PHOENIX — For years, John Junker enjoyed the prestige of running the Fiesta Bowl organization, pulling in a six-figure salary, rubbing elbows with powerful people and taking advantage of the perks of the job such as spending $33,000 in bowl money on his birthday bash.

Then the longtime Fiesta Bowl chief executive suffered a bruising reversal of fortune. Three years ago, he was fired amid an illegal campaign contribution scandal that jeopardized the bowl’s NCAA license.

His fall from grace was punctuated Thursday when he was sentenced to eight months in federal prison for participating in a scheme in which bowl employees made illegal campaign contributions to politicians and were reimbursed by the nonprofit bowl. Bowl employees were reimbursed at least $46,000 for such contributions.