John Diehl (politician)

John J. Diehl, Jr. (born August 28, 1965) is an American attorney and a Republican former member of the Missouri House of Representatives.[1] Diehl was elected Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives in 2013[2] and took office in January 2015. Diehl resigned on May 14, 2015 after a scandal came to light regarding inappropriate messages exchanged with an intern.[3][4]

This article is about John J. Diehl, Jr., the politician. For John Henry Diehl, the actor, see John Diehl.
John Diehl
Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives
In office
January 7, 2015 – May 14, 2015
Preceded byTim Jones
Succeeded byTodd Richardson
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 89th district
In office
January 2013 – May 14, 2015
Preceded byTim Jones
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 87th district
In office
January 2009 – January 2013
Preceded byScott Muschany
Succeeded byStacey Newman
Personal details
Born (1965-08-28) August 28, 1965
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKelly
ChildrenSam
Josh
Daniel
Alma materUniversity of Missouri, Columbia
St. Louis University
WebsiteCampaign Website

Early life and political career

Diehl graduated from De Smet Jesuit High School in Creve Coeur in 1983.[1] He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1987 with a degree in political science.[1] He received a J.D. degree from St. Louis University in 1991.[1] Diehl is married, has three sons, and attends Our Lady of the Pillar parish in Creve Coeur.[5]

Diehl was named Town and Country and Frontenac Chamber of Commerce's 2006 businessman of the year and was on the Town and Country and Frontenac Chamber of Commerce executive committee from 2004 to 2007.[1] He has been chairman of the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners, chairman of the Town and Country Police Commission, chairman of Town and Country Conservation Commission, a member of the Town and Country Architectural Review Board, chairman of the Town and Country Longview House Renovation Committee, on the Governor's Advisory Council on DWI, Town and Country ombudsman to the West County EMS and Fire Protection District, and a member of the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers Election Center.[1] He was also a member of the Town and Country Board of Aldermen from the first ward.[1] He was in that position from 2003 to 2005 and he served as president of the board from 2004 to 2005.[1]

Career in the Missouri House

In 2008, he was elected to serve in the Missouri House of Representatives.[1] He represented the 89th district, which includes Ballwin, Chesterfield, Country Life Acres, Crystal Lake Park, Des Peres, Frontenac, Huntleigh, Kirkwood, Ladue, Manchester, and Town and Country, from 2009 to 2015.[1] Prior to redistricting he represented the 87th district from 2009 to 2012.[2]

He was chairman of the powerful Rules Committee and Special Standing Committee on Redistricting and served as House Majority Floor Leader in 2013.[6] In September 2013, Rep. Diehl was elected Speaker-Designee, and became the Speaker of the Missouri House in 2015.

2010
  • Special Standing Committee on Redistricting (Chairman)[7]
  • House Elections Committee (Vice-chairman)[7]

2013
  • Ex officio member of all committees of the House[8]
  • Ethics (Chairman)
  • Joint Committee on Tax Policy
  • Leadership for Missouri Issue Development
  • Interim Committee on Election Procedures

2014
  • Ex officio member of all committees of the House[9]
  • Ethics (Chairman)
  • Joint Committee on Tax Policy
  • Leadership for Missouri Issue Development
  • Interim Committee on Election Procedures

2015
  • Ex officio member of all committees of the House[10]
  • Joint Committee on Tax Policy

Sexting controversy and resignation

On April 24, 2015, The Kansas City Star contacted Diehl about exchanges of sexually suggestive text messages between himself and a female House intern, who was then a college freshman.[11] The internship program had been abruptly canceled in April 2015 after Missouri Southern State University discovered an "unspecified incident" with a student, which analysts say was likely Diehl's affair.[12][13][14] A few hours after the Star published a report of the exchanges on May 13, Diehl admitted responsibility, stating, "I will begin immediately working to restore the trust of those closest to me and getting back to the important work that is required in the final days of session."[11][15] However, he resigned May 14.[3][16] He was replaced by Todd Richardson of Poplar Bluff.[17]

Campaign finance violations

In 2023, a Missouri Ethics Commission audit found a bank account Diehl opened in 2015 and held unreported campaign contributions up to $52,000.[18]

Electoral history
2012 General Election for Missouri's 87th District House of Representatives
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John J. Diehl, Jr. 18,474 100.0
2010 General Election for Missouri's 87th District House of Representatives
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John J. Diehl, Jr. 12,479 97.71
2008 General Election for Missouri's 87th District House of Representatives
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John J. Diehl, Jr. 12,572 60.04
Democratic Mark Zoole 8,352 39.89
2003 general Election for Town and Country's 1st Ward Board of Aldermen
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan John J. Diehl, Jr. 435 68.72
Nonpartisan Harry J. Nichols 198 31.28

References
  1. "Member Roster". Missouri House of Representatives.
  2. "Diehl elected as next Speaker of the House". The Missouri Times. September 11, 2013.
  3. Hancock, Jason (May 14, 2015). "Missouri House Speaker John Diehl resigning under fire over texts with intern". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  4. "Intern sexting scandal takes down powerful Missouri politician". Business Insider.
  5. "COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT". Archived from the original on 2013-11-29.
  6. Drebes, Dave (January 7, 2011). "If you haven't yet, it's time to meet John Diehl".
  7. Community Involvement. Missouri House of Representatives, 2010
  8. John Diehl, Missouri House of Representatives, 2013
  9. John Diehl, Missouri House of Representatives, 2014
  10. John Diehl, Missouri House of Representatives, 2015
  11. Hancock, Jason (May 13, 2015). "Missouri House Speaker John Diehl admits sexually charged relationship with intern". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  12. Hancock, Jason (May 13, 2015). "Text images between Missouri House Speaker John Diehl and intern reveal sexually charged exchanges". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  13. Young, Virginia (May 13, 2015). "Missouri House speaker to respond to report he sent intern sexually charged texts". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  14. Lussenhop, Jessica (May 13, 2015). "Missouri House Speaker John Diehl Was Sexting an Intern, Kansas City Star Reports". The Riverfront Times. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  15. Lieb, David A. (May 14, 2015). "Missouri House speaker not resigning after report on intern". Associated Press. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  16. Gass, Nick (May 14, 2015). "Sexting Missouri House speaker resigns". Politico. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  17. Hancock, Jason (May 14, 2015). "Missouri House Speaker John Diehl resigns over intern texts; Todd Richardson replaces him". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  18. Ballentine, Summer (2023-05-25). "Missouri ex-House speaker fined $47K for alleged campaign finance violations". KMOV. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
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