HARRISBURG - The former director of the House Republican computer department testified today that taxpayers paid for his trips to Las Vegas and to the Super Bowl in Houston, even though the trips had a campaign and personal component.
Anthony Painter, the former information technology director, said former House Speaker John Perzel signed his state travel voucher for a computer symposium in Las Vegas in 2001 for $3,416 when he stayed at the MGM grand.
Painter called it a "combined legislative and campaign trip."
"Mine was reimbursed legislatively for the whole thing," Painter said.
The following year, he visited the Hewlett Packard company shortly before the Super Bowl. The company provided computers to House Republicans, but that wasn't the purpose of the visit, he said. Taxpayers paid for his $761 airfare, Painter said.
Painter testified at a preliminary hearing for Perzel and nine other Republicans accused of using taxpayers resources for political campaigns. The hearing is in its fifth day before District Justice William Wenner.
Perzel faces 82 criminal charges accusing him of spending $10 million in taxpayers' money for sophisticated computer programs and software designed to give Republicans an advantage in elections.
Perzel, once the point man for Democratic Gov. Ed Rendel on key legislation, maintains his innocence and says he never used public money for personal or political gain.
His attorney Brian McMonagle asked Painter if he was aware Perzel's campaign paid his way to the Super Bowl. Painter said he didn't know.
The 10 Republicans are among 26 lawmakers, former legislators and staffers charged as a result of a three-year public corruption probe by Attorney General Tom Corbett. Ten Democats have been convicted and two were acquitted.
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