Former Michigan U.S. Senator Don Riegle has died. He was 88 years old.
Riegle started his political career as a Republican, became a Democrat, and late in life was a supporter of Bernie Sanders.
Encouraged by Richard Nixon, Riegle ran as a Republican in 1966 and won the congressional seat representing his native Flint.
He was a co-sponsor of a bill to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex or marital status in the granting of credit, also known as the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. It was later signed into law by President Gerald Ford.
But after falling out with Nixon over the Vietnam War and the party’s Southern strategy, Riegle switched parties in 1973.
In 1976, Riegle won the first of three terms in the U.S. Senate.
As Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Riegle's major legislative achievements focused on financial modernization, community development, and interstate banking.
He decided not to seek re-election in 1994, after he was one of five senators accused of improperly intervening in a federal investigation of a Savings and Loan executive.
He was cleared of wrongdoing.
In the 2000’s, Riegle became a supporter of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020.
