6th ‘Computergate’ defendant expected to plead guilty

HARRISBURG - Another former House GOP staffer will plead guilty this week in the case that has come to be known as "Computergate."

Elmer "Al" Bowman, a onetime aide to former State Rep. Brett Feese (R., Lycoming), is scheduled to enter a guilty plea Thursday in Dauphin County Court. He was among 10 people charged by state prosecutors in 2009 in the alleged use of taxpayer money to buy sophisticated computer programs that ended up benefiting political campaigns.

Five others have already entered guilty pleas in the case, including former House Speaker John M. Perzel (R., Phila.), who is expected to testify during a trial for the remaining defendants that is expected to last about eight weeks. Jury selection began Monday, when five jurors were selected.

Three people remain at the defense table, including Brian Preski, Perzel's former chief of staff. The trial is scheduled to begin Monday.

Aside from Preski, Feese and ex-staffer Jill Seaman will go on trial. Another defendant who was originally part of the 10 charged will be prosecuted separately this year.

"Computergate" grew out of the state attorney general's wide-ranging Bonusgate investigation, which charged House Democratic caucus members with using taxpayer-funded bonuses to award staffers for campaign work. Perzel and others from the House Republican caucus had been charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and conflict of interest.

A grand jury found that Perzel had spent upward of $10 million in taxpayer funds to create as many as a dozen computer programs designed to give him and other GOP politicians an upper hand in elections.

Last month, Samuel "Buzz" Stokes of Philadelphia, Perzel's brother-in-law and former campaign manager; Eric Ruth, Perzel's nephew and a former House Republican technology employee; former campaign aide Don McClintock of Voorhees; and Paul Towhey of Blue Bell all pleaded guilty in the case.