Bill DeWeese

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Bill DeWeese bigraphy, stories - American politician

Bill DeWeese : biography

April 18, 1950 –

H. William "Bill" DeWeese (born April 18, 1950) 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.

Background

DeWeese was born April 18, 1950, in Pittsburgh and raised in rural Greene County. After earning a B.A., History at Wake Forest University, he joined the United States Marine Corps 1972–1975.

Feud with Corbett

DeWeese maintained that his charges were part of a political vendetta. Heraldstandard.com (2011-08-19). Retrieved on 2012-01-23. by Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett, who indicted DeWeese while running for Governor. Corbett won the governor’s race through an anti-corruption platform. Main Justice (2010-11-02). Retrieved on 2012-01-23. despite allegations of prosecutorial misconduct (PDF). mnginteractive.com (2010-03-25) and corruption in Corbett’s office.. PennLive.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-23.

A key source of dispute between Corbett and DeWeese is the exploration for natural gas in Marcellus Shale, a booming industry in DeWeese’s district. Between 2005 and 2010, more than 1,900 wells. November 1, 2010. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection had been drilled in Pennsylvania. Greene County, home of DeWeese, has attracted companies as large as Haliburton.. Marcellus-shale.us. Retrieved on 2012-01-23. Corbett, the former assistant General Counsel of Waste Management, opposes an extraction taxSungala, Rebekah. (2011-03-11) . Heraldstandard.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-23. on Marcellus Shale drilling while DeWeese favors it. Corbett also sought to limit regulatory oversight of the drilling industry.. ProPublica (2011-03-30). Retrieved on 2012-01-23.

Corbett’s campaign was heavily funded by energy insiders. He received more than $1 million in campaign contributions from the natural gas industry.Swift, Robert. (2010-11-19) . Daily Review. Retrieved on 2012-01-23.

In August, 2011, DeWeese called for a theft-of-services investigation of Tom Corbett when the wife of a Corbett cabinet member was charged with DUI and called the Governor’s mansion in the early morning hours to assist. A State Trooper was dispatched to pick her up from the police station and drive her home.

As part of the ongoing feud, Corbett also canceled a prison destined for DeWeese’s district.. PoliticsPA (2011-02-18). Retrieved on 2012-01-23.

Speech

DeWeese is well known for his idiosyncratic style of speaking and writing, which incorporates an extensive vocabulary, anachronistic usages, and attenuated metaphors. For instance, a 2002 letter by DeWeese to lobbyist Stephen Wojdak regarding Wojdak’s hiring of DeWeese’s ex-wife, Holly Kinser, began with the following paragraph:

Let’s cut to the chase … you sir, are a liar. The measure of the person in our enterprise is his word. When a man comes to my Capitol Hill enclave and stands beneath that impressive chandelier of gold, looks me in the eye with a gimlet gaze, shakes my hand with a sturdy grip and gives me his word, to me it’s axiomatic that the gentleman is telling the truth. You are an abject, ignoble, mendacious knave!. Politics.pa.com

In 2002, the political website PoliticsPA named him to the list of "Smartest Legislators," saying "His command of the English language leaves most people fumbling for a dictionary, if they can even spell the word. The breadth and depth of his knowledge of history also distinguishes this Democratic Floor Leader. Extremely well rounded and well read, DeWeese is capable of holding an intelligent conversation on just about any topic." In a 2002 PoliticsPA Feature story designating politicians with yearbook superlatives, he was named the "Best Dressed."