A former Missouri House speaker has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for misusing federal COVID-19 relief funds for personal expenses.
John Diehl, a former Republican House Speaker, received $380,000 in federal loans for his law firm between 2020 and 2022, but instead used the money for country club dues, swimming pool maintenance, and other personal expenses.
Diehl had asked the federal court to spare him from prison, noting that he had already paid back all the pandemic relief funds to the Small Business Administration.
However, the court ordered Diehl to pay a $50,000 fine in addition to his prison sentence.
Diehl had a history of controversy, resigning as House speaker in 2015 after exchanging sexually suggestive text messages with a college student serving as a Capitol intern.
