Fred Thompson

Fred Dalton ThompsonMathews, Joe. “An in-law-made man”, Los Angeles Times (2007-09-06): “Thompson stopped using the name Freddie in his professional dealings and became Fred.” (born Freddie Dalton Thompson; August 19, 1942 – November 1, 2015) was an American politician, actor, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, and radio host. Thompson, a Republican, served in the United States Senate representing Tennessee from 1994 to 2003.
Thompson served as chairman of the International Security Advisory Board at the United States Department of State, was a member of the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and was a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, specializing in national security and intelligence.American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Scholars & Fellows.U.S. Department of State
As an actor, Thompson appeared in a number of movies and television shows as well as in commercials. He frequently portrayed governmental figures. In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch.
==Early life and education==
Thompson was born in Sheffield, Alabama, the son of Ruth Inez (née Bradley) and Fletcher Session Thompson (born Lauderdale County, Alabama, August 26, 1919, died Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, May 27, 1990), who was an automobile salesman.Fred Dalton Thompson Biography (1942-) via filmreference.com. He attended public school in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, graduating from Lawrence County High School. Thereafter, he worked days in the local post office, and nights at the Murray bicycle assembly plant.
Thompson then entered Florence State College (now the University of North Alabama), becoming the first member of his family to go to university."About Fred", via imwithfred.com (Official Site). Retrieved (2007-07-13). He later transferred to Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis, where he earned a double degree in philosophy and political science in 1964, as well as scholarships to both Tulane and Vanderbilt University law schools. He went on to earn his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Vanderbilt Law School in 1967.
==Career as an attorney==
Thompson was admitted to the State Bar of Tennessee in 1967. At that time, he shortened his first name from Freddie to Fred.
He worked as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972,Fred Thompson Hometown Biography, Lawrenceburg Tennessee successfully prosecuting bank robberies and other cases. Thompson was the campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senator Howard Baker's reelection campaign in 1972 and was minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in its investigation of the Watergate scandal (1973–1974).
In the 1980s Thompson worked as an attorney, with law offices in Nashville and Washington, D.C.,Fred Thompson for President in 2008 handling personal injury claims and defending people accused of white collar crimes.Vogel, Kenneth. "Rivals Take Aim At Thompson", CBS News (2007-06-12). Retrieved 2007-07-08. He also accepted appointments as Special Counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1980–1981), Special Counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee (1982), and Member of the Appellate Court Nominating Commission for the State of Tennessee (1985–1987).
His clients included a German mining group and Japan's Toyota Motors Corporation. Thompson served on various corporate boards. He also did legal work and served on the board of directors for engineering firm Stone & Webster.
===Role in Watergate hearings===
In 1973, Thompson was appointed minority counsel to assist the Republican senators on the Senate Watergate Committee, a special committee convened by the U.S. Senate to investigate the Watergate scandal. Thompson was sometimes credited for supplying Republican Senator Howard Baker's famous question, "What did the President know, and when did he know it?" This question is said to have helped frame the hearings in a way that eventually led to the downfall of President Richard Nixon.
A Republican staff member, Donald Sanders, found out about the White House tapes and informed the committee on July 13, 1973. Thompson was informed of the existence of the tapes, and he in turn informed Nixon's attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt.
 "Even though I had no authority to act for the committee, I decided to call Fred Buzhardt at home," Thompson later wrote,
 "I wanted to be sure that the White House was fully aware of what was to be disclosed so that it could take appropriate action."
Three days after Sanders' discovery, at a public, televised committee hearing, Thompson asked former White House aide Alexander Butterfield the famous question, "Mr. Butterfield, were you aware of the existence of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the President?" thereby publicly revealing the existence of tape recordings of conversations within the White House. National Public Radio later called that session and the discovery of the Watergate tapes "a turning point in the investigation.""Thompson's Watergate Role Not as Advertised" by Peter Obervy. National Public Radio. Published November 5, 2007
Thompson's appointment as minority counsel to the Senate Watergate committee reportedly upset Nixon, who believed Thompson was not skilled enough to interrogate unfriendly witnesses and would be outfoxed by the committee Democrats. According to historian Stanley Kutler, however, Thompson and Baker "carried water for the White House, but I have to give them credit — they were watching out for their interests, too... They weren't going to mindlessly go down the tubes [for Nixon]." When the Watergate investigation began to pick up speed, tapes revealed that Nixon remarked to his then-Chief of Staff Alexander Haig, "Oh shit, he's dumb as hell."
