Trey Gowdy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Trey Gowdy
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| Chair of the House Oversight Committee | |
| In office June 13, 2017 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Jason Chaffetz |
| Succeeded by | Elijah Cummings |
| Chair of the House Benghazi Committee | |
| In office May 8, 2014 – July 8, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 4th district |
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| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Inglis |
| Succeeded by | William Timmons |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harold Watson Gowdy III
August 22, 1964 Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Terri Dillard
(m. 1989) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Baylor University (BA) University of South Carolina (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Harold Watson "Trey" Gowdy III (born August 22, 1964) is an American television news presenter and a former politician. He also worked as a federal prosecutor. From 2011 to 2019, he served as a U.S. representative for the 4th district of South Carolina. This district includes areas like Greenville and Spartanburg.
Before joining Congress, Gowdy was a federal prosecutor from 1994 to 2000. He then became a district attorney, called a "solicitor," for South Carolina's Seventh Judicial Circuit from 2000 to 2010. From 2014 to 2016, he led the United States House Select Committee on Benghazi. This committee investigated events related to an attack in Benghazi in 2012. During their work, they found out about Hillary Clinton's private email server. The committee spent over two and a half years and millions of dollars on this investigation. Starting in June 2017, Gowdy also led the House Oversight Committee.
On January 31, 2018, Gowdy announced he would not run for re-election. He decided to go back to working in law instead of politics. He rejoined a law firm called Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. He also became a contributor for Fox News. In 2021, he hosted Fox News Primetime for a short time. Later that year, he became the host of Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy. In May 2023, he was a guest host for Fox News Tonight.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Trey Gowdy was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 22, 1964. His parents are Novalene and Harold Watson "Hal" Gowdy Jr. He grew up in Spartanburg. As a young person, he delivered newspapers and worked at a local market.
Gowdy finished high school at Spartanburg High School in 1982. He then went to Baylor University and earned a degree in history in 1986. While at Baylor, he was part of a group called Kappa Omega Tau. In 1989, he earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Legal Career and Public Service
After law school, Gowdy worked as a law clerk for two judges. One was John P. Gardner on the South Carolina Court of Appeals. The other was federal judge G. Ross Anderson. He then worked at a private law firm. In 1994, he became an assistant United States Attorney. He received an award for successfully prosecuting a person who was on "America's Most Wanted."
In 2000, Gowdy left his job to run for district attorney, or "solicitor," for the 7th Circuit. He won the election and was re-elected in 2004 and 2008 without anyone running against him. During his time as solicitor, he appeared on TV shows like Forensic Files and Dateline NBC. He handled many criminal cases, including some very serious ones.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Trey Gowdy served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. He was known for his legal skills.
Congressional Elections
2010 Election
In 2009, Gowdy decided to run for Congress against the current Republican representative, Bob Inglis. Inglis had been seen as more moderate than some other Republicans. Gowdy was one of several candidates who ran as more conservative.
In the first primary election in June 2010, Gowdy received 39% of the votes. Inglis got 27%. Since no one got more than 50%, Gowdy and Inglis had a second election, called a run-off. Gowdy won the run-off election with 70% of the votes. After winning the Republican primary, Gowdy then won the general election against the Democratic candidate, Paul Corden, with 63% of the votes.
2012 Election
Gowdy ran for re-election for his second term. He ran against Democrat Deb Morrow. During this time, the district boundaries were changed a little. Gowdy was pleased that his home counties remained connected in the district. He easily won re-election, defeating Morrow with 65% of the votes.
2014 Election
Gowdy ran for re-election again in 2014. His only opponent was Curtis E. McLaughlin from the Libertarian Party. Gowdy was re-elected with a large majority, getting 85% of the popular vote.
2016 Election
In the November 2016 election, Gowdy ran against Democrat Chris Fedalei. Gowdy won the election with 67% of the votes, keeping his seat in Congress.
Key Work in Congress
During his time in Congress, Gowdy was seen as a skilled legal expert. He led important investigations while chairing the House Oversight Committee. Some people criticized him for being too partisan in his investigations.
After Donald Trump became president, Gowdy supported the FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. This was different from what some Trump supporters wanted. However, in June 2018, Gowdy asked the Deputy Attorney General to finish the special counsel investigation.
In August 2011, during a debate about the national debt, Gowdy voted against a bill to raise the debt limit. He also opposed a defense bill because he was worried about people being held without trial. Gowdy believed that the government should only act where the Constitution clearly gives it power.
Gowdy served on several important committees. These included the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He often spoke in the House of Representatives about various issues.
In 2012, Gowdy received an award called the "Defender of Economic Freedom." This award is given to members of Congress who score high on a rating system for supporting economic freedom. Gowdy scored 97 out of 100.
Gowdy believes in protecting human life. He also signed the "Contract from America." This plan aimed to change or remove the Affordable Care Act, limit environmental regulations, reform the tax system, and balance the national budget.
In May 2018, Gowdy disagreed with President Trump's claim that the FBI had spied on his 2016 presidential campaign. Gowdy was one of the few people in his party to do so. In June 2018, Speaker Paul Ryan supported Gowdy's view.
At a hearing in July 2018, Gowdy questioned FBI agent Peter Strzok. Gowdy suggested that Strzok had shown bias during the 2016 election. Strzok explained that a text message he sent, which said "we'll stop Trump," was written late at night and was about his personal feelings, not about taking official action. He said he never thought about leaking information that could have harmed Trump.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Subcommittee on Constitution and Civil Justice
- Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations (Chairman)
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and Administrative Rules
- Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs
- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Caucus Memberships
- Republican Study Committee
Presidential Politics
In July 2015, Donald Trump, who was running for president, mentioned Gowdy as a possible choice for Attorney General if Trump won. In late 2015, Gowdy supported Senator Marco Rubio for president. Gowdy praised Rubio for keeping his campaign promises. Rubio later dropped out of the race. Two months later, in May 2016, Gowdy supported Trump for president.
After FBI Director James Comey was dismissed in May 2017, Gowdy was considered to replace him. However, Gowdy told Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he wanted to stay in his congressional seat.
In December 2017, it was reported that a former aide of Gowdy's reached a settlement with Congress. The aide claimed he was fired partly because he was not willing to focus his investigation work on Hillary Clinton. He also claimed it was because he was absent for an Air Force Reserve assignment.
Personal Life
Trey Gowdy is married to Terri (née Dillard). She was once Miss Spartanburg and a runner-up for Miss South Carolina. They have two children, Watson and Abigail. As of January 2019, Terri Gowdy works as a first-grade teacher in the Spartanburg School District.
Images for kids
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Trey Gowdy's signature
