John Diehl, a Republican and former speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for wire fraud after pleading guilty to the charges.
His tenure in the Missouri House spanned from 2009 to 2015, ending with his resignation in May 2015 amid scandal involving sexually suggestive text messages sent to a 19-year-old intern. Diehl later acknowledged making a “serious error in judgment” and returned to practicing law with the Diehl Law Group.
The wire fraud conviction arose from Diehl’s unauthorized use of about $379,900 in federal loans granted through the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This aid was intended for businesses struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Diehl applied under false pretenses, claiming the funds would support his law firm.
Prosecutors found no evidence that his legal practice faced economic strain from the pandemic. Instead, Diehl misallocated the funds for personal expenses including country club dues, mortgage payments, and luxury vehicle costs.
Roughly $200,000 of the funds was funneled into his law firm’s retirement plan, where he was the only participant. In September 2025, he waived formal indictment, accepting a plea deal that limited further prosecution on the loan fraud.
Federal guidelines suggested a sentence between 21 and 27 months, but prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith, pushed for a stricter two-year sentence due to the severity of the fraud, emphasizing Diehl’s public privilege.
Despite Diehl’s argument for leniency based on his repayment of funds, a judge sentenced him to 21 months. Additionally, Diehl incurred a $47,392 fine from the Missouri Ethics Commission in 2023 for campaign finance infractions, including the misappropriation of campaign funds for personal use.
