Embattled Del. Hamilton resigns from Va. House

Del. Phillip A. Hamilton, R-Newport News, under an ethics cloud and defeated for re-election, has resigned from the House of Delegates seat he has held for 21 years.

The early resignation apparently takes Hamilton off the hook from a House ethics investigation. Paul Nardo, an administrative aide to Speaker of the House William J. Howell, R-Stafford, said the speaker interprets the reach of the House Ethics Advisory Panel as being limited to members of the House of Delegates.

Even so, Hamilton's conduct is being investigated by a federal grand jury.

Hamilton arranged state funding for a teaching center at Old Dominion University, where he later was hired to fill a $40,000-a-year job. An audit by ODU determined that Hamilton did little to earn the money he was being paid. The Center for Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership was created in 2007 with a $500,000-per-year budget amendment sponsored by Hamilton.

In the General Assembly, he had been one of the most powerful Republicans. He was chairman of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and was vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

In a two-sentence resignation letter sent to House Clerk Bruce F. Jamerson, Hamilton described the House of Delegates as "the most distinguished legislative body in the world." The resignation was effective Sunday.

Hamilton, 57, represented the 93rd House District, consisting of parts of Newport News and James City County. He was defeated in the Nov. 3 election by Democrat Robin A. Abbott.

He could have served out his term until the next General Assembly is sworn in Jan. 13.

The five-member House Ethics Advisory Panel meets privately but has been known to have held several meetings on Hamilton. A report of its investigation was due no later than Dec. 22.

Efforts to reach Hamilton were unsuccessful. His cell phone has been disconnected.

Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or .