Republican John Rowland was elected to the state legislature at 23 and won a seat in Congress in 1984; he became governor in 1994 at 37, widely considered a rising star in national Republican politics
State ethics authorities sanctioned Rowland twice before federal investigators closed in on his pattern of awarding state contracts in exchange for gifts and favors
Rowland resigned in July 2004, pled guilty in December 2004, and served 10 months of a one-year federal prison sentence
John Rowland was once the Republican Party’s idea of a success story. He ended up in federal prison.
Rowland was elected to the Connecticut state legislature at 23 and won a seat in Congress in 1984. He became governor in 1994 at age 37 and was once considered a rising star in national Republican politics, CBS News reported.
The ethics problems arrived early. In his first term, surplus military equipment meant for the Connecticut State Police was diverted to Rowland associates and staff, according to Wikipedia. Rowland said he knew nothing about it.
State ethics authorities sanctioned Rowland twice: in 1997 for accepting concert tickets from subordinates, and again in 2003 for accepting cut-rate vacation lodging from state contractors. Each time, the governor minimized the conduct and continued in office.
By 2004, the pattern had become impossible to ignore. Federal investigators had identified a practice of awarding lucrative state contracts in exchange for gifts and favors, according to CBS News. Rowland resigned in July 2004 as the investigation closed in.
He pled guilty in December 2004. A judge sentenced him the following March to one year in federal prison and four months of house arrest; he served 10 months, according to CBS News.
It was not his last conviction.
By Kevin Coughlin
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