HARRISBURG – Rep. John M. Perzel, the former speaker of the state House, was charged today with numerous criminal counts in a sweeping scandal involving a sophisticated mutlimillion-dollar software program, paid for by taxpayers but allegedly used for political campaigning.

The Philadelphia Republican is the most prominent political figure thus far to be charged in Attorney General Tom Corbett’s long-running investigation unofficially known as Bonusgate.

Nine others with ties to the House Republican Caucus were also charged, including five former top Perzel aides and former Rep. Brett Feese of Lycoming County, who once headed the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

“Perzel was architect behind a sophisticated criminal strategy that spent nearly $10 million of taxpayer money purely for campaign work,” said Corbett, a Republican whose critics had, before today, accused him of protecting members of his own party.

The charges, laid out in a 188-page presentment, come 17 months after Corbett brought charges against a dozen House Democratic insiders, accusing them of misusing public funds for political purposes.

Read the full Inquirer article here

Tags: Bonusgate

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