Journalist Scott Armstrong, a Democratic investigator for the Senate Watergate Committee, is critical of Thompson for having disclosed the committee's knowledge of the tapes to Buzhardt during an ongoing investigation and says Thompson was "a mole for the White House" and that Thompson's actions gave the White House a chance to destroy the tapes. and Thompson's 1975 book At That Point in Time in turn accused Armstrong of having been too close to The Washington Post's Bob Woodward and of leaking committee information to him. In response to renewed interest in this matter, in 2007 during his presidential campaign, Thompson said, "I'm glad all of this has finally caused someone to read my Watergate book, even though it's taken them over 30 years."
===Corruption case against Tennessee governor===
In 1977, Thompson represented Marie Ragghianti, a former Tennessee Parole Board chair, who had been fired for refusing to release felons after they had bribed aides to Democratic Governor Ray Blanton in order to obtain clemency.Fred Rolater, Leonard Ray Blanton, Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2002. Retrieved 2007-07-31. With Thompson's assistance, Ragghianti filed a wrongful termination suit against Blanton's office. During the trial, Thompson helped expose the cash-for-clemency scheme that eventually led to Blanton's removal from office. In July 1978, a jury awarded Ragghianti $38,000 in back pay and ordered her reinstatement.
==Lobbyist==
Thompson earned about one million dollars in total from his lobbying efforts. Except for the year 1981, his lobbying never amounted to more than one-third of his income.Locker, Richard. "Thompson tells why lobbyist pay rose with GOP-led Senate", Commercial Appeal (1994-11-05). According to the Commercial Appeal newspaper:
Fred Thompson earned about half a million dollars from Washington lobbying from 1975 through 1993 ... Lobbyist disclosure records show Thompson had six lobbying clients: Westinghouse, two cable television companies, the Tennessee Savings and Loan League, the Teamsters Union's Central States Pension Fund, and a Baltimore-based business coalition that lobbied for federal grants.
Thompson lobbied Congress on behalf of the Tennessee Savings and Loan League to pass the Garn–St. Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982, which deregulated the Savings and Loan industry. A large congressional majority and President Ronald Reagan supported the act but it was said to be a factor that led to the savings and loan crisis.Leibold, Arthur. "Some Hope for the Future After a Failed National Policy for Thrifts" in Barth, James et al. The Savings and Loan Crisis: Lessons from a Regulatory Failure, pages 58–59 (2004). Leibold cites Strunk and Case, Where Regulation Went Wrong: A Look at the Causes Behind Savings and Loan Failures in the 1980s, pages 14–16 (1988). Thompson received $1,600 for communicating with some congressional staffers on this issue.
When Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown in 1991, Thompson made a telephone call to White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu advocating restoration of Aristide's government, but says that was as a private citizen, not on a paid basis on Aristide's behalf.Vogel, Kenneth. "'Law & Order' And Lobbying", The Politico (2007-04-02).
Billing records show that Thompson was paid for about 20 hours of work in 1991 and 1992 on behalf of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, a family planning group trying to ease a George H. W. Bush administration regulation on abortion counseling in federally funded clinics. The records show he spent much of that time in telephone conferences with the president of the group. He also spoke to administration officials on its behalf three times for a total of about three hours, but it is unclear who in the administration Thompson spoke with or when. When the work became controversial in 2007 in light of Thompson's pro-life stance and 2008 presidential campaign, a Thompson spokesperson said, "The [lobbying] firm consulted with Fred Thompson. It is not unusual for a lawyer to give counsel at the request of colleagues, even when they personally disagree with the issue." See Jo Becker, Records Show Ex-Senator’s Work for Family Planning Unit, The New York Times, (2007-07-19). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
After leaving the Senate in 2003, Thompson's only lobbying work was for the London-based reinsurance company Equitas Ltd. He was paid $760,000 between 2004 and 2006 in order to help prevent passage of legislation that Equitas said unfairly singled them out for unfavorable treatment regarding asbestos claims.Dilanian, Ken. Past as lobbyist may play into future as candidate, USA Today (2007-06-06). Thompson spokesman Mark Corrallo said that Thompson was proud to have been a lobbyist and believed in Equitas' cause.Birnbaum, Jeffrey. "Thompson Will Take On Outsider Role After Playing Access Man", Washington Post, June 12, 2007
After Thompson was elected to the Senate, two of his sons followed him into the lobbying business, but generally avoided clients where a possible conflict-of-interest might appear. When he left the Senate, some of his political action committee's fees went to the lobbying firm of one of his sons.Mullins, Brody. "Thompson PAC Benefits Son More Than Republicans," Wall Street Journal (2007-04-21).
