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Packwood had left the chamber he had entered in 1968 as a 36-year-old upstart by September 1995.
Packwood, who was the great-grandson of a participant in the 1857 Oregon Constitutional Convention, established himself as a Republican who was prepared to take on members of his own party.
After President Ronald Reagan publicly accused him of alienating women, African Americans, and Jews, the White House supported a primary opponent.
He was a key player in the comprehensive tax reform of 1986 that reduced the highest income tax bracket and did away with numerous itemized deductions.
From the Oregon House of Representatives to more than a quarter-century in the United States Senate, Bob Packwood was a consequential figure whose influence shaped generations of political leaders and public policy debates.
— Christine Drazan (@ChristineDrazan) June 8, 2026
Investigators also looked into whether Packwood had used Senate employees to intimidate accusers into silence, asked lobbyists for jobs for his ex-wife, and interfered with the investigation by falsifying his personal diaries.
The diaries turned into the main arena of conflict.
In 1993, the Senate debated the subpoena for two days before passing a resounding, bipartisan vote of 94 to 6 to enforce it.
Packwood lost the battle when it went to the federal courts.
William Rehnquist, Chief Justice, declined. The scandal grew after the diaries were turned over.
In 1996, Democrat Ron Wyden won a special election to replace him.
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