a fifth term for the newly formed 12th House District in November.
In a prepared statement, Marino said, “As of Jan. 23, 2019, I am officially stepping down from Congress. Having spent over two decades serving the public, I have chosen to take a position in the private sector where I can use both my legal and business experience to create jobs around the nation.”
Marino resides in the Williamsport area with his wife Edie and their two children.
“I want to thank the people of the 12th Congressional District of Pennsylvania for the faith they have placed in me to represent them in Congress,” his statement continued. “It truly has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I worked in Congress to fight for the hardworking people of our region and I am proud of the work we have accomplished. I am confident that the area will continue to thrive.”
Trump supporter
Marino and former Congressman Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, signed on early as supporters of President Donald Trump in his 2016 run for the White House, earning the pair the tag of “thunder and lightning” when they rallied crowds on the campaign trail. Barletta, who represented the former 11th District, lost to incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Casey, D-Scranton, in November.
Trump tapped Marino in April 2017 to be head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, or the nation’s drug czar. Marino withdrew his nomination later that October, following reports about how a bill he sponsored, which later became law, made it harder for the Drug Enforcement Administration to go after opioid manufacturers who make suspicious sales.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said he had not heard Marino was resigning and said he wanted to talk to him before commenting on the decision. However, the Louisiana Republican noted that members of Congress have resigned early in the past for a variety of reasons.
Just last week, Marino introduced legislation to institute four-year terms for members of the House.
“Having served in Congress for the last eight years, I have seen what works and what contributes to the dysfunction that often gets associated with this institution. By enabling members to serve longer terms, we can break the cycle of constant campaigning and focus more on issues that are important to our constituents,” Marino said.
U.S. Attorney role
Marino made a similar exit from the office of U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 2007. He resigned the appointed post and went to work for Dunmore businessman Louis DeNaples, serving as his in-house counsel.
Marino’s connection to DeNaples drew the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice that investigated the federal prosecutor’s letter of reference for the businessman attempting to obtain a casino license from the state. DeNaples received the license and opened the Mount Airy Casino in Monroe County.
The Allentown Morning Call reported in 2010 that the probe was dropped after Marino’s resignation. It focused on his failure to adhere to Department protocol and inform the Office of the General Counsel of the letter, the newspaper reported.
Special election
Marino’s resignation will prompt a special election, in which each party’s nominee will be selected by local party leaders at a nominating conference. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf must issue a writ of election within 10 days of Marino stepping down. The special election must take place no fewer than 60 days after Wolf issues the proclamation.
Marino’s district is solidly Republican. He won re-election last year by 32 points, and Trump carried the 12th District by 36 points in 2016.
A crowd of Republicans is likely to seek the party’s nomination for the open seat. When Marino was initially nominated as drug czar, several Republican names were floated for his old 10th District seat. (The Pennsylvania Supreme Court redrew the congressional map last year, ruling the previous one represented an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.)
Under the old district lines, the Republicans named as possible successors to Marino included state Rep. Fred Keller, Bradford County Commissioner Doug McLinko, Lycoming County Commissioner Tony Mussare, state Sen. Mario Scavello, Marino’s district director Dave Weber, and state Rep. Jeff Wheeland. McClinko challenged Marino in the 12th District GOP primary last May and lost by 34 points.
Wheeland is strongly considering running for the open seat, according to a GOP source. It’s unclear if the others would still be considered potential contenders, especially under the new map.
Chris Cioffi of CQ-Roll Call contributed to this report.