==Acting career==
Marie Ragghianti's case became the subject of a book, Marie, written by Peter Maas and published in 1983. The film rights were purchased by director Roger Donaldson, who, after traveling to Nashville to speak with the people involved with the original case, asked Thompson if he wanted to play himself. The resulting film, Marie, was Thompson's first acting role and was released in 1985. Roger Donaldson then cast Thompson in the part of CIA Director in the 1987 film No Way Out. In 1990, he was cast as Trudeau the head of Dulles Airport in the action sequel Die Hard 2, as an admiral in The Hunt for Red October, and as "Big John", the President of NASCAR in the movie Days of Thunder (patterned on Big Bill France). Thompson would go on to appear in many films and television shows. A 1994 New York Times profile wrote "When Hollywood directors need someone who can personify governmental power, they often turn to [Thompson]." He portrayed a fictional President of the United States in Last Best Chance as well as two historical presidents: Ulysses S. Grant in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) and the voice of Andrew Jackson in Rachel and Andrew Jackson: A Love Story (both produced for TV).Keel, Beverly. "On screen, Thompson projects power, wisdom", The Tennessean (2007-05-08).
In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing conservative District Attorney Arthur Branch for the next five years. Thompson began filming during the August 2002 Senate recess.Lawrimore, Erin. "Biography/History", University of Tennessee Special Collections Library (2005).
He made occasional appearances in the same role on other TV shows, such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and the pilot episode of Conviction. On May 30, 2007, he asked to be released from the role, potentially in preparation for a presidential bid. Due to concerns about the equal-time rule, reruns featuring the Branch character were not shown on NBC while Thompson was a potential or actual presidential candidate, but TNT episodes were unaffected."TNT won't pull reruns starring Thompson", Seattle Times (2007-09-01).
In May 2007 he took a break from acting in order to run for the Republican nomination for president in the 2008 election, winning 11 delegates before dropping out of the race in January 2008. In 2009, he returned to acting with a guest appearance on the ABC television series Life on Marshttp://www.imdb.com/character/ch0025005/ and in the movie Alleged, about the Scopes Trial.
==Senate (1994–2003)==
===Two campaigns for U.S. Senate===
In 1994, Thompson was elected to finish the remaining two years of Al Gore's unexpired U.S. Senate term. During the 1994 campaign, Thompson's opponent was longtime Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper. Thompson campaigned in a red pickup truck, and Cooper charged Thompson "is a lobbyist and actor who talks about lower taxes, talks about change, while he drives a rented stage prop."Powers, William. "The Politician's Pickup Lines", Washington Post (1994-10-21). There is some question about whether Thompson actually did the driving. According to Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly, "Thompson didn't even deign to drive the thing himself." Drum, Kevin. "Fred Thompson's Red Pick-up Truck", Washington Monthly (2007-05-07). Retrieved 2007-06-18. Media reports in May and June 2007 said that Thompson still has the truck, which is "parked behind Thompson's mother's home outside Nashville." Chipman, Kim. "Thompson's Backers Check His `Fire in the Belly' for 2008 Race", Bloomberg (2007-06-28). According to Newsweek, "The paint is peeling and its U.S. Senate license plates expired back in 2002." Bailey, Holly. "The Sign of the Red Truck", Newsweek (2007-05-28). Retrieved 2007-07-10. In a good year for Republican candidates,Traub, James. "Party Like It's 1994", New York Times Magazine (2006-03-12): "The Republicans shocked political professionals, including President Bill Clinton, by gaining 52 seats in the House, giving them a majority there for the first time in 40 years. (They picked up eight seats in the Senate to wrest control there as well.)" Thompson defeated Cooper in a landslide, overcoming Cooper's early 20 percent lead in the polls to defeat him by an even greater margin. On the same night Thompson was elected to fill Gore's unexpired term, political newcomer Bill Frist, a Nashville heart surgeon, defeated three-term incumbent Democrat Jim Sasser, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, for Tennessee's other Senate seat, which was up for a full six-year term. The twin victories by Thompson and Frist gave Republicans control of both of Tennessee's Senate seats for the first time since Sasser ousted incumbent Bill Brock in 1976.
