Phil Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Phillip A. Hamilton was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from 1988 until his resignation in 2009. He was a member of the Republican Party
and represented the 93rd district on the Virginia Peninsula
, made up of parts of James City County
and the city of Newport News
.
Hamilton was convicted and sentenced by a U.S. district court
jury to 9 1/2 years in prison for federal bribery and extortion charges in August 2011 for soliciting employees of Old Dominion University
for a paid position in exchange for a legislative budget amendment that included funding for the position. He was ordered to begin serving his sentence in September 2011.
Hamilton graduated from Warwick High School in 1970 and the University of Richmond in 1974. After college, Hamilton began teaching for the Newport News Public Schools. While teaching full-time, he earned graduate degrees in Educational Administration from the College of William & Mary. In 1984, Phil became an Assistant Principal with the Newport News Public Schools. He is employed part-time by Newport News Public Schools as Coordinator of Professional Development.
Hamilton emerged as a leader in the Commonwealth’s budget process. He established a reputation of working across party lines with members of both chambers, assuring funding for core government services in a fiscally responsible manner.
Delegate Hamilton spearheaded the creation of the Virginia Cares Uninsured Program by securing funding to help uninsured Virginians receive healthcare. And, when the Governor’s Budget included cuts to healthcare and to services for individuals with special needs, Hamilton successfully fought to maintain vital funding. In addition, he worked to provide public school educational options for students, to improve school safety, and to increase funding for career and technical education programs, including the passage of legislation that establishes standard and advanced technical diplomas for students.
Hamilton held key roles in the General Assembly. He served as Chairman of the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee and was the second-ranking member on the Education Committee. As Vice-Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Hamilton was an important player in the budget process. In addition to having served as Chairman of the Health and Human Resources Subcommittee, Phil served on the Public Education and Public Safety Subcommittees and was one of the very select few legislators who served on the Budget Conference Committee, whose members negotiate the final version of Virginia’s budget.
Over the years, Hamilton earned accolades for the distinguished service he has provided to his constituents and the Commonwealth. Since 2000, Virginia organizations have named Hamilton as “Legislator of the Year” 12 times.
(ODU) in return for procuring public funding for a new teacher training center. The General Assembly went on to give the center $500,000 a year in state funding, and ODU, in turn, gave Hamilton a $40,000 a year job as an independent contractor. Once the emails were made public Hamilton and ODU immediately severed ties.
On September 17, ODU released an internal audit on the Hamilton hiring. The audit found that Hamilton’s invoices had “no details of services rendered” and that his office was “only lightly used in the beginning and then later not at all.” Regarding ODU, the audit concluded the school suffered from a lack of internal control and failed to follow its own policies and procedures.
Hamilton was sentenced on August 12, 2011 to 9 1/2 years in prison by a U.S. district
jury after a conviction in May of one count of federal program bribery and one count of extortion under color of official right and sentenced to a 9 1/2 year prison term in August 2011 by a for what was found to be criminal solicitation of Old Dominion University
employees for the ODU contractor position, a coerced quid pro quo
for a legislative budget amendment to fund the position and the training center that Hamilton had introduced in the Virginia legislature. The Court ordered him to surrender to authorities by September 19, 2011 and to serve two additional years of supervised release following his 114 month prison term.
Prosecutors said Hamilton is the first elected Virginia legislator to be convicted of selling his position for personal gain.
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
from 1988 until his resignation in 2009. He was a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and represented the 93rd district on the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
, made up of parts of James City County
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
and the city of Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
.
Hamilton was convicted and sentenced by a U.S. district court
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
jury to 9 1/2 years in prison for federal bribery and extortion charges in August 2011 for soliciting employees of Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
for a paid position in exchange for a legislative budget amendment that included funding for the position. He was ordered to begin serving his sentence in September 2011.
Biography
Hamilton, a native Virginian, served as a senior member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He represented the 93rd District, which comprises portions of the City of Newport News and James City County. Married with three grown children, Hamilton has lived in the 93rd district since its creation as a single member district in the early 1980s.Hamilton graduated from Warwick High School in 1970 and the University of Richmond in 1974. After college, Hamilton began teaching for the Newport News Public Schools. While teaching full-time, he earned graduate degrees in Educational Administration from the College of William & Mary. In 1984, Phil became an Assistant Principal with the Newport News Public Schools. He is employed part-time by Newport News Public Schools as Coordinator of Professional Development.
Hamilton emerged as a leader in the Commonwealth’s budget process. He established a reputation of working across party lines with members of both chambers, assuring funding for core government services in a fiscally responsible manner.
Delegate Hamilton spearheaded the creation of the Virginia Cares Uninsured Program by securing funding to help uninsured Virginians receive healthcare. And, when the Governor’s Budget included cuts to healthcare and to services for individuals with special needs, Hamilton successfully fought to maintain vital funding. In addition, he worked to provide public school educational options for students, to improve school safety, and to increase funding for career and technical education programs, including the passage of legislation that establishes standard and advanced technical diplomas for students.
Hamilton held key roles in the General Assembly. He served as Chairman of the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee and was the second-ranking member on the Education Committee. As Vice-Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Hamilton was an important player in the budget process. In addition to having served as Chairman of the Health and Human Resources Subcommittee, Phil served on the Public Education and Public Safety Subcommittees and was one of the very select few legislators who served on the Budget Conference Committee, whose members negotiate the final version of Virginia’s budget.
Over the years, Hamilton earned accolades for the distinguished service he has provided to his constituents and the Commonwealth. Since 2000, Virginia organizations have named Hamilton as “Legislator of the Year” 12 times.
ODU funding scandal, federal convictions and prison sentence
In August 2009 Virginia newspapers obtained emails which revealed Hamilton expected to be hired by Old Dominion UniversityOld Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
(ODU) in return for procuring public funding for a new teacher training center. The General Assembly went on to give the center $500,000 a year in state funding, and ODU, in turn, gave Hamilton a $40,000 a year job as an independent contractor. Once the emails were made public Hamilton and ODU immediately severed ties.
On September 17, ODU released an internal audit on the Hamilton hiring. The audit found that Hamilton’s invoices had “no details of services rendered” and that his office was “only lightly used in the beginning and then later not at all.” Regarding ODU, the audit concluded the school suffered from a lack of internal control and failed to follow its own policies and procedures.
Hamilton was sentenced on August 12, 2011 to 9 1/2 years in prison by a U.S. district
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
jury after a conviction in May of one count of federal program bribery and one count of extortion under color of official right and sentenced to a 9 1/2 year prison term in August 2011 by a for what was found to be criminal solicitation of Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
employees for the ODU contractor position, a coerced quid pro quo
Quid pro quo
Quid pro quo most often means a more-or-less equal exchange or substitution of goods or services. English speakers often use the term to mean "a favour for a favour" and the phrases with almost identical meaning include: "give and take", "tit for tat", "this for that", and "you scratch my back,...
for a legislative budget amendment to fund the position and the training center that Hamilton had introduced in the Virginia legislature. The Court ordered him to surrender to authorities by September 19, 2011 and to serve two additional years of supervised release following his 114 month prison term.
Prosecutors said Hamilton is the first elected Virginia legislator to be convicted of selling his position for personal gain.