William J. Scott (Illinois politician)
William J. Scott (November 11, 1926 – June 22, 1986) was an American lawyer and Republican politician in Illinois. He served as Illinois State Treasurer from 1963 to 1967 and as Illinois Attorney General from 1969 to 1980, resigning after a tax-related conviction.
Born in Chicago, Scott served in the U.S. Navy Air Corps during World War II. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1950. He practiced law, helped crack down on organized crime in 1959, and later worked as a bank vice president.
Scott was elected Illinois State Treasurer in 1962 and served until 1967. He then won the job of Illinois Attorney General in 1968 and took office in January 1969. He remained in office until his resignation in 1980 after his tax crime conviction.
In 1980, while on trial for understating his 1972 federal income tax, he sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate but lost; he was convicted the day after the election. In 1982, after losing a Supreme Court appeal, he was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. He served seven months and was released on parole.
Scott died of a heart attack on June 22, 1986, at his home in Palos Heights, Illinois, at age 59.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:24 (CET).