By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MADISON, Wis., March 11 (AP) — Republican Scott R. Jensen, a former speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, was convicted Saturday of using state employees as campaign workers.

Mr. Jensen was found guilty of three felony counts of misconduct in office and a misdemeanor count of using his public position to benefit the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee.

Once one of Wisconsin's most powerful lawmakers with hopes of becoming governor, Mr. Jensen now faces up to 15 years in prison and $35,000 in fines. Jurors deliberated for about 17 hours over three days.

Mr. Jensen, a Republican from Brookfield, was one of five lawmakers charged in 2002 in a secret investigation into Capitol corruption. The investigation was sparked by reports in The Wisconsin State Journal that state workers were campaigning on state time with state equipment. Mr. Jensen was the only one to stand trial; the others — two Republicans and two Democrats — reached plea deals.

Prosecutors said Mr. Jensen used his position as speaker to direct his staff and other state employees to work on his campaign and those of vulnerable Republican Assembly candidates from 1998 through 2001.

Mr. Jensen testified that it was tradition in the Assembly to use legislative employees to campaign, and that he believed the workers under his watch were off the state clock when they did campaign work.