YORKTOWN, Va. — It was the first full day of freedom since September 19, 2011 for Phil Hamilton.
"The sun is shining," he said. "What's not to feel great about?"
Hamilton served nearly eight years behind bars at the federal correctional institute at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Then, following a beating, was transferred for his own safety to FCI Schuylkill, Pennsylvania.
"That's water under the bridge," he said. "I can't change anything about that. It is what it is. I did my time and there wasn't a day that I woke up that I was ashamed of the person in the mirror."
Convicted in 2011 of bribery and corruption, the government argued that Hamilton used his position in the General Assembly to coerce Old Dominion University into giving him a $40,000-a-year job in exchange for a legislative budget amendment that included funding for the position.
He denies it.
"There was no bribery," he said. "There was no extortion. There was never a conversation of, 'I will support this if you give me a job.' They might say I never accepted responsibility. I didn't accept responsibility because I did nothing wrong. But I certainly accepted the responsibility of the 97 months I was under the control of the Federal Bureau of Prisons."
Now 67, living at his daughter's house in York County and working at the James River Country Club, Hamilton is looking forward to the future, and not looking back.
"Anger takes too much energy," he said. "And I'm not willing to waste my energy on being angry. The second thing is, what is being accomplished? Nothing gets accomplished from being angry, being bitter."
So, what's next for Hamilton?
Among other things, he said he is looking forward to working on his golf game.