Perzel, other Pa. House GOP defendants face sentencing

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The remaining Republicans convicted in Pennsylvania’s government corruption case are about to learn how much jail time, if any, they’ll have to serve.

All seven, including former House Speaker John Perzel of Philadelphia, have pleaded guilty, mostly as part of deals to cooperate with prosecutors. They’ll appear before Dauphin County Judge Richard Lewis on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The case revolves around the illegal expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars by the House GOP caucus between 2001 and 2007.

The money was used to hire consultants to help caucus employees compile mammoth databases of information about voters and to design special software to give Republicans an edge in elections.

The 62-year-old Perzel is to be sentenced Wednesday along with his former chief of staff, Brian Preski, a Philadelphia lawyer.