Frank LaGrotta
Encyclopedia
Frank LaGrotta is a former Democratic
member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 10th District
from 1987 to 2006.
. He is an alumnus of Riverside High School. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame
, having received a Bachelor of Arts
in 1980 and a Master of Arts
in 1981. He is the grandson of immigrants.
After graduation, LaGrotta worked as a sports journalist
with Gannett News Service from 1981-1983. LaGrotta returned home to work as office manager for Ralph Pratt, who was then the representative for the 10th district. He also served as Legislative Director of the Beaver County
Legislative Delegation from 1983-1986.
Jim Gerlach
, who is currently a U.S. Representative
for Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district
. LaGrotta was considered a Casey Democrat
because of his pro-life
stance and his strong ties to organized labor
.
He won re-election nine times, largely with token Republican opposition. He faced one serious challenge in the GOP landslide year of 1994 winning with only 53% of the vote. After the 1994 scare, LaGrotta ran unopposed in four of his last five races.
In 1992, LaGrotta ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district
against incumbent Democrat Joseph P. Kolter
who was implicated in the Congressional Post Office scandal
. He finished fourth in a four-way primary that also included Ron Klink
, the victor, and fellow state Representative Mike Veon
.
During his tenure, LaGrotta established himself as a strong advocate for his district, securing funds for 11 bridges in Ellwood City, leading opposition to a hazardous waste facility in his district, and lobbying for public works projects.
for the 2006 election
by political newcomer Jaret Gibbons
. The margin of defeat was 28 votes.
The election focused on LaGrotta's support for the controversial 2005 legislative pay raise
.
Following the election, LaGrotta was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Lawrence County
Housing Authority in December 2006. He resigned this position in October 2007.
, on two corruption-related felony charges, following the Attorney General's investigation into the 2006 bonus controversy
. According to State Attorney General
Tom Corbett
, LaGrotta allegedly used his position to have his sister and niece paid over $26,000 from state funds. On December 20, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. On February 3, 2008, LaGrotta pleaded guilty to two felony counts of conflict of interest for having ghost workers on his payroll. He was sentenced to six months of house arrest, along with probation and fines. He will continue to receive his full pension of $48,000 per year, since conflict of interest convictions do not fall under the State Employees' Retirement System's list of 23 crimes that require pension forfeiture. After his guilty plea, he stopped repaying the unvouchered expenses from the 2005 legislative payraise
and was refunded the amount that he had previously returned.
. His plea included admissions of guilt in fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and forgery
(for changing the date of prescriptions from March to May 2010, changing daily dosing instructions from two to three per day, and changing the number of pills prescribed from 120 to 180.) His sentencing (which could include incarceration) was docketed for June 7, 2011.
in Ohio
. In an interview with journalist John Micek of The Morning Call
, LaGrotta said that following his house arrest, he was returning to Catholicism
and contemplating his legislative career.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
from the 10th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 10
The 10th District is an electoral district for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and is currently represented by Democrat Jaret Gibbons. The district is located in Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties and includes the following areas:* Beaver County...
from 1987 to 2006.
Personal life
LaGrotta was born in Ellwood CityEllwood City, Pennsylvania
Ellwood City is a borough in Beaver and Lawrence counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Ellwood City is 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and some 8 miles south by southeast of New Castle...
. He is an alumnus of Riverside High School. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, having received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1980 and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1981. He is the grandson of immigrants.
After graduation, LaGrotta worked as a sports journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
with Gannett News Service from 1981-1983. LaGrotta returned home to work as office manager for Ralph Pratt, who was then the representative for the 10th district. He also served as Legislative Director of the Beaver County
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
Legislative Delegation from 1983-1986.
Political career
Upon Pratt's election as a judge, LaGrotta ran for his boss's seat. In 1986 he defeated RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Jim Gerlach
Jim Gerlach
James "Jim" Gerlach is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.- Early life, education and career :...
, who is currently a U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district
Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district
Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District was substantially redrawn in 2002. Its strange shape brought charges of gerrymandering by Democrats who argued it "looms like a dragon descending on Philadelphia from the west, splitting up towns and communities throughout Montgomery and Berks Counties." ...
. LaGrotta was considered a Casey Democrat
Robert P. Casey
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Sr. was an American politician from Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 42nd Governor of Pennsylvania from 1987 to 1995...
because of his pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
stance and his strong ties to organized labor
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
.
He won re-election nine times, largely with token Republican opposition. He faced one serious challenge in the GOP landslide year of 1994 winning with only 53% of the vote. After the 1994 scare, LaGrotta ran unopposed in four of his last five races.
In 1992, LaGrotta ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district
Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district
Pennsylvania's fourth district is located in western Pennsylvania and includes suburbs of Pittsburgh as well as Beaver County, Lawrence County, and Mercer County....
against incumbent Democrat Joseph P. Kolter
Joseph P. Kolter
Joseph Paul Kolter was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania.Joe Kolter was born in McDonald, Ohio. He graduated from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and served in the United States Army from 1944 to 1947...
who was implicated in the Congressional Post Office scandal
Congressional Post Office Scandal
The Congressional Post Office scandal refers to the discovery of corruption among various Congressional Post Office employees and members of the United States House of Representatives, investigated 1991–1995, climaxing in the conviction of House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan...
