Jeffrey Piccola
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image=Jeff Piccola.jpg
| name = Jeffrey E. Piccola
| caption =
| state_house3 = Pennsylvania
| district3 = 104th
| term_start3 = January 4, 1977{{cite web |title = Session of 1977 - 16lst of the General Assembly - Vol. 1, No. 1|work = Legislative Journal| publisher = Pennsylvania House of Representatives |date = 1977-01-04|url = http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/HJ/1977/0/19770104.pdf}}
| term_end3 = November 7, 1995{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = Pennsylvania House of Representatives - 1995-1996| publisher = Wilkes University | work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| date = November 3, 2004| url = http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/179H.pdf}}
| predecessor3 = Joseph Hepford
| successor3 = Jeff Haste
| state_senate1 = Pennsylvania State
| district1 = 15th
| term_start1 = November 21, 1995{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = Pennsylvania Senate - 1995-1996| work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| publisher = Wilkes University | year =2004 | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/179S.pdf}}
| term_end1 = November 30, 2012
| predecessor1 = John Shumaker
| successor1 = Rob Teplitz
| office2 = Republican Whip
of the Pennsylvania Senate
| term_start2 = January 2, 2001
| term_end2 = November 30, 2006
| predecessor2 = David Brightbill
| successor2 = Jane Orie
| party = Republican
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|5|16|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| residence = Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| alma_mater = Gettysburg College (BA)
George Washington University (JD)
| spouse = Denise Piccola
| children = 2
| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
| branch = United States Air Force
| serviceyears = 1973–1974
}}
Jeffrey E. Piccola (born May 16, 1948) is an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 15th District from 1995 to 2012 including as Republican Whip from 2001 to 2006. He also served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 104th District from 1977 to 1995.{{cite web |url=http://www.pasen.gov/members/sd15.html |title=Pennsylvania Senate - Piccola |website=www.pasen.gov |access-date=15 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970102023535/http://www.pasen.gov/members/sd15.html |archive-date=2 January 1997 |url-status=dead}}
Early life and education
Piccola was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Anthony J. and Betty Jane Piccola. He graduated from the Susquehanna Township High School in 1966. He received a B.A. degree from Gettysburg College in 1970 and a J.D. degree from George Washington University Law School in 1973.{{cite web |title=Pennsylvania Senate - Jeffrey Piccola Biography |url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=5355&body=S |website=www.legis.state.pa.us |accessdate=21 June 2019}} From 1973 to 1974, he served in the United States Air Force and became a first lieutenant. He has worked as an attorney at the Harrisburg law firm of Boswell, Tintner & Piccola since 1973.{{cite web |title=Jeffrey E. Piccola |url=https://www.btpalaw.com/about/jeffrey-e-piccola/ |website=www.btpalaw.com |date=19 October 2018 |accessdate=21 June 2019}}
Career
Piccola served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 104th district from 1977 to 1995.{{cite web |title=Pennsylvania House of Representatives - JEFFREY E. PICCOLA Biography |url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=176&body=H |website=www.legis.state.pa.us |accessdate=21 June 2019}} He served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 15th district from 1995 to 2012. He was made Majority Caucus Administrator of the State Senate in 1999. In 2001, he was elected Senate Majority Whip. He was considered a "[l]eader of the impatient hard right wing of the Pennsylvania Republican Senate."{{cite web|title=The PA Report "Power 75" List|work=Pennsylvania Report|publisher=Capital Growth, Inc.|date=January 31, 2003|url=http://www.pa-report.com/uploaded_pdf/PAReportPower75_.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920200116/http://www.pa-report.com/uploaded_pdf/PAReportPower75_.pdf|archivedate=September 20, 2006|url-status=dead}}
In 2002, the political website PoliticsPA named him to the list of "Smartest Legislators," saying that he was known for being "[a]rticulate and quick on his feet."{{cite web|title=Smartest Legislators |work=PoliticsPA|publisher=The Publius Group|year=2002|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020115192436/http://politicspa.com/FEATURES/SmartestLegislators.htm|url=http://www.politicspa.com/FEATURES/SmartestLegislators.htm |archivedate=2002-01-15|url-status=dead}}
In a 2002 PoliticsPA feature story designating politicians with yearbook superlatives, he was named the "Most Likely to Succeed."{{cite web|title=Keystone State Yearbook Committee|work=PoliticsPA|publisher=The Publius Group|year=2001|url=http://www.politicspa.com/yearbookcommittee.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020803170058/http://www.politicspa.com/yearbookcommittee.htm|archivedate=2002-08-03|url-status=dead}}
In 2005, Piccola announced that he would run for governor, seeking the Republican nomination against incumbent Democratic governor Ed Rendell. Piccola dropped out of the race for governor in early 2006, after it became clear that former professional football player Lynn Swann had earned the support of most of the Pennsylvania Republican Party.{{cite web|last=Neri|first=Al|date=February 2006|title=Back to Reality|url=http://www.insiderpa.com/archive/insider2-2006.htm|url-status=dead|work=The Insider|authorlink=Albert J. Neri|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013060839/http://www.insiderpa.com/archive/insider2-2006.htm|archivedate=2007-10-13}}
Following the 2006 elections, Piccola gave up his position as Senate Whip, and instead made a bid to become president pro tempore of the State Senate, after the sitting president pro tempore, Bob Jubelirer, lost the Republican primary in his home district.{{cite web|last=Neri|first=Al|date=December 2006|title=Insider Info|url=http://www.insiderpa.com/archive/insider12-2006.htm|url-status=dead|work=The Insider|authorlink=Albert J. Neri|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013010522/http://www.insiderpa.com/archive/insider12-2006.htm|archivedate=2007-10-13}} State Senate Republicans ultimately chose Senator Joe Scarnati for the president pro tempore position instead of Piccola. Piccola was replaced as Republican Whip by Jane Orie.Tom Barnes,[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06325/739979-85.stm "Sen. Orie wins leadership post"], Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 21, 2006.