In 1996, Thompson was re-elected (for the term ending January 3, 2003) with 61 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic attorney Houston Gordon of Covington, Tennessee, even as Bill Clinton and running mate Al Gore narrowly carried the state by less than three percentage points on their way to re-election."United States of America Presidential Elections of 1996, Electoral College Vote by States", Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. During this campaign, Mike Long served as Thompson's chief speechwriter. The GOP continues to hold the seat, as it was won by former Tennessee Governor and Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in 2002. Frist won re-election in 2000 before retiring in 2006, when Bob Corker held the seat for the Republicans despite the Democrats winning control of the House and Senate.
===Electoral history===
===Senate career===
thumb|upright|Senator Thompson meeting with U.S. soldiers in South Korea, 2001
In 1996, Thompson was a member of the Committee on Governmental Affairs when the committee investigated the alleged Chinese attempts to influence American politics. Thompson says he was "largely stymied" during these investigations by witnesses declining to testify; claiming the right not to incriminate themselves or by simply leaving the country. Thompson explained, "Our work was affected tremendously by the fact that Congress is a much more partisan institution than it used to be."Thompson, Fred. "Additional Views of Chairman Fred Thompson, Investigation of Illegal or Improper Activities in Connection With 1996 Federal Election Campaigns, Final Report of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, Senate Report 105-167 – 105th Congress 2d Session" (1998-03-10).
Thompson became committee chairman in 1997 but was reduced to ranking minority member when the Democrats took control of the Senate in 2001.Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, History of Committee Chairmen. Retrieved (2007-07-13). Thompson served on the Finance Committee (dealing with health care, trade, Social Security, and taxation), the Intelligence Committee, and the National Security Working Group.Sen. Thompson's Official Senate Web Site (via Archive.org).
Thompson's work included investigation of the "Umm Hajul controversy" which involved the death of Tennessean Lance Fielder during the Gulf War. During his term he supported campaign finance reform, opposed proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and promoted government efficiency and accountability. During the 1996 presidential debates, he also served as a Clinton stand-in to help prepare Bob Dole.
On February 12, 1999, the Senate voted on the Clinton impeachment. The perjury charge was defeated with 45 votes for conviction, and 55, including Thompson, against. The obstruction of justice charge was defeated with 50, including Thompson, for conviction, and 50 against. Conviction on impeachment charges requires the affirmative votes of 67 senators.
===Campaign co-chairman for John McCain===
In the 2000 Republican presidential primaries, Thompson backed former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, who eventually succeeded Thompson in the Senate two years later. When Alexander dropped out, Thompson endorsed Senator John McCain's bid and became his national co-chairman. After George W. Bush won the primaries, both McCain and Thompson were considered as potential running mates."Bush: 'The days of speculation are over'", USA Today (2000-07-22).Zuckerbrod, Nancy."Thompson eyed for vice presidential role", via oakridger.com 2000-07-03). Retrieved 2007-07-10. 
Thompson was not a candidate for re-election in 2002. He had publicly stated his unwillingness to have the Senate become a long-term career. Although he announced in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks his intention to seek re-election ("Now is not the time for me to leave," said Thompson at the time), upon further reflection he decided against it. The decision seems to have been prompted in large part by the death of his daughter.
===Ratings===
Thompson had an 86.1 percent lifetime (1995–2002) American Conservative Union vote rating, compared to 89.3 for Bill Frist and 82.3 for John McCain."How conservative is Fred Thompson?", Washington Times Editorial (2007-06-23).Profile at Project Vote Smart (including bio, positions, finances, interest group ratings, votes, and statements). Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) characterized her colleague this way: "I believe that Fred is a fearless senator. By that I mean he was never afraid to cast a vote or take a stand, regardless of the political consequences."Theobald, Bill."In D.C., tenacious Thompson defied prediction: Reliable conservative had fierce independent streak", The Tennessean (2007-07-08). Thompson was "on the short end of a couple of 99-1 votes," voting against those who wanted to federalize matters that he believed were properly left to state and local officials.
