Al Benedict

{{short description|American politician and Pennsylvania Auditor General}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Al Benedict

| office = 44th Auditor General of Pennsylvania

| termstart = 1977

| termend = 1985

| predecessor = Bob Casey Sr.

| successor = Donald A. Bailey

| birth_place = McKeesport, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_place = Plant City, Florida, U.S.

| birth_date = {{birth-date|1929}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|08|31|1929}}

| occupation = Politician

| party = Democratic

}}

Al Benedict (c. 1929 – August 31, 2003) was an American politician who served as Pennsylvania Auditor General from 1977 to 1985. He was convicted on federal racketeering and tax fraud charges in 1988 and sentenced to six years in prison.{{Cite web |last=Bucsko |first=Mike |date=2003-09-12 |title=Obituary: Al Benedict - State Auditor General Who Ran Afoul of the Law |url=https://old.post-gazette.com/obituaries/20030912benedictobit4p4.asp |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}

Life and career

A Democrat from McKeesport and a former WSEE-TV anchor and Erie controller, Benedict was considered a top candidate for governor before his chief aide, John Kerr, pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges related to job-selling in 1984.{{Cite news |date=1984-07-01 |title=Former Pennsylvania Official Guilty in Job Sales |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/01/us/former-pennsylvania-official-guilty-in-job-sales.html |access-date=2022-10-07 |issn=0362-4331}}

Limited to two terms as auditor general, Benedict won the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania Treasurer in 1984, defeating Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll. Benedict went on to lose the general election to Republican nominee R. Budd Dwyer, who was convicted on federal bribery charges two years later and committed suicide on television.{{Cite web |last=Bumsted |first=Brad |date=2003-09-22 |title=Columnist Fondly Remembers Crooked Politician |url=https://archive.triblive.com/news/columnist-fondly-remembers-crooked-politician/ |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review}}

In 1988, Benedict pleaded guilty to federal racketeering and tax fraud charges and served two years of a six-year prison sentence.{{Cite web |last=Drachler |first=Stephen |date=1988-01-15 |title=Benedict Pleads Guilty to Racketeering, Tax Fraud - Former Auditor Admits Bribes |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1988-01-15-2621520-story.html |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=The Morning Call}} After his release, he worked as a salesman and apartment manager and moved to Florida in 1994.