Former Missouri House speaker sentenced to prison for COVID relief fraud

A former Missouri House speaker was sentenced Monday to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud for misusing federal COVID-19 relief funds for his personal benefit. Former Republican House Speaker John Diehl received about $380,000 in federal loans for his law firm between 2020 and 2022 through a program intended to help cover operating expenses for businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Prosecutors said he used more than half the money to fund his law firm's defined benefit plan, of which he was the only participant, and also paid off a civil settlement related to his time as state House speaker.