In 2000, Toby Eglund wrote: "Sweeney ... embodies that embarrassment of the Left: the rightward drift of America's white working class males.

"[5] He was the Executive Director & Chief Counsel of the New York Republican Party from 1992 to 1995, a period of tremendous success for the state GOP.

As Governor George Pataki's Commissioner of Labor, Sweeney was the point-man on successful efforts to reform the Empire State's Workers' Compensation laws.

[7] Prior to the 1998 election, Sweeney moved from Cohoes to Speigletown, to run for the seat in the district of Republican Representative Gerald Solomon who was retiring.

Sweeney was elected to the US House in 1998, winning with 55 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Jean Bordewich,[9][10] despite the fact that President Bill Clinton carried the district over U.S.

[12] He supported the George W. Bush administration's position on the Iraq War, which was a focus of criticism from his opponent, Kirsten Gillibrand, in the 2006 race.

[15] He voted for prayer in public schools on numerous occasions and the National Education Association gives him an 18% approval rating.

Following his congressional tenure, Sweeney returned to the political process both locally and nationally as an election and compliance lawyer and strategist.

In April 2016, Sweeney was hired by Donald Trump's campaign to help organize New York during the primary and do compliance work.

[25] Sweeney was later promoted to a four-member "Tiger Team" for Trump, tasked with conducting interviews with potential nominees for ambassadorships and other high-level positions in various federal departments and agencies.

He defended his actions in connection with the incident as "completely and absolutely legitimate" and declared that his intent was only to stop the canvassing board from withdrawing its activities from public view.

[30] Former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, in his book Winning Right, wrote that the night before the recount began in Miami-Dade County, Sweeney was one of about a dozen Bush campaign operatives who gathered at Joe's Stone Crab in South Beach, that set out the campaign's media strategy.

"[31] In September 2006, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) included Sweeney on its annual list of "The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress," citing ethical concerns arising from a "ski trip to New York, the exchange of legislative assistance for campaign contributions and the hiring of his wife as a campaign fundraiser.

In January 2006, Sweeney, his wife, and about 60 other people spent a four-day weekend at the facilities, competing against each other in skating, downhill skiing and bobsledding events.

[36] Three committees of the NY State Assembly have launched investigations of the Challenge, focusing on whether public money was put to good use.

ORDA President Ted Blazer, speaking at one such hearing, said Sweeney's office helped assemble lists of possible invitees to the event.

intended to provide an opportunity for Members of Congress and Congressional staff to inspect and evaluate the manner in which federal funds have been used to strengthen the area's tourism industry.

The group, formed to promote relations with Caribbean nations, took 11 trips to places like St. Croix, Montego Bay and Key Biscayne.

The meetings, which included receptions with lobster, caviar and wine, cost $311,307 and were paid for by the Inter-American Economic Council, a non-profit funded by Stanford.

Other members of the Caucus included convicted influence peddler Rep. Bob Ney and close Sweeney friend Rep. Pete Sessions.

"[43] On October 31, 2006, the Albany Times Union reported on a 9-1-1 call made by Sweeney's wife in December 2005, in which she complained that her husband had been "'knocking her around' during a late-night argument at the couple's home."

The responding officers filed a domestic incident report, which states that Sweeney allegedly grabbed his wife "by the neck" and pushed her around the house.

[44][45] John and Gaia Sweeney subsequently said they would give the New York State Police permission to release a report about the incident.

[52] Sweeney was charged with aggravated DWI when he was arrested by New York State Police at 1:19 a.m. on November 11, 2007, on the Adirondack Northway, a stretch of Interstate 87.

[5] in a February 2010 plea deal, Sweeney admitted to driving drunk and pleaded guilty to lesser charges,[56] specifically a misdemeanor count.

[58] In addition to jail, Sweeney was also sentenced to three years of probation, 300 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay $2,000 in fines and surcharges.

[60] During the meeting, McLaughlin, County Director of Operations Richard Christ, County Director of Purchasing James Gordon, and Sweeney pressured Reale to drop out of the mayoral race and endorse Rodney Wiltshire, a third-party candidate defeated in the Democratic primary by incumbent Democratic Mayor Patrick Madden.