Jerry Weller

Gerald Cameron Weller (born July 7, 1957) is an American politician who was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 11th congressional district.

Weller is a 1979 graduate of the University of Illinois where he received his degree in agriculture.

Weller has been married twice.

Weller was a staff member for U.S. Congressman Tom Corcoran from 1980 to 1981, assistant to the director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and an aide to Secretary of Agriculture John R. Block from 1981 to 1985.

In the 1986 general election, Weller challenged incumbent Democratic Representative Ray A. Christensen in the 85th district.

In the official result, Weller won by a four vote margin, 14,217 to 14,213.

Christensen challenged the result while Weller was sworn in as the State Representative.

The Illinois House of Representatives set up a House Committee on Election Contests which heard the two candidates' challenges.

In a party line vote, the House voted to unseat Weller and seat Christensen.

In the 1988 election, Weller was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives defeating Democratic candidate and Grundy County Clerk Lana Phillips after Christensen opted to retire.

Weller was succeeded by Grundy County Board member Stephen Spangler.

Weller was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 following the retirement of Democrat George Sangmeister.

Weller won a crowded Republican primary, and defeated fellow State Representative Frank Giglio in the general election.

In 1995, Weller received an Environmental Protector Award from the Chicago Audubon Society for his political service.

After a release of tritium from Exelon's Braidwood and Dresden Nuclear Power Plant Weller sent a letter to Exelon Corp expressing his concern and recommended that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigate the power plants in question.

In 2002, a Federal Election Commission audit found a fund used by Weller for his re-election in 2000 received almost $11,000 that appeared to have violated federal campaign rules on the size and source of donations.

Weller's fund returned all of the questioned contributions but did not admit deliberately violating any laws.

On October 10, 2002, Weller voted with the 296-133 majority in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.

Weller served as Deputy Minority Whip.

On September 21, 2007, Weller announced that he would not seek another term, citing the need to spend more time with his family.

Weller supported free trade when serving in Congress and traveled throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to build better relationships with public sector and business leaders.

He was the number one supporter for the Panama trade agreement with the United States.

Weller made efforts to eliminate the marriage penalty tax.

He supported the use of tax incentives to help redevelop brownfield formal industrial land, developing a proposal with Democrats, such as Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, to do so.

Weller championed the creation of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and other redevelopment efforts at the former Joliet arsenal.

Redevelopment of the site included the Deer Run Industrial Park, which contains the CenterPoint Intermodal Center, a new intermodal freight transport center.

Weller supported plans for the Illiana Expressway.

Weller voted again to raise the minimum wage in the 110th Congress.

Weller sponsored a bill to expand concurrent receipt for wounded military veterans, but it did not pass.

Weller sponsored a bill to make the residential energy efficient property credit permanent, which never left committee.

Weller promised prior to his marriage to Guatemalan Congresswoman Zury Mayté Ríos Sosa de Weller, that he would not vote on any legislation involving solely the U.S. and Guatemala.

His advocacy and vote for CAFTA caused controversy however, despite it being a multi-nation agreement.

Weller has long supported free-trade agreements.

As a FRG party leader, his wife was also a supporter of CAFTA.

Weller accepted money from two convicted associates of former congressman Duke Cunningham.

Weller's spokesman said that the donations probably originated from his support of the research and development tax credit and the money was donated to a charity in Oregon.

Weller and 11 other congressmen were subpoenaed to testify in the trial of Brent R. Wilkes, the contractor accused of bribing Cunningham.

As of 2015, Weller is the managing principal of New World Group Public Affairs, a lobbying group with offices in Washington, DC, Florida and Guatemala.

He was also a Global Development Officer for an IPTV company called VIPTV.

Weller was born in Streator, Illinois, to LaVern and Marilyn Weller, and raised on his family's hog farm in Dwight, Illinois.