Geraldine Ferraro’s Son Pardoned for 1988 Cocaine Conviction

Geraldine Ferraro’s Son Pardoned for 1988 Cocaine Conviction
Geraldine Ferraro waving at the convention with her husband, John Zacarro in July 1984. (AP Photo)
The Associated Press
12/31/2016
Updated:
12/31/2016

MONTPELIER, Vt.—The son of former vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro has been pardoned by the governor of Vermont nearly 30 years after he was convicted of selling cocaine to an undercover officer.

John Zaccaro Jr. was a Middlebury College student when he was arrested in 1986 and accused of selling $25 worth of cocaine to an undercover state police officer. He was convicted in 1988 and served four months under house arrest. At the time, Ferraro accused prosecutors of unfairly targeting her son because of her high profile after becoming the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 1984.

Outgoing Gov. Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, pardoned Zaccaro and nine others Saturday.

Zaccaro didn’t immediately respond to messages left for comment.

Ferraro died in 2011.