Robert Louis Leggett (July 26, 1926 – August 13, 1997) was an American lawyer and politician who served eight terms as a U.S. Representative from California from 1963 to 1979.
Leggett was elected as a Democrat to the 88th and to the eight following Congresses, serving from January 3, 1963, to January 3, 1979. He served on the House Armed Services Committee and opposed the Vietnam War. He also was an early environmentalist.[1]
In the 1970s, he began an affair with Suzi Park Thomson, an aide to Speaker of the HouseCarl Albert.[1][2] Thomson, who was born in Korea, frequently entertained diplomats and intelligence officials from the South Korean Embassy. In 1976, as part of investigations related to Koreagate, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service contended that Leggett may have passed information to Korean officials or received favors from them.[3] Leggett strongly denied the accusations and retired from Congress in 1979.[3] He and Thomson married in 1981.[1]