With Thompson's decision to campaign for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, his Senate record received some criticism from people who say he was "lazy" compared to other Senators.""Thompson and the 'Laziness' Issue"" Newsweek (2007-09-29) Critics say that few of his proposals became law, and point to a 1998 quote: "I don't like spending 14- and 16-hour days voting on 'sense of the Senate' resolutions on irrelevant matters. There are some important things we really need to get on with—and on a daily basis, it's very frustrating." Defenders say he spent more time in preparation than other Senators. Paul Noe, a former staffer, told the New York Times, "On the lazy charge, I have to chuckle because I was there sometimes until 1 in the morning working with the man."""G.O.P. Hopeful Took Own Path in the Senate"" The New York Times (2007-09-29)
== Post-Senate activities ==
===Political work===
In March 2003, Thompson was featured in a commercial by the conservative non-profit group Citizens United that advocated the invasion of Iraq, stating: "When people ask what has Saddam done to us, I ask, what had the 9/11 hijackers done to us -- before 9/11."
Thompson did voice-over work at the 2004 Republican National Convention.Goldsmith, Brian. "Beware The 'Convention Candidates'", CBS News (2007-04-20). While narrating a video for that convention, Thompson observed: "History throws you what it throws you, and you never know what’s coming."Thompson, Fred. "The Pitch", via YouTube. Retrieved (2007-07-13).
After the retirement of Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2005, Bush appointed Thompson to an informal position to help guide the nomination of John Roberts through the United States Senate confirmation process. Roberts was subsequently confirmed as Chief Justice.
Until July 2007, Thompson was Chair of the International Security Advisory Board, a bipartisan advisory panel that reports to the Secretary of State and focuses on emerging strategic threats.International Security Advisory Board, Former Members, State Department web site. In that capacity, he advised the State Department about all aspects of arms control, disarmament, international security, and related aspects of public diplomacy.International Security Advisory Board, State Department web site.
===Legal defense for Lewis Libby===
In 2006, he served on the advisory board of the legal defense fund for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Jr, who was indicted and later convicted of lying to federal investigators during their investigation of the Plame affair.
Thompson, who had never met Libby before volunteering for the advisory board, said he was convinced Libby was innocent. The Scooter Libby Legal Defense Fund Trust set out to raise more than $5 million to help finance the legal defense of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff.
Loller, Travis. "Looking at Thompson's Lobbying Past", ABC News (2007-06-25).
Thompson hosted a fundraiser for the Libby defense fund at his home in McLean, Virginia.
Copeland, Libby and Montgomery, David. "Scooter Libby's Pals, Trusting In Providence", Washington Post (2007-07-03).
After Bush commuted Libby's sentence,George W. Bush, "Statement by the President", The White House, July 2, 2007, accessed 2 July 2007. Thompson released a statement: "I am very happy for Scooter Libby. I know that this is a great relief to him, his wife and children. This will allow a good American, who has done a lot for his country, to resume his life."
===Radio analyst===
In 2006, he signed on with ABC News Radio to serve as senior analyst and vacation replacement for Paul Harvey.Miller, Korin. Names and Faces, The Washington Post (2006-02-25). He used that platform to spell out his positions on a number of political issues. A July 3, 2007 update to Thompson's ABC News Radio home page referred to him as a "former ABC News Radio contributor", indicating that Thompson had been released from his contract with the broadcaster.The Fred Thompson Report, ABC Radio Networks. He did not return after his campaign ended.
===Columnist===
He signed a deal with Salem Communications's Townhall.com to write for the organization's magazine, Townhall, from April 23, 2007 until August 21, 2007, and from June 8, 2008 until November 17, 2008. In March 2010, About.com, owned by The New York Times Company, named Thompson one of the top 20 conservatives to follow on Twitter."Top Conservatives on Twitter", About.com, The New York Times Company, March 7, 2010.
==2008 presidential campaign==
On March 11, 2007, Thompson appeared on Fox News Sunday to discuss the possibility of a 2008 candidacy for president. At the end of March, Thompson asked to be released from his television contract, potentially in preparation for a presidential bid.Associated Press and Cameron, Carl. "Fred Thompson Quits 'Law & Order,' Moves Closer to 2008 White House Bid", Fox News (2007-05-31). Thompson formed a presidential exploratory committee regarding his possible 2008 campaign for president on June 1, 2007, but unlike most candidate exploratory groups, Thompson's organized as a 527 group.