Piccola considered running for a spot on the State Supreme Court in 2007 but withdrew after he was unable to secure support for the state committee endorsement. In 2009, the Pennsylvania Report noted that Piccola had been "left for dead" after the 2006 leadership election, but was able to return to a leadership role as Chairman of the Senate Education Committee.{{cite web|title=PA Report 100|work=Pennsylvania Report|publisher=Capital Growth, Inc.|date=January 23, 2009|url=http://www.pa-report.com/uploaded_pdf/PA%20Report%20100%20-%20Jan%2023,%202009.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127050652/http://www.pa-report.com/uploaded_pdf/PA%2520Report%2520100%2520-%2520Jan%252023,%25202009.pdf|archivedate=January 27, 2020|url-status=dead}}
In 2012, he received a public reprimand from the Disciplinary Board of the State Supreme Court due to his conduct as a private attorney. He was reprimanded for violations to the code of conduct for lawyers by representing a Utah-based "heir-hunting" firm while also representing three clients involved in estate settlements. The public reprimand was the result of an agreement that allowed Piccola to keep his lawyer license and the dismissal of more serious charges of fraud, dishonesty and champery.{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Matt |title=Senator Jeffrey Piccola receives public reprimand from state disciplinary board |url=https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2012/11/senator_jeffrey_piccola_receiv.html |website=www.pennlive.com |date=17 November 2012 |accessdate=21 June 2019}}
Piccola did not seek re-election in 2012, and was succeeded by Democrat Rob Teplitz.
Piccola became the chairman of the York County Republican Committee until 2022 when two career politicians, Stan Saylor, a Pennsylvanian House Representative for 29 years, and Keith J. Gillespie, another Representative for 19 years, were defeated by anti-establishment candidates, Wendy Fink and Joe D'Orsie, respectively, in their primary. During the contentious primary, Piccola motioned to censure Mike Jones after he endorsed both Fink and D'Orsie. The motion to censure would be defeated. Following the defeats of Saylor and Gillespie, Piccola resigned as chairman.{{cite web |last1=Leigh |first1=Harri |title=Two longtime York County Republican legislators ousted by challengers |url=https://www.fox43.com/article/news/politics/elections/york-pennsylvania-republican-legislators-ousted-challengers/521-b432bb12-4c86-4abb-b031-a8f51d605b00 |website=WPMT |date=18 May 2022 |publisher=Fox Broadcasting Company |access-date=25 March 2023}}
References
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External links
{{CongLinks |votesmart=9209}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-pa-hs}}
{{succession box | before=Joseph Hepford | title= Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 104th district | years=1977–1995| after=Jeff Haste}}
{{s-par|us-pa-sen}}
{{succession box | before= John Shumaker | title= Member of the Pennsylvania State Senate
from the 15th district | years=1995–2012| after=Rob Teplitz}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef | before=David Brightbill}}
{{s-ttl | title=Republican Whip of the Pennsylvania Senate
| years=2001–2006 }}
{{s-aft | after=Jane Orie }}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piccola, Jeffrey}}
Category:20th-century American lawyers
Category:21st-century American lawyers
Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Category:21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Category:American people of Italian descent
Category:George Washington University Law School alumni
Category:Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Category:Gettysburg College alumni
Category:Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators