HARRISBURG — A state prosecutor urged a judge Monday to sentence convicted state Rep. Bill DeWeese to a long prison term, saying his claims of innocence and his ongoing campaign for another term after a jury convicted him of corruption are “flagrant expressions of contempt” for the judicial system.

Senior Deputy Attorney General K. Kenneth Brown II urged Judge Todd Hoover to sentence the former longtime House Democratic leader to a state prison term that exceeds guidelines.

The memo was filed on the eve of DeWeese’s scheduled sentencing on five felony counts.

DeWeese, 62, who spent much of his 35-year tenure in the House as Democratic leader and served a stint as House speaker, has said he plans to step down from the Legislature before he is sentenced today on corruption charges involving the illegal use of state resources for political campaigns. The state constitution bars felons from serving in the General Assembly, but that ban is not triggered until the sentence is imposed.