LaGrotta: Staffers worked on campaigns

The former representative from Ellwood City no longer works for House Democrats.

STAFF/WIRE REPORT

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A former Pennsylvania state representative from Lawrence County has told investigators that the House Democratic caucus commonly used legislative staffers to perform partisan political work.

Frank LaGrotta shared the details about caucus operations under questioning in a separate ethics investigation into allegations that he gave state jobs to family members and inflated their pay, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported, citing unidentified sources close to the investigation.

LaGrotta, of Ellwood City, told investigators with the state Attorney General’s Office that at least two caucus employees spent nearly all their time on political campaign duties and performed little or no legislative work. One worked for former Democratic whip Mike Veon and the other for Democratic leader Bill DeWeese, the newspaper reported.

LaGrotta, a Democrat whose 10th state House district included parts of Lawrence, Butler and Beaver counties, served 10 terms before he lost the Democratic nomination in the May 2006 primary amid voter outrage over a 2005 legislative pay raise that was later rescinded.

He could not be reached by The Associated Press for comment Monday because he did not appear to have a listed home telephone number.

A spokesman for Attorney General Tom Corbett declined to comment to the newspaper and did not return telephone messages left by The Associated Press on Monday.

Investigators have said they are looking into whether legislative employees in all four caucuses improperly received taxpayer financed bonuses totaling nearly $4 million in 2005 and 2006.

But the focus primarily appears to be on the House Democrats and their research office, which is supposed to provide services to legislators’ constituents. Democrats reclaimed the majority in the 2006 election after 12 years of minority status.

LaGrotta told investigators political campaign work was widespread among research office employees and widely known in the caucus, sources told the Post-Gazette.

State agents raided the research office in August and seized some of its records, according to newspaper reports.

Veon lost his 2006 re-election bid and has since opened a lobbying firm in Harrisburg.

After he was defeated, LaGrotta was hired as a legislative consultant to House Democrats. A spokesman for DeWeese said Monday that LaGrotta was no longer on the payroll but declined to say why.