ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 10, 1996 TAG: 9604100054
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
Former Rep. Dan Rostenkowski pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of mail fraud and was immediately sentenced to 17 months in prison and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.
``You have brought a measure of disgrace'' on Congress, U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson lectured Rostenkowski before sentencing him.
The gruff, former head of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee said the word ``guilty'' twice when Johnson asked his plea to charges involving the conversion of House funds to personal use.
``You shamelessly abused your position,'' she told the 68-year-old Illinois Democrat as he stood before her. ``When I think of your case ... the one word or the one phrase that comes to my mind is betrayal of trust.''
Rostenkowski, a powerful chairman who ran one of Congress' most powerful committees with an iron hand, was the quintessential congressional deal-maker. Two years ago, he vowed to ``fight these false charges'' and prevail.
``I will walk away from mud that has been splattered upon my reputation,'' Rostenkowski said the day he was arraigned on the charges.
He was charged in May 1994 with converting $636,600 in federal funds - and $56,267 in campaign funds - to his personal use.
Nearly two years ago, Rostenkowski rejected a possible deal that would have included a guilty plea to one false statement count, a six-month prison term and restitution of $38,000 to the government.
Rostenkowski, who lost his bid for a 19th term to Republican political novice Michael Flanagan, originally was charged with 17 criminal counts.
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