On this date in 1969, Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was seated by Congress after a long political battle.
Powell, a Democratic congressman from Harlem, New York, was first elected in 1944 and became a powerful advocate for civil rights and social justice. However, in 1967, the House of Representatives voted to exclude him over allegations of misconduct, including misuse of funds. Powell challenged this decision, and in 1969, after winning re-election, he was finally allowed to reclaim his seat in Congress.
His legal battle also led to a landmark Supreme Court case, Powell v. McCormack (1969), which ruled that Congress could not exclude a duly elected member if they met constitutional requirements.
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