Frank LaGrotta

Frank LaGrotta (November 25, 1958) is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 10th District from 1987 to 2006.

Personal life LaGrotta was born in Ellwood City. 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.

After graduation, LaGrotta worked as a sports journalist with Gannett News Service from 1981 to 1983. LaGrotta returned home to work as office manager for Ralph Pratt, who was then the representative for the 10th district.

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.

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 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 Pennsylvania 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.

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 Xanax. 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.) 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. He is also teaching a class on politics and government at Franciscan University of Steubenville 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.