Monday, July 13, 2009

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!


Partisan Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett recently told PCN call-in viewers that many times his office starts an investigation based on his or his staff's perusal of the daily media:

"So many times our investigations, we receive initial information from newspaper accounts, from television accounts and then we start developing witnesses and continue working our way through an investigation." -- PCN 6/10/09

If Corbett read this morning's Inquirer, then Senate Democratic Leader Bob Mellow may find himself sitting in a Grand Jury room for his questionable arrangements involving his district office. ("An ethical question for leading Pa. Democrat" Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/13/09)

This got us thinking about what other news clippings are probably in Corbett's and his investigators' files (or at least should be.) We've all read them and remember them, but we don't want to take it for granted that Corbett was looking as closely.

Topping the list should be another Inquirer item that outlines how the House Republican caucus maintained extensive amounts of political campaign material on their state funded computer system. ("A tangled web at state house" Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/18/07)

Of course, Corbett subsequently allowed the House Republicans to destroy their hard drives and servers. Republican spokesman Steve Miskin admitted as much to the Tribune Review last year. ("Bonus allegations borderline slanderous" Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 10/16/08)

Another news item that Corbett should have his agents diligently investigate would be how Drew Crompton, a Senate Republican staff person who took off 4 months to work on Lynn Swann's gubernatorial campaign, received a $20,000 bonus in 2006. Colin McNickol wrote a column about it and we all know that any respectable GOP primary candidate like Corbett would read the Trib diligently. ("The Susquehanna sewer backs up again" Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 2/4/2007)

Here is a blast from the past, but this Morning Call story recounting how Democratic State Senate staffers used state resources on state time to recruit candidates should give Corbett more than a few leads to follow. ("State Senate staffer found politicking on work time" Morning Call, 2/23/2002)

Let's not forget the well-publicized antics of the Philadelphia Parking Authority and how John Perzel and his henchmen maced employees there. Surely, Corbett has the fortitude to stand up to Bob Asher and go after Perzel after reading this one? ("5 city aides claim they were maced" Philadelphia Daily News, 9/14/2004)

Whenever Corbett's much anticipated (and promised) next round of indictments finally are announced (it has been over a year since Corbett hammered House Democrats,) we hope they reflect all the political activity everyone in the Capitol has been reading about and know has been standard operating procedure in all four caucuses for years.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess Corbett is going to close down the political establishment in Harrisburg, shocked that campaigning was going on all along.

As he forgets he and many Republicans have been campaigning there too, far long before the Democrats ever rose back to power in the House.

A greater power will not permit this to stand and it may be the Courts that are that higher power.

Anonymous said...

The investigations have taken far too long, and this cloud of shadows is what the founding fathers hated in Europe by the Kings and Queens misuse of justice.

The Power Elites of America have replaced the Kings and Queens of Europe.

Corbett better move faster if there is wrongdoing and if he cannot, he should not run for Governor.

Justice delayed is justice denied.

Democrats should unite not fight against one another.

Anonymous said...

What I find interesting is the trend I see as people are called before the Attorney Generals’ Grand Juries, based on what is posted here and in the newspapers.

One Lawmaker was caught saying to his General Counsel, that their sources at AG Office tells them they are in the clear, clean, and will not be indicted, since they never were called before the Grand Jury.

Even so, that may be a bigger burden than any kind of blessing. Noticeably, it is no sign from a higher power that one is protected. Except it now sounds more like a comfortable trap for a rat, from moles with long ears with poor vision.

We do know a pattern or tendency as emerged as a fact upon reviewing what has come before Prosecution. If do Testify, have Immunity, or entered Guilty Pleas, you seem to be safe and have made a deal, so you go before the Grand Juries. Thus, one may have a much better chance to escape a future Indictment and that is more of fact now than an exercise in speculation.

The huge hidden snag with that is if you have not been called, or you have not been questioned by the AG Office. The odds are you have a much larger haughty chance of being hauled up with a Perp Walk on day of the Presentments.

Todd Eachus has not been called even though he paid off Veon’s Campaign Debt and hired Fumo’s former law firm. We will know soon, if he allegedly associated with Mike Veon’s people or his staff has been allegedly paid on state time to assist on what the Attorney General has as far as evidence, witnesses, and other matters.

These manners of dealings can often be the very reason how investigations are broaden and extend into places they never dreamed it could go, and may be the true reason why it is taking so long.

I doubt any person is safe from the Strawberry Square Squads if they have not been called before the Grand Jury. What they have to worry about is when their staffers and former staffers have been cutting deals, testifying, and those sealed immunity deals nobody knows about. Obstruction of Justice is so easy to charge, prove, and often end up with Guilty Pleