Questions reportedly focus on election tasks, possible no-work job

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

BY CHARLES THOMPSON
Of The Patriot-News
Before breaking for the summer, House Republican leaders advised their caucus members not to gloat
about the expectation that criminal charges would be filed against people affiliated with the House
Democratic caucus.
Now, several weeks after charges were filed against 12 people tied to the House Democratic office, it
appears that the GOP is sharing the hot seat.
In recent weeks, a growing number of House Republican staffers have been interviewed by Attorney
General Tom Corbett's office as part of an 18-month probe into legislative operations.
Witnesses reached in recent days said they have been asked about:
•Staffers doing political or campaign tasks on state time. Investigators are looking further into
allegations that several staffers regularly worked on fundraising, mailings and other campaign-related
tasks, sources said.
•Whether a "no-work" job was created in the caucus for a former House GOP staffer.
•The possible destruction of evidence during what caucus officials have maintained was a scheduled
move to new computers in 2007.

Any avenues of investigation of the Republican caucus are just points of inquiry for now. It is likely
prosecutors are still gathering information and evidence to determine if they have a basis to file
charges.
Investigations into the Democratic and Republican offices in the state House and Senate are continuing.
In July, Corbett's office filed corruption charges against 12 people tied to the House Democratic office,
alleging that taxpayer money and resources were illegally used for political campaign work. Since then,
Corbett's investigators have intensified their look at House Republican caucus.
Among those interviewed or questioned before the grand jury in this new phase of the investigation are
staffers who worked for state Rep. John Perzel when he served as House speaker; current and former
workers in the caucus information technology department; and members of the House's bipartisan
management team.
Corbett's office, in keeping with its policy regarding grand jury investigations, refused to comment for
this story, other than to confirm that the investigation is active.
But Corbett said that if any new charges are filed, it will happen this month or after the Nov. 4 election
to avoid any "undue influence" on voting. Corbett is seeking re-election, and all seats in the state House
-- and half the state Senate seats -- are up for grabs.
One focus of the probe, according to some of those contacted by Corbett's agents, is an advanced
"constituent service" computer system acquired by House Republicans with caucus-controlled public
funds.
Investigators are said to have asked about a system designed by Aristotle International Inc., a data
services company based in Washington, D.C., specializing in "political technology," and whether it was
adapted for campaign-related work.
Caucus records show Perzel, R-Philadelphia, was doing business with Aristotle as early as September
1995, when he was majority leader.
By 2006, when Perzel was speaker, that arrangement had grown into a caucuswide service, giving all
members the ability to target e-mail messages, mailings and other outreach to specific voter audiences.
For example, the service would allow a lawmaker to gauge opinions on a gun-control measure.
"It's a filing system and data-management system on constituents to effectively serve them," said Steve
Miskin, spokesman for House Minority Leader Sam Smith, R-Jefferson.
"If I'm working on a bill that fixes a regulatory problem with the [state] Department of Environmental
Protection, now I know who wrote or called about this particular problem," Miskin said.
The tab for the 2006 contract was $1,870,000.
Agents have asked about a 2005 meeting in Perzel's Philadelphia campaign office -- months before that
contract was finalized -- at which sources told them Perzel, some of his top aides and campaign
operatives were briefed on Aristotle's enhanced capabilities and viewed a demonstration that centered
on a hypothetical "Perzel for governor" campaign.
"My understanding was that was strictly for campaign use," said one person who attended.
It was not clear if the programs demonstrated at the 2005 meeting are the same ones caucus bought
months later. Aristotle International's president, Dean Phillips, said last week he could not talk to a
reporter about the Pennsylvania contract. Perzel did not respond to messages for this story.
The House Republicans have since scaled back their deal with Aristotle. Miskin said. The contract now
costs $475,000 annually.
Miskin said he could not explain specific changes in the contract this week other than to note that
Smith, who assumed oversight of the information technology office in late 2006, wanted to cut costs
and make better use of in-house staff and resources.
Miskin also said he was not aware of the Aristotle program being adapted for political use by members
or by the House Republican Campaign Committee.
The Republicans' connections to Aristotle might be drawing scrutiny for other reasons.
The House GOP's former information technology director, Tony Painter, a close Perzel associate, left
his $111,000-a-year Capitol job in 2007 to take a job with Aristotle. Painter, listed as a vice president
for business development for the company, did not return calls for this story.
Smith, in a memo to Republican colleagues last month, noted that a number of staffers have been
interviewed by agents or were subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury in Harrisburg in August, and
said he expected more staffers would be interviewed or subpoenaed.
"I have no way of knowing how many have been subpoenaed or who will be," Smith stated in the
memo. But he added that the caucus has been cooperating with the probe. "I intend to ensure that our
caucus continues to do so throughout the remainder of the investigation," he wrote.