Thompson continued to be mentioned as a potential candidate, but did not officially declare his candidacy. On June 12, Thompson told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show that while he did not crave the presidency itself, there were things he would like to do that he could only do by holding that office. A New York Times article cited Thompson's aides as saying on July 18 that he planned to enter the race just after Labor Day (the first Monday in September), followed by a national announcement tour.Nagourney, Adam. "Candidates Shift as G.O.P. Field Alters", NY Times (2007-07-19).
On September 5, 2007, Thompson made his candidacy official, announcing on The Tonight Show that "I'm running for president of the United States" and running an ad during a Republican Presidential candidates debate on Fox News. Brief excerpts from the Tonight Show appearance are available from NBC. The full Tonight Show transcript is . In both cases he pointed people to his campaign website to watch a 15-minute video detailing his platform. His campaign entrance was described as "lackluster" and "awkward" despite high expectations in anticipation of his joining the race. Fred Thompson was endorsed by the Virginia Society for Human Life and several other Pro Life organizations.Nation's Oldest Right to Life Organization Supporting Thompson Standard News Wire.com, 20 December. Retrieved: 9 September 2013.Fred Thompson Receives the Endorsement of Virginia Society for Human Life Presidency Project UCSB.EDU, 20 December 2007. Retrieved: 9 September 2013.
In nationwide polling toward the end of 2007, Thompson's support in the Republican primary election was sliding, with Thompson placing either third or fourth in polls.
On January 22, 2008, after attracting little support in the early primaries, Thompson confirmed he had withdrawn from the Presidential race. In a statement issued by his campaign, Thompson said:
Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people.
==Post-campaign==
Thompson signed an agreement to be returned as an actor with the William Morris Agency.
He spoke at the 2008 Republican National Convention on September 2 in Minnesota, where he described in graphic detail presumptive Republican nominee John McCain's torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese during his imprisonment, and gave an endorsement of McCain for President.
In 2009 he returned to acting with a guest appearance on the ABC television series Life on Mars and as William Jennings Bryan in the TV movie Alleged, based on the Scopes Monkey Trial. Thompson portrays Frank Michael Thomas in the CBS series The Good Wife; besides having a similar name, Thomas also shares Thompson's love for acting and the law.
On March 2, 2009 he took over on Westwood One's east coast noon time slot, hosting the talk radio program The Fred Thompson Show, after Bill O'Reilly ended The Radio Factor. It was co-hosted for a time by his wife, Jeri. Thompson's final show for Westwood One was aired on January 21, 2011. Douglas Urbanski took Thompson's place in the Westwood One syndication lineup.
In May 2010, Thompson became an advertising spokesman for American Advisors Group, a reverse mortgage lender.AAG Announces Fred Thompson as Reverse Mortgage SpokesmanAmerican Advisors Group Announces Senator Fred Thompson as National Reverse Mortgage Spokesperson
In 2014, Thompson appeared in a film, Persecuted, on religious freedom, government surveillance and censorship.
==Political positions==
Thompson said that federalism was his "lodestar", which provides "a basis for a proper analysis of most issues: 'Is this something government should be doing? If so, at what level of government?'"Thompson, Fred. "Federalism 'n' Me", AEI (2007-04-23). Retrieved 2007-05-13.
Thompson stated that "Roe v. Wade was bad law and bad medical science," and that judges should not be determining social policy. Thompson stated the government should not criminally prosecute women who undergo early term abortions."Exclusive! Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson on Possible White House Bid", Fox News Interview (2007-06-05).Bailey, Holly. "Away From the Cameras," Newsweek (2007-06-25).
Thompson did not support a federal ban on gay marriage but would have supported a constitutional amendment to keep one state's recognition of such marriages from resulting in all states having to recognise them.
Thompson said citizens are entitled to keep and bear arms if they do not have criminal recordsThompson, Fred. "Armed with the Truth", ABC Radio, May 10, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2007. and the Gun Owners of America says that he voted pro-gun in 20 of 33 gun-related votes during his time in the Senate.
