MIDDLETOWN TWP, PA—September 7, 2010—John Toth, Democratic nominee for the 142nd House District, kicked his campaign into high gear today, demanding that incumbent Frank Farry answer tough questions about his ties to indicted Philadelphia politician John Perzel.
According to records maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of State, Farry received $21,000 from Perzel’s campaign committee in the closing days of Farry’s 2008 campaign. Because of the timing of campaign finance reports, the contributions were not made public until after Farry’s election.
Now, 299 days after Perzel’s indictment, Farry has yet to return the former Speaker’s tainted contributions or donate the money to a worthy charity.
The hypocrisy is striking: During the 2008 campaign, Farry’s website called on then-Rep. Chris King to demand the ouster of Rep. Bill DeWeese, rightly saying that “expressing your thoughts … behind closed doors is not enough.”
But now, after less than two years in Harrisburg, Farry seems to have forgotten his own convictions.
“John Perzel backed Frank Farry because he knew that Farry would be a perfect fit for his corrupt Harrisburg culture—and Frank Farry did not disappoint,” said Toth. “For the low price of $21,000, Perzel bought an ally who would come to Harrisburg and not rock the boat.”
Toth is running to be a reform-minded independent voice in Harrisburg. He has called for an end to legislative perks, including untaxed per-diem payments and free health care for legislators.
“Unless we improve the caliber of people we send to Harrisburg, we’ll never end the cycle of corruption in Harrisburg,” Toth said. “The people who benefit from the current system are never going to change it.”
In addition to reforming state government, Toth plans to push for property tax reform, economic development and job creation.
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