A Republican, he was chosen as Newt Gingrich's successor as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, a position he declined following revelations of an extramarital affair.

[3] Livingston is a direct descendant of Henry Livingston, who was probably the (then anonymous) author of the poem, The Night Before Christmas,[citation needed]and French Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse, who together with General George Washington cornered and defeated British General Cornwallis in the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia, thereby concluding the American Revolutionary War.

In July 2006, their son Richard died after being electrocuted by a live wire while trimming a tree damaged by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Treen had been an active Republican in the days when the party barely existed in Louisiana, and this connection allowed Livingston to make valuable contacts in GOP circles.

"Billy" Guste Jr. Livingston resigned his position as head of the state attorney general's organized crime unit in 1976 when he won the Republican nomination for Louisiana's 1st Congressional District, encompassing roughly half of New Orleans and many of its surrounding suburbs.

The seat, which had been trending Republican for some time at the national level, had opened up when 36-year incumbent Democrat and former House Armed Services Committee chairman F. Edward Hébert retired.

Livingston was denied victory when a third-party candidate, former Sixth District Congressman John Rarick, formerly of St. Francisville in West Feliciana Parish, filed as an independent in the last days of the race.

Rarick, who had been one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress during his tenure, siphoned off roughly 9% of the votes cast, enabling Tonry to win with a plurality.

[5][6] Faucheux later lost an attempt to unseat New Orleans Mayor Dutch Morial in 1982, and was named Secretary of Commerce by Governor Edwin Washington Edwards in 1984.

Livingston was aided by a cadre of dedicated Republican volunteers, including the newly installed National Committeewoman Virginia Martinez of Kenner.

In 1998, Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt offered up to $1 million for anyone providing tips about unflattering sexual stories regarding members of Congress or high government officials.

[10] Livingston learned late on the night of December 15, 1998—just days before the full House of Representatives was about to begin debating the impeachment of President Clinton—that Flynt had been in contact with at least one woman with whom he had had an extramarital affair.

[17]) In a subsequent speech, hurriedly written after consultation with the White House, Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri proclaimed "We need to stop destroying imperfect people at the altar of an unobtainable morality", and praised Livingston and encouraged members to applaud him, which they did, giving the Louisianan standing ovations.

"[20] Years later, Livingston recalled giving Hastert "a foot-thick binder" filled with notes intended to help him become a successful Speaker, "and if he read any part of the thing, I'd be surprised.

Because of a last-week surge to his fellow U.S. representative, Buddy Roemer of Louisiana's 4th congressional district, Livingston fell ten points short of a runoff berth.

Two other major candidates finished behind Livingston: the Democratic (later Republican) representative Billy Tauzin of Louisiana's 3rd congressional district and the outgoing Secretary of State James H. "Jim" Brown.

Despite his showing in the gubernatorial race, Livingston remained popular in his district and went on to win easy re-elections as he moved up the leadership ladder in the House.

[29] On October 30, 2019, U.S. State Department employee Catherine Croft noted in her opening statement to the congressional committees conducting the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump: During my time at the NSC, I received multiple calls from lobbyist Robert Livingston, who told me that Ambassador Yovanovitch should be fired.