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Former State Rep.: I Didn't Commit A Crime

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Nov 5, 2009 8:03 pm US/Eastern

Former State Rep.: I Didn't Commit A Crime

Reporting
Jon Delano
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― In many ways, former PA Rep. Frank LaGrotta is a broken man.

Unable to find work, he is now writing a tell-all book.

Two years ago, he was charged with hiring family members as ghost employees and ultimately pled guilty to a reduced charge.

In a deal, his sister and niece escaped with a misdemeanor and a fine.

Now, LaGrotta wants the public to know all three of them are innocent.

Frank LaGrotta says he was the victim of a disgruntled former employee and an ambitious state attorney general.

"The employee wanted revenge. The prosecutor wanted to be governor, and together they were a match made in hell," LaGrotta told KDKA Political Editor Jon Delano.

After pleading guilty to two felony counts of conflict of interest, LaGrotta now says he's innocent.

"I know the truth. I know the truth. I know that I didn't commit a crime."

Delano: "If you are innocent as you claim, why did you plead guilty?"

LaGrotta: "Because I had no choice. Because the alternative was if I didn't plead guilty they would charge me and my family with a number of more serious crimes."

The former state representative says he didn't have the half million dollars needed to defend himself and his sister and niece, who were charged with working for LaGrotta as ghost employees.

"I closed my eyes and I saw my niece going to jail. And I told my attorneys, 'Do whatever you have to do to protect my sister and my niece – anything,'" LaGrotta said.

Delano: "So you cut a deal?"

LaGrotta: "Yes."

Delano: "With the attorney general."

LaGrotta: "I did."

The deal required him to talk to the AG's office about what he knew about Bonusgate and to keep his nearly $26,000 a year pension.

"I earned the pension. I earned the pension and I didn't do anything wrong," he said.

Delano: "But you pled guilty."

LaGrotta: "I pled guilty to a crime that doesn't require termination of my pension. It was an ethics violation."

Delano: "Was that part of the deal?"

LaGrotta: "To keep my pension?"

Delano: "Yes."

LaGrotta: "Yes."

Delano: "The attorney general knew that?"

LaGrotta: "Well they knew that was going to happen, yes."

He doesn't regret pleading guilty but he says he's still paying a price.

"I've seen a counselor, I've taken medication. I've gone through a depression. I will never ever ever recover from seeing what happened to my sister and my niece and my mom and dad and the suffering that they went through."

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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