LOWER PAXTON TOWNSHIP, DAUPHIN COUNTY -
Ten indicted state House Republican insiders have surrendered to authorities.
The group is accused of illegally using $10 million of taxpayer money for political gain.
The defendants reported to the Lower Paxton Township Police station early Friday morning. They were processed before being handcuffed and driven to Magisterial District Judge William Wenner's office for their arraignments on multiple charges of theft, criminal conspiracy and conflict of interest. Six of the 10 defendants also face obstruction charges.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett said Rep. John Perzel (R-Philadelphia) was the "architect" of a scheme using $10 million in taxpayer money to create computer software to help get GOP politicians elected.
Corbett said Perzel misused House Republican caucus resources, including money, staff and computers, for his own political gain.
"I'm looking forward for an opportunity to be able to prove my innocence in court," Perzel told reporters as he was led from a police car to his arraignment on Friday morning.
Former state Rep. Brett Feese was the only defendant not brought to his arraignment in handcuffs. Feese's attorney, Joshua Lock, said his client never received instructions to surrender to Lower Paxton Township Police. Lock accused Attorney General Corbett of "parading" the defendants in front of the media.
"The story today is what happened at the Lower Paxton Township Police Department," Lock said. "It's the adoption of gratuitous, medieval cruelty."
Lock said Corbett used the arrests for "overtly political purposes" in the attorney general's run for governor.
"The Office of the Attorney General makes no distinction between white-collar defendants or any other kind of defendant that are charged with these kind of felonies," Senior Deputy Attorney General K. Kenneth Brown II said. "You commit a felony, you get handcuffed."
The group is accused of illegally using $10 million of taxpayer money for political gain.
The defendants reported to the Lower Paxton Township Police station early Friday morning. They were processed before being handcuffed and driven to Magisterial District Judge William Wenner's office for their arraignments on multiple charges of theft, criminal conspiracy and conflict of interest. Six of the 10 defendants also face obstruction charges.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett said Rep. John Perzel (R-Philadelphia) was the "architect" of a scheme using $10 million in taxpayer money to create computer software to help get GOP politicians elected.
Corbett said Perzel misused House Republican caucus resources, including money, staff and computers, for his own political gain.
"I'm looking forward for an opportunity to be able to prove my innocence in court," Perzel told reporters as he was led from a police car to his arraignment on Friday morning.
Former state Rep. Brett Feese was the only defendant not brought to his arraignment in handcuffs. Feese's attorney, Joshua Lock, said his client never received instructions to surrender to Lower Paxton Township Police. Lock accused Attorney General Corbett of "parading" the defendants in front of the media.
"The story today is what happened at the Lower Paxton Township Police Department," Lock said. "It's the adoption of gratuitous, medieval cruelty."
Lock said Corbett used the arrests for "overtly political purposes" in the attorney general's run for governor.
"The Office of the Attorney General makes no distinction between white-collar defendants or any other kind of defendant that are charged with these kind of felonies," Senior Deputy Attorney General K. Kenneth Brown II said. "You commit a felony, you get handcuffed."
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