Lawmaker still collecting
HARRISBURG – Defeated Lawrence County Rep. Frank LaGrotta may have left elected office at the end of November, but he’s getting the same 2007 pay and most of the same benefits as re-elected lawmakers. LaGrotta became a legislative assistant to House Democrats the day after leaving elected office on Dec. 1 with the same annual $73,613 salary as lawmakers, adjusted with their 2 percent cost of living increase for 2007.
He’s also entitled to full health benefits, with no employee contribution, dental and vision care, group life insurance, and a pension calculated at a half-percent lower rate than lawmakers.
LaGrotta’s salary was released Friday as part of a 2007 list of House employees and their salaries.
LaGrotta began work by helping the new lawmakers set up their offices and will move on to “assisting other members as necessary” during his one-year employment, according to Tom Andrews, spokesman for House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese.
The 20-year lawmaker, who lost the May primary to 25-year-old law school graduate Jaret Gibbons, did not return calls for comment and a secretary at the Lawrence County House Authority, where he serves as a board member, refused to pass on any more messages.
Andrews would not provide further information about LaGrotta’s specific duties except to say that he’s working 40 hours a week and doesn’t have an established office because he travels to lawmakers’ district offices and Harrisburg as needed.
Two other defeated lawmakers, Rep. Belardi and Rep. Ken Ruffing, are also on House payroll but for shorter periods.
Rock the Capital coordinator Eric Epstein said Harrisburg needs at least a one-year cooling off period between elected office and related service.
“The Democratic caucus has become a dumping ground for defeated House incumbents,” Epstein said. “The voters sent a clear message they did not want to employ Mr. LaGrotta. There’s just something terribly wrong with this system when you can be defeated by the electorate and retained by the power elite.”
House Republicans, too, have employed former members. Former House Republican appropriations chairman Rep. Brett Feese, of Lycoming County, has become chief counsel to House Republican Leader Sam Smith.
Additionally, defeated Rep. Matt Wright of Bucks County and defeated Rep. Sue Cornell of Montgomery County were paid $6,015 for the month of December, the monthly equivalent of full-time legislative pay in 2006 of $72,187.
Wright worked as a “district operations specialist” helping freshman lawmakers start their offices in Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Cornell was a legislative assistant to Philadelphia Rep. George Kenney. Further details were unavailable after repeated unsuccessful attempts to reach Kenney, Wright, and Cornell.
At least one freshman Democrat said he hasn’t seen or heard of LaGrotta since taking office.
Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Uniontown, said three other legislative staffers have been to his district office but not LaGrotta.
—
Alison Hawkes can be reached at 717-705-6330 or ahawkes@calkins-media.com