CORBETT SERVES LUNCH AND DINNER TO REPUBLICANS

A Captain Renault post: The Pittsburgh Tribune Review published an article on December 14th that clearly exposes Attorney General and Space Cadet Corbett's partisan and selective prosecution of Democrats. Brad Bumstead's Sunday column had his usual critique of the entire legislature -- this time for what he calls "the per-diem scam". Bumstead reports in his column what everyone in the Capitol has known for a long time: many of the legislators have been collecting per diems with no requirement for receipts while also having their meals paid for by lobbyists or Caucus leadership or Committee accounts. This was common practice and common knowledge. But Corbett only investigated Democrats for this common practice and only indicted Democrat Mike Veon -- despite the clear evidence that Republicans were guilty of the exact same behavior.

We're glad someone in the Main Stream Media is finally doing at least some reporting on the partisan and selective nature of Corbett's Bonusgate investigation. We reported on this specific selective and partisan part of Corbett's investigation way back in October. Read our post again here. We hope more reporters start paying attention to how Corbett has abused the justice system in PA.

As you can see in our October post and in this document, House Republican members collected hundreds of per diems while also paying out tens of thousands of taxpayers dollars for meals on the same day. According to Corbett and the articles published since the July Bonusgate indictments, Democrat Veon was indicted for the exact same thing dozens of House Republicans did on a routine basis. We have no idea whether or not any of this activity is illegal and we certainly aren't defending Veon on this blog. If he was wrong he should pay the price.

What we have dedicated our time and effort to over the last few months is to point out Corbett's hypocrisy, double standards, and partisan use of the immense power of the Attorney General office. We were motivated by what we saw Alberto Gonzales do to the US Justice system. Too few people in the media paid attention to what Gonzales and his partisan staff were doing until it was too late.

If Veon was wrong then so are the dozens of House Republicans who did the exact same thing -- and as our research has shown on the exact same days for the actions Veon was indicted on! Corbett should be forced by law and public outcry to apply the law to both parties in the same way. The arrogance and partisanship by Corbett and his crew is in full display in this part of Bumstead's column:

Some suggest that going after Veon on the meals is selective prosecution by Attorney General Tom Corbett.

No way, his office says. He just followed the evidence.

"During the course of our investigation, we developed evidence related to Veon's basketball dinners," said Kevin Harley, spokesman for Corbett. "That evidence was referred to a grand jury. It will be up to a jury to determine whether that is misappropriating tax money. I can't really comment on the others. The evidence was uncovered in our investigation of Veon."

It's a typical statement from the arrogant spokesman/political operative Harley. The "evidence" on the Republicans is in full view. But you aren't going to see it if you close your eyes and don't even investigate the Republicans.