John J. McFall, 88, a California Democrat who served 11 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before seeing his political career unravel in a Korean influence-buying scandal, died March 7 at Inova Alexandria Hospital. He had Parkinson's disease and complications from a broken hip.
He also was chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee on transportation, which gave him great authority to channel tax dollars to infrastructure projects in his district. This included the New Melones Dam on the Stanislaus River, which for decades was more a conception than reality, as well as the New Hogan Dam on the Calaveras River.
He believed the dams were key to preventing massive flooding in valley communities, once boasting to the Modesto Bee: "I've put a dam or project on every stream in [my] congressional district."
In 1973, he was appointed House Whip, succeeding newly named majority leader Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill as the third-ranking member of the Democratic leadership.
A collegial if mild-mannered politician who gradually lost step with the reform-minded tenor of the post-Watergate era, Rep. McFall lost a four-way race for majority leader in 1976. This development came just as stories began to appear linking him with South Korean businessman Tongsun Park, a flamboyant figure often dubbed the "Onassis of the Orient."
Park was indicted for his alleged bribery scheme but received immunity for agreeing to testify before the House Ethics Committee.
One California Democrat, Rep. Richard Hanna, went to prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit bribery.
In October 1978, the House voted to reprimand Rep. McFall and two California Democratic colleagues, Edward R. Roybal and Charles H. Wilson, for their questionable handling of money that Park gave to them.
Rep. McFall was cited for not reporting $3,000 he took from Park as a campaign contribution. A reprimand, one of lightest possible sanctions, had no effect on his voting privileges, and Rep. McFall said at the time, "I feel my reputation for integrity and honesty have been upheld by the committee action and I've been completely vindicated."
However, he lost reelection that year to Republican Norman Shumway. Rep. McFall resigned Dec. 31, 1978. He did lobbying work for the U.S. Railway Association before retiring in 1987.
John Joseph McFall was born Feb. 20, 1918, in Buffalo. His father died during military service in World War I, and he was raised on his maternal grandparents' farm in Manteca, Calif. Having scoliosis, he was unable to make farming his career.
He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law before serving in Army intelligence in Utah during World War II.
He was mayor of Manteca and a member of the California State Assembly before winning election to the U.S. House in 1956, defeating incumbent Leroy Johnson (R).
After leaving office, Rep. McFall settled in Alexandria, where he became a member of Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill.
His wife of 51 years, Evelyn A.M. Anklam McFall, died in 2001. A son, Michael McFall, died in early childhood.
Survivors include three children, Joseph McFall of Alexandria, Alicia Bachman of Brussels and Sarah Bailey of San Leandro, Calif.; and a grandson.