. He finished fourth in a four-way primary that also included Ron Klink
Ron Klink
Ronald "Ron" Klink is a Democratic politician and former United States Representative from Pennsylvania.Klink was born in Canton, Ohio, and graduated from Meyersdale High School in Pennsylvania in 1969. Klink originally worked behind the scenes at WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania...
, the victor, and fellow state Representative Mike Veon
Mike Veon
Michael R. Veon is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 14th District from 1985 through 2006.-Personal life:...
.
During his tenure, LaGrotta established himself as a strong advocate for his district, securing funds for 11 bridges in Ellwood City, leading opposition to a hazardous waste facility in his district, and lobbying for public works projects.
2006 primary election
LaGrotta ran for re-election for an eleventh term, but was defeated in the primaryPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the 2006 election
Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2006
The 2006 Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were held on November 7, 2006, with all districts being contested. Necessary primary elections were held on May 16, 2006. Members elected in 2006 were inaugurated on January 2, 2007...
by political newcomer Jaret Gibbons
Jaret Gibbons
Jaret A. Gibbons is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 10th legislative district. He was elected in 2006.Prior to elective office, Gibbons graduated from Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he was editor in chief of the...
. The margin of defeat was 28 votes.
The election focused on LaGrotta's support for the controversial 2005 legislative pay raise
2005 Pennsylvania General Assembly pay raise controversy
In the early morning hours of July 7, 2005, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed pay increases for state lawmakers, judges, and top executive-branch officials. The vote took place at 2 a.m. without public review or commentary and Governor Ed Rendell signed the bill into law...
.
Following the election, LaGrotta was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Lawrence County
Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 91,108. The county was added to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2003. The county seat is New Castle....
Housing Authority in December 2006. He resigned this position in October 2007.
Conflict of interest legal proceedings
On November 14, 2007, LaGrotta was arraigned in Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, on two corruption-related felony charges, following the Attorney General's investigation into the 2006 bonus controversy
2006 Pennsylvania General Assembly bonus controversy
In 2007, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett began investigating $3.8 million in bonuses paid to legislative staffers in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. While the bonuses themselves are not illegal under state law, the Attorney General is investigating the possibility that the bonuses...
. According to State Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Tom Corbett
Tom Corbett
Thomas W. Corbett is the 46th and current Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. He is a former Attorney General of Pennsylvania and was elected to that office in 2004 and reelected in 2008...
, LaGrotta allegedly used his position to have his sister and niece paid over $26,000 from state funds. On December 20, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. On February 3, 2008, LaGrotta pleaded guilty to two felony counts of conflict of interest for having ghost workers on his payroll. He was sentenced to six months of house arrest, along with probation and fines. He will continue to receive his full pension of $48,000 per year, since conflict of interest convictions do not fall under the State Employees' Retirement System's list of 23 crimes that require pension forfeiture. After his guilty plea, he stopped repaying the unvouchered expenses from the 2005 legislative payraise
2005 Pennsylvania General Assembly pay raise controversy
In the early morning hours of July 7, 2005, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed pay increases for state lawmakers, judges, and top executive-branch officials. The vote took place at 2 a.m. without public review or commentary and Governor Ed Rendell signed the bill into law...
and was refunded the amount that he had previously returned.
Prescription altering guilty plea
On April 7, 2011, LaGrotta pleaded guilty to altering prescriptions he had submitted to three different pharmacies, in two Pennsylvania counties, to obtain more of the anti-anxiety medication XanaxAlprazolam
Alprazolam is a short-acting anxiolytic of the benzodiazepine class of psychoactive drugs. Alprazolam, like other benzodiazepines, binds to specific sites on the GABAA gamma-amino-butyric acid receptor...
. His plea included admissions of guilt in fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
(for changing the date of prescriptions from March to May 2010, changing daily dosing instructions from two to three per day, and changing the number of pills prescribed from 120 to 180.) His sentencing (which could include incarceration) was docketed for June 7, 2011.
Post-legislative career
In spite of his legal troubles, LaGrotta received $30,000 per year in his legislative pension. He is writing a book about his experiences and has launched a blog Politics As (Not) Usual, where he gives his unique perspective on political issues. The book, which cannot be published until his probation ends, is tentatively titled Be Careful, I’m Wired. He is also teaching a class on politics and government at Franciscan University of SteubenvilleFranciscan University of Steubenville
Franciscan University of Steubenville is a Catholic institution located in Steubenville, Ohio, west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1946 by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular. In 1974, Fr...
in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. In an interview with journalist John Micek of The Morning Call
The Morning Call
The Morning Call is a daily newspaper based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The newspaper is owned by the Tribune Company, whose other publications include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun....
, LaGrotta said that following his house arrest, he was returning to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and contemplating his legislative career.
External links
- LaGrotta's blog
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Frank LaGrotta Official PA House website (archived)