Thompson said that U.S. borders should be secured before considering comprehensive immigration reform,Thompson, Fred. "Prepared Remarks for Speech to Lincoln Club Annual Dinner", ABC Radio, May 4, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2007. but he also supports a path to citizenship for illegal aliens saying “You’re going to have to, in some way, work out a deal where they can have some aspirations of citizenship, but not make it so easy that it’s unfair to the people waiting in line and abiding by the law.”YouTube – Fred on the issues Thompson supported the U.S. 2003 invasion of Iraq107th Congress-2nd Session 237th Roll Call Vote by members of the Senate
and was opposed to withdrawing troops, but believed that "mistakes have been made" since the invasion.
Thompson initially supported the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation, but later said that certain parts should be repealed.Sean Hannity interview of Fred Thompson, Fox News, June 6, 2007. Accessed June 9, 2007.
Thompson was skeptical that human efforts cause global warming and pointed to parallel warming on Mars and other planets as an example.Thompson, Fred. "Plutonic Warming", AEI, March 22, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2007.
==Personal life==
===Marriages and children===
In September 1959, at the age of 17, Thompson married Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey.: "In the summer of 1959 ... Lindsey told Thompson she was pregnant. He responded, friends say, by asking her to marry him ... Freddie and Sarah exchanged vows in a Methodist church during the second week of his senior year. Seven months later, in April 1960, 17-year-old Thompson had a son." Their son, Freddie Dalton "Tony" Thompson, Jr., was born in April 1960. Another son and a daughter were born soon thereafter. While Thompson was attending law school, both his wife and he worked to pay for his education and support their three children.
The couple divorced in 1985. They have two surviving children, as well as five grandchildren. Thompson's daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" Thompson Panici died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs on January 30, 2002.
While single, Thompson had been romantically linked to country singer Lorrie Morgan, Republican fundraiser Georgette Mosbacher, and columnist Margaret Carlson.Baxter, Sarah."Old Girlfriends Cast Their Vote for Thompson", Times Online (2007-06-24).
In July 1996, Thompson began dating Jeri Kehn (born 1966) and the two married almost six years later on June 29, 2002. When Thompson was asked in a December 2007 Associated Press survey of the candidates to name his favorite possession, he replied, tongue-in-cheek "trophy wife". The couple have two children, a daughter Hayden born in 2003 and a son Samuel born in 2006.
===Religion===
Thompson was raised in the Churches of Christ. According to Thompson, his values come from "sitting around the kitchen table" with his parents, and from the Church of Christ. While talking to reporters in South Carolina, Thompson said, "I attend church when I'm in Tennessee. I'm [living] in McLean right now. I don't attend regularly when I'm up there."Kim Chipman, "Thompson Says He's No Churchgoer, Won't Tout Religion on Stump", Bloomberg (2007-09-11). On occasion, Thompson attended Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, Virginia. He did not speak much about his religion during his campaign, saying, "Me getting up and talking about what a wonderful person I am and that sort of thing, I'm not comfortable with that, and I don't think it does me any good."
===Cancer and death===
Thompson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a form of cancer, in 2004. In 2007, Thompson stated: "I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms. My life expectancy should not be affected. I am in remission, and it is very treatable with drugs if treatment is needed in the future—and with no debilitating side effects."
Reportedly indolent, Thompson's NHL was the lowest of three grades of NHL, and was the rare nodal marginal zone lymphoma. it accounts for only one to three percent of all cases.Bloom, Mark. "Fred Thompson, GOP Potential Candidate, Had Rare NHL," MedPage Today (2007-04-11).
On November 1, 2015, Thompson died from a recurrence of lymphoma at the age of 73.
== Filmography ==
Year	Film 	Role 	Notes
1985	Marie 	Himself 	Fred Thompson's first film
1987	No Way Out 	CIA Director Marshall 	
1988	Unholy Matrimony 	Frank Sweeny 	TV film
1988	Feds 	Bill Bilecki 	
1989	Fat Man and Little Boy 	Maj. Gen. Melrose Hayden Barry 	Movie about the Manhattan Project. Thompson's character may loosely be based on General Brehon B. Somervell, who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon.
