 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2008) (Find sources: William L. Webster – news, books, scholar) |
|
William L. Webster
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|
| In office 1985 – 1993 |
|
| Governor | John Ashcroft |
| Preceded by | John Ashcroft |
| Succeeded by | Jay Nixon |
|
|
|
| Born | September 17, 1953 Carthage, Missouri |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Webster |
| Alma mater | Missouri Southern State College, University of Kansas, |
William L. Webster (born September 17, 1953) is a former American politician and convicted felon from Missouri.
Contents |
Early life and career
William Webster is the son of the late Richard M. Webster, who was a prominent Missouri State Senator and Janet Webster. Webster was born and raised in Carthage, Missouri and was a graduate of Carthage Senior High School. He attended Missouri Southern State College and the University of Kansas. He received his law degree from the
After earning his law degree, Webster worked as an attorney in private practice in Joplin, Missouri. He married the former Susan Tiemann of Kansas City and they have three sons.
Political career
Webster was elected to Missouri House of Representatives in 1980 and re-elected in 1982. He was recognized as the outstanding first term representative by the Missouri Times in 1981 and in 1983 his colleagues recognized him as one of three outstanding members of the House of Representatives.
In 1984, at the age of 31, he was elected as Attorney General of Missouri, succeeding John Ashcroft. Webster was the youngest person to serve in that position since Robert Franklin Walker was elected as attorney general in 1892, also at the age of 31. Webster was re-elected in 1988.
In 1992 Webster was the Republican nominee for Governor of Missouri, after defeating Roy Blunt and Wendell Bailey in the Republican Primary. The campaign for governor was marked by allegations of corruption relating to a state workers compensation fund that Webster managed as attorney general. Amidst the scandal, Webster lost the general election to Democrat Mel Carnahan by a wide margin.
Scandal
In 1993, Webster pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges and was sentenced to two years of prison. Webster's re-election campaign had received unusually large contributions from firms making claims against a little-known $30 million workers' compensation fund, which Webster had defended by appointing private lawyers as special assistant state attorneys general. Lawyers who contributed to Webster obtained substantially larger settlements for their clients than those lawyers who did not contribute.[1]
References
- ^ How Post reporter uncovered Second Injury Fund scandal, St. Louis Journalism Review, March 1, 1994.
- Profiles of the Three Advocates in the Appeal (NYT)
- Former Missouri Attorney General to Plead Guilty (NYT)
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Ashcroft |
Missouri State Attorney General 1985–1993 |
Succeeded by Jay Nixon |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
