[5] After winning another contested primary against Monroe Swan in 1984, he was elected to five more terms in the Wisconsin Senate facing no opposition until the 2003 recall which ended his career.
[7] Following a two-year investigation, George was found to be one of a dozen lawmakers who accepted small amounts of money from lobbyists in violation of state ethics laws.
The Ozaukee County district attorney investigated and decided to bring charges against Gary George for misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct.
[11] Gary George sought to negotiate a deal with his ex-wife, agreeing on final terms for their divorce in exchange for her agreement to drop the criminal complaint against him.
[14] Despite having no opponent, George raised campaign funds and paid thousands of dollars to a company headed by a close friend.
State banking examiners subsequently discovered a $100,000 shortfall in the accounts of the company, known as First Currency Exchange, and referred the matter to the Milwaukee County District Attorney.
George had founded the company in 1983 and claimed that he turned over control to his brother, Mark, in 1984, to avoid conflicts of interest with his legislative duties.
"[15] Shortly after the reports of the criminal investigation, George was named in two lawsuits against the company by banks who had lent money to the business.
[16] Later that year, George sued Milwaukee Checkcashers, the company which had agreed to acquire ownership of First Currency Exchange around the time of the default.
George alleged that the financial trouble had been caused by Milwaukee Checkcashers' delay in paying off a loan in violation of the terms of the sale.
[17] The state ethics board also began its own investigation and, in September 1995, recommended criminal charges for failing to disclose his interest in and income from the business.
Before the start of the 1997 session, George took the extraordinary step of negotiating with the Republican minority caucus in an attempt to obtain his desired leadership position.
[21] In 1998, George quoted United States Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, saying that Chvala had engaged in a "high-tech lynching" against him.
His opponent in the race was political newcomer, Madison lawyer Ed Garvey, who was best known for his role as an attorney for the NFL players' union.
Democratic leaders in the Senate elected to try to reconcile with George, rather than risk him switching parties and giving Republicans full control of state government.
George threw his support behind Jim Doyle, delivering a significant portion of the African American vote in southeastern Wisconsin in both the primary and general elections.
[33] Early in the 2003 legislative term, a sharp conflict emerged between the new Democratic governor Jim Doyle and the Republican legislature over a gambling regulation bill.
[35] The vote was unpopular in his district, but more importantly it caused a schism with Milwaukee's powerful black media mogul Jerrel Jones.
Years earlier, he had lamented Gary George as one of the state's most gifted black politicians, but one who was just too interested in making money.
Jones was owner of the Milwaukee Courier and WVON radio station, and also a member of the Forest County Potawatomi Community Foundation, which distributed millions in charitable funds from gambling profits.
Mark E. Sostarich, a lawyer who had long worked with and for George, plead guilty in the conspiracy and cooperated with the United States attorney, Steven M.
On August 5, 2004, United States district judge Rudolph T. Randa sentenced George to four years in federal prison.
During that time, George was also implicated in the Vang Pao Laotian coup plot, stemming from a corrupt relationship he maintained with leaders in the Wisconsin Hmong community.
[24] George made a bid for a return to political office in 2014, when he launched a primary challenge against his former state senate colleague, U.S. representative Gwen Moore.