1990	The Hunt for Red October 	Rear Admiral Joshua Painter 	
1990	Days of Thunder 	Big John 	
1990	Die Hard 2 	Trudeau 	
1991	Flight of the Intruder 	Court-Martial Captain 	
1991	Necessary Roughness 	Carver Purcell 	
1991	Class Action 	Dr. Getchell 	
1991	Curly Sue 	Bernie Oxbar 	
1991	Cape Fear 	Tom Broadbent 	
1992	Aces: Iron Eagle III 	Stockman 	
1992	Bed of Lies 	Richard 'Racehorse' Haynes 	TV Film
1992	Thunderheart 	William Dawes 	Loosely based on the Wounded Knee Incident
1992	White Sands 	Arms dealer 	
1992	Stay the Night 	Det. Malone 	TV Film
1992	Day-O 	Frank DeGeorgio 	TV Film
1992	Keep the Change 	Otis 	TV Film
1993	Barbarians at the Gate 	James D. Robinson III 	TV Film about the 1988 leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco.
1993	Born Yesterday 	Sen. Hedges 	Remake of the 1950 film based on Born Yesterday, a play by Garson Kanin.
1993	In the Line of Fire 	White House Chief of Staff Harry Sargent	
1994	Baby's Day Out 	FBI Agent Dale Grissom 	
2001	Rachel and Andrew Jackson: A Love Story	Andrew Jackson 	Voice
2004	Evel Knievel 	Jay Sarno 	TV Film
2005	Racing Stripes 	Sir Trenton 	(voice only)
2005	Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World 	Himself 	Although Thompson plays himself, it is a slightly fictionalized version.
2007	Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee 	President Ulysses S. Grant 	Based on the book of the same name, which is about the Native American experience in the American West during the late 19th century.
2010	Ironmen 	Governor Neeley 	
2010	Secretariat 	Arthur "Bull" Hancock 	Film is about the United States' Hall of Fame racehorse Secretariat.
2010	The Genesis Code 	Judge Hardin 	Film is based on debates about the relationship between religion and science.
2010	Alleged 	William Jennings Bryan 	Film is about the 1925 Scopes Trial.
2011	The Last Ride 	O'Keefe 	Film is about legendary country music singer Hank Williams's self-destruction due to his dangerous addictions to drugs and alcohol.
2012	Sinister 	Sheriff 	directed and co-written by Scott Derrickson
2013	23 Blast 	Coach Powers 	
2014	Persecuted 	Fr. Charles Luther 	
2015	Unlimited 	Harold Finch 	
2015	A Larger Life 	Robert Parker 	
2015	90 Minutes in Heaven 	Jay B. Perkins 	
===Television===
Year 	Series 	Role 	Episode count
1988 	Wiseguy 	Knox Pooley 	3 Episodes
1989 	China Beach 	Lt. Col. Reinhardt 	1 Episode
1989 	Roseanne 	Keith Faber 	1 Episode
1989 	Matlock 	Gordon Lewis 	2 Episodes
1993 	Matlock 	Prosecutor McGonigal 	1 Episode
2000 	Sex and the City 	Politician on TV 	1 Episode
2002–2007	Law & Order 	D.A. Arthur Branch 	116 Episodes
2003–2006	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	D.A. Arthur Branch 	11 Episodes
2005–2006	Law & Order: Trial by Jury 	D.A. Arthur Branch 	13 Episodes
2005 	Law & Order: Criminal Intent 	D.A. Arthur Branch 	1 Episode
2006 	Conviction 	D.A. Arthur Branch 	1 Episode
2009 	Life on Mars 	NYPD Chief Harry Woolf	1 Episode
2011–2012	The Good Wife 	Frank Michael Thomas 	2 Episodes
2015 	Allegiance 	FBI Director 	4 Episodes
==References==
==External links==
;Official
* Fred Thompson Show
* 
* The Official YouTube Page for Fred Thompson (official video site)
* The Official Flickr Page for Fred Thompson (official photo site)
;Documentaries, topic pages and databases
* 
* Center for Responsive Politics (aka OpenSecrets.org) campaign contributions
** 1994 (Member of Congress)
* Archive of United States Senator Fred Dalton Thompson Congressional Website (From Internet Archive retrieved on 3 January 2007)
* Complete text and audio and video of Fred Thompson's GOP Presidential Candidacy Announcement AmericanRhetoric.com
* Complete text and audio and video of Fred Thompson's 2008 Republican National Convention Speech AmericanRhetoric.com
* acting career
* 
;News media
* Lawrenceburgs.com – Fred Thompson biography from hometown newspaper
* Nashville Post – The Fred Files Lobbying disclosures, 1975–1994.
* New York Times – Fred D. Thompson collection of news stories and commentary
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