While state Rep. Tony DeLuca is calling a grand jury investigation into his activities politically motivated, witnesses who have testified say they just want to set the record straight regarding his influence over Penn Hills.

Penn Hills Democratic Committee Chair Erin Vecchio and Penn Hills planning commission chair Al Papa said they testified before a grand jury convened by the state Attorney General's office in June regarding Mr. DeLuca.

The Attorney General's office has not confirmed the nature of its ongoing investigation, but Mr. Papa said he believed that it had been under way for more than a year. Mrs. Vecchio said a second grand jury has been convened to investigate Mr. DeLuca's financial activities.

Mrs. Vecchio, who first testified in December, said she was asked whether Mr. DeLuca helped individuals get jobs for favors, and about his influence over the Democratic Committee.

Mrs. Vecchio said she testified that Mr. DeLuca controls the political campaigns of every member of the Democratic Committee and then asks for favors once the candidates are in office.

"He wrote speeches, did fliers when we were running for election. He wouldn't even let me do it, and I'm the Democratic chair," she said.

She also said she believed that he paid to distribute one of her opponent's campaign fliers during last year's school board election in retaliation for her grand jury testimony last year.

Mr. DeLuca said he had no control over the Democratic Party and said his grandson writes speeches at home for candidates that request his services.

"That's ridiculous, come on. She's the chair of the party. I don't control the party. If I run the party, she let me," he said.

Mr. DeLuca also said he allowed school board member Carolyn Faggioli to use his legislative postal permit to send out campaign fliers, but that he was permitted to do that under law as long as the candidate pays for what they send out.

Mr. Papa, who testified Wednesday, said he also was asked whether Mr. DeLuca awards jobs for favors and about his involvement in the day-to-day business of Penn Hills.

One example, he said, was when Mr. DeLuca allegedly called a former Penn Hills manager to tell him he had canceled a purchase order the manager had made for a set of rubber carpet runners.

"Within five minutes of signing the agreement, he got a call from DeLuca in Harrisburg," he said.

Mr. DeLuca said he hadn't interfered with purchasing orders and that he tries to avoid anyone involved in local government because his son, Anthony DeLuca Jr., is the mayor.

Mr. Papa said he also was asked about Mr. DeLuca's involvement in land development deals, particularly the Vocollect project, off of Rodi Road.

The voice-activated software company, with offices in Wilkins at the Penn Hills boundary, had planned to expand into Penn Hills and build an access road for its employees, but has not gained approval from council.

Mr. Papa said he made the recommendation to council more than a year ago to approve the zoning change, but council has held off on a vote.

Mr. Papa said he believed that Mr. DeLuca discourages council from taking a vote because he wants Vocollect to build elsewhere in the community.

"There is no question in my mind that Rep. DeLuca is pushing against the Vocollect project in Penn Hills," he said.

Mr. DeLuca does not deny he is against the Vocollect expansion, but said he only wants to represent the interests of residents who don't want construction in their neighborhoods.

He also said since PennDOT hasn't given approval for a traffic signal at Rodi and Maple Lane to access the property, the zoning change was premature.

"As a public official, I don't think anybody should make any developers rich by rezoning property if they're not going to do anything with it," Mr. DeLuca said.

Although Mr. DeLuca said he hadn't been contacted by the attorney general's office, he said he understood why they had to investigate the accusations made against him. But he also said those accusations were made by people with their own agendas.

He said he fell out with Ms. Vecchio because he did not support her in the last election or take her side in disputes with local officials. He said Mr. Papa was in favor of Vocollect because he's friends with Joseph D'Andrea, the owner of the Vocollect property in Wilkins and the land adjacent in Penn Hills.

Mr. DeLuca denies committing any crime and said he had nothing to hide from investigators if they contact him.