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A Republican politician from Pennsylvania, Budd Dwyer was a member of the state House of Representatives from 1965 to 1970 and spent the following decade in the state Senate. Dwyer was then elected state Treasurer -- the post he held until committing suicide.

On January 22, 1987, Dwyer was one day away from a federal court sentencing hearing after a jury found him guilty of taking $300,000 in campaign donations from a computer company in a quid pro quo exchange for a $4 million state contract. Dwyer was also accused of five counts of mail fraud, four counts of inter-state transportation in aiding racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Dwyer faced a maximum of 55 years in prison and a $300,000 fine.

At a press conference the morning of January 22, with TV cameras rolling and reporters watching, Dwyer pulled out a loaded .357 Magnum from a manila envelope and took his own life.