Law license revoked by the Wisconsin Supreme Court

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State revokes Hurtgen's law license

A former state official who later pleaded guilty to being part of a pay-to-play corruption scheme in Illinois had his law license revoked Wednesday by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Nicholas Hurtgen had conceded to the revocation in a petition with the court, saying he could not defend the pending charges of professional misconduct related to his conviction in the Illinois case.

In Wisconsin, Hurtgen worked for then-Gov. Tommy G. Thompson, rising to the No. 2 job in the Administration Department, before he joined the Bear Stearns investment firm in 1995. He also played a key role in Thompson's campaign fund raising before Thompson left office in 2001 to become federal health and human services secretary.

In February, Hurtgen pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges for threatening to deny state permission for a suburban Chicago hospital expansion if the hospital's chief didn't hire a contractor favored by former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

"Admittedly, Attorney Hurtgen was not acting as an attorney when he engaged in this scheme, but his participation in this scheme reflects serious misconduct that violates the public trust," the Supreme Court wrote. Justice David Prosser did not participate in the decision.

Hurtgen, of Illinois, was admitted to practice law in Wisconsin in 1992 after graduation from the University of Wisconsin Law School.