Pa. House GOP defendants to appear before judge

HARRISBURG. (AP) — The 10 defendants charged in the Pennsylvania attorney general’s legislative corruption investigation are heading before a judge to have their bail set.

Friday’s court appearances come a day after Attorney General Tom Corbett outlined charges against state Rep. John Perzel, former state Rep. Brett Feese and eight current or former aides. Perzel is a Philadelphia Republican and a former House speaker.

Prosecutors say millions of taxpayer dollars was illegally spent on computer equipment and other efforts to help Republicans in the state House win elections.

They’re the second group of people to be arrested in the three-year-old investigation. The first group was a dozen people connected to the House Democratic caucus.