John Levett Harris was the Consul General at St. Petersburg, Russia, from 1816 to 1819. He had succeeded his uncle, Levett Harris, in the position. While in St. Petersburg, Harris became a silent partner in the firm Cramer Brothers and apparently misused his position at Consul General to further the interests of his firm. Harris also got in trouble for taking a percentage from his vice-consuls and for taking official files when he left office. There were no official proceedings against him because the Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, did not want the Russians or other merchant houses to become involved.