User:Cullen328/sandbox/Preski

In 2011, Preski pled guilty to felony charges of conspiracy, conflict of interest and theft, and was disbarred by the Pennsylania Supreme Court in 2016. That court described his offenses as "a corrupt swindle of the taxpayers".

Preski served 18 months in prison, and is now a lobbyist for a road repair company.

Aristotle Scandal
On September 10, 2008 the office of then-State Attorney General Republican Tom Corbett announced that Perzel was under investigation for deals he made with the data firm Aristotle, Inc. during his tenure as Speaker of the House. Perzel had contracted the firm to provide the Republican Caucus with its constituency service program in deals worth over $1,870,000. Corbett's agents were investigating whether the sophisticated data collection software was used for reelection campaigns in violation of state laws against the use of public funds for campaign purposes. On September 11, 2008 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the contract contained specific references for gathering information related to election purposes and the distribution of yard signs.

The Republican Attorney General's office stated that it would issue indictments either before October 1, 2009 or after the election to avoid having "undue influence" on the November election. After indictment, Perzel turned himself into local police on November 13, 2009 and with fellow co-defendants including his Chief of Staff Brian Preski (R), and was released from custody on $100,000 bond that same day after surrendering his passport. He lost his 2010 re-election bid to Democrat Kevin Boyle.

Perzel pleaded guilty on August 31, 2011 to eight criminal charges, including two counts of conflict of interest, two counts of theft, and four counts of conspiracy. On March 21, 2012, Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Lewis sentenced Perzel to 30 months in prison and to pay one million dollars restitution to the state.

http://www.law360.com/articles/777963/aide-to-ex-pa-speaker-disbarred-for-10m-campaign-scandal

Perzel, Preski and five other Republican defendants engaged in a conspiracy to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on computer programs and data systems intended to give Republican candidates an advantage in elections. All pled guilty or were convicted.