Bill DeWeese

Who is Bill DeWeese?

H. William "Bill" DeWeese is a Democrat and former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who served as the 135th Speaker of the House from 1993 to 1994. After five years of investigation by Republican State Attorney General Tom Corbett, DeWeese was not charged in connection to the scandal known as "Bonusgate." He was, however, indicted in December 2009 on six charges of conflict of interest, theft and criminal conspiracy on accusations that two members of his staff used state resources to campaign for political office. The trial began January 23, 2010. He was re-elected in 2010 despite the charges, but was convicted of five of the six felony charges on February 6, 2012. In April of 2012, DeWeese was sentenced to 30 to 60 months in state prison, and subsequently resigned his house seat. He maintains that the prosecution was politically motivated, and part of an ongoing feud with Corbett, who became Governor in 2011.