- Rita Jenrette
Rita Jenrette, born Rita Carpenter,
November 25 ,1949 inSan Antonio, Texas is an Americanactor ,journalist , andbusinesswoman . She is perhaps most famous for having been married to disgraced former U.S. congressmanJohn Jenrette , and some of the events that transpired during their marriage.1970s
Jenrette earned her bachelor's degree in 1971 and in 1973 became the Director of Research for the
Republican Party of Texas . In 1975, she held the position of Opposition Research Director of theRepublican National Committee , under the chairmanship of Mary Louise Smith.In 1978 Jenrette was picked by the Washington Post Magazine as one of the four dynamic young women of Washington [cite news |first=Rudy |last=Maxa |title=The Gorgeous Blondes |work=The Washington Post Magazine |date=1978-01-01 |accessdate=2008-03-12 |url=http://www.ritajenrette.com/press/GorgeousBlonde/index.jpg] . On September 10, 1976, she married Freshman Democratic Whip,
John Wilson Jenrette , of South Carolina, eighteen months after meeting him on Capitol Hill. ["Pay Dirt: Divorces of the Rich and Famous," James A. Albert, 1989, p.191]Jenrette became a Research Associate for the
Office of Technology Assessment in 1976, where she wrote speeches for J.B. Cadarro and co-authored a report with Ray Hoehle for thePresidential Commission on World Food Hunger , specifically PL 480, theFood for Peace Program.1980s
Her husband, John, was implicated in taking a bribe during the
Abscam investigation and Rita testified at the hearings. She appeared on thePhil Donahue Show , and he called in live to join the conversation. She gave an interview to "Playboy" magazine in 1981 appearing as a celebrity centerfold, in the magazine and on the cover in May 1984. The first of these interviews caused a scandal, as she told "Playboy" that she and her husband had sex on the steps of theU.S. Capitol during a break in an all-night House session. The comedy group "Capitol Steps " takes its name from this escapade. She separated from her husband in January 1981, and divorced him shortly after her first "Playboy" appearance.She wrote a book called "My Capitol Secrets" in 1981 that detailed her experiences as a Congressional spouse
United States Congress , and repeated the story of having sex with her husband on the Capitol steps, the night of their marriage.In 1989, Jenrette became an on-air journalist on
Fox television ’s, A Current Affair on which she interviewed celebrities.1990s to present
In 1994, she started a real estate business partnered with John Sullivan.Fact | date=May 2008 In 1999, she sued
Simon Properties for $6M for failing to pay her a commission on the $800 million sale of the General Motors Building toDonald Trump , and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. In 1996,Crain's New York Business named Jenrette a "Power Broker." [cite news |first=Phyllis |last=Furman |coauthors= Lentz, Philip; Willis, Gerri|title=Power Broker, New York Style |url=http://www.ritajenrette.com/press/Crains/crains.jpg|publisher=Crain's New York Business |date=April 1-7, 1996 |accessdate=2008-03-12]Acting
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