R. Budd Dwyer

Robert Budd Dwyer November 21 1939 January 22 1987 was an American politician He served from 1965 to 1971 as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and from 1971 to 1981 as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate representing the states 50th district Dwyer then served as the 30th state treasurer of Pennsylvania from January 20 1981 to January 22 1987 when he killed himself during a live press conference In the early 1980s Pennsylvania discovered that its state workers had overpaid federal taxes due to errors in state withholding prior to Dwyers administration A multimilliondollar recovery contract was required to determine the compensation to be given to each employee In 1986 Dwyer was convicted of accepting a bribe from Computer Technology Associates a Californiabased firm to award them the contract He was found guilty on 11 counts of conspiracy mail fraud perjury and interstate transportation in aid of racketeering and was scheduled to be sentenced on January 23 1987 On January 22 Dwyer called a news conference in the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg during which he fatally shot himself with a 357 Magnum revolver in front of reporters Dwyers suicide was broadcast later that day to a wide television audience across Pennsylvania All posthumous appeals made by Dwyers lawyers on Dwyers behalf were denied and his convictions were upheld Along with Barbara Hafer and Rob McCord Dwyer is one of three former Pennsylvania State treasurers to be convicted of corruption since the 1980s