Arthur Samish

Arthur H. Samish (August 9, 1897 – February 12, 1974) was a California lobbyist, representing movie studios, racetracks, lawyers, insurance companies, fishing, cigarette, liquor and brewing interests. Politically powerful throughout his career, he was convicted of tax evasion in 1953, which led to a three-year stint in prison beginning in 1956 as well as millions of dollars in penalties.^[1] He retired from politics in 1959 and died in San Francisco in 1974.

Samish, circa 1953

In an article published on August 13 and August 20, 1949, Samish poses in the national "Collier's Magazine" with a Charlie McCarthy-type dummy. Samish said to the dummy, "This is my legislature. How are you Mr. Legislature?" Members of the State Legislature were not amused, and the public was outraged.^[2]