Former Del. Phillip A. Hamilton was convicted of bribery and extortion charges this afternoon and is facing up to 30 years in prison when sentenced Aug. 12.
Hamilton, 59, stood stoically as the jury verdicts were read and U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson found him guilty. Hamilton’s wife, Kimberly, cried softly as she stood behind him along with other family members.
The ex-lawmaker and Republican who represented a Newport News district for 21 years was accused of arranging funding for the Center for Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership at Old Dominion University in 2007 in exchange for a job as the center's part-time director at $40,000 a year.
“We’re shocked at the verdict,” said Andrew Sacks, Hamilton’s lawyer, as he was leaving the courtroom.
Sacks vowed an appeal. He said widespread frustration with public officials may have spilled over to the jury and as a result, “Phil took it on the chin.”
The verdict came on the eighth day of the trial at the U.S. District Court in Richmond.
In his closing arguments earlier today, Sacks said Hamilton did something “stupid” and “inappropriate” but did not commit a bribe.
Sacks said there was no evidence to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Hamilton traded “his vote for a job.”
But federal prosecutor David Harbach said incriminating e-mails prove that Hamilton did just that in an arrangement he engineered with Old Dominion University.
Sacks said if Hamilton had accepted a bribe he wouldn’t have put out a press release touting his work in securing a $500,000 budget amendment to start the center.
“Bribers don’t advertise,” he said.
He also said Hamilton did little to secure the amendment in the 2007 state budget.
(This has been a breaking news update. Check back for more details as they become available. Read more in tomorrow's Richmond Times-Dispatch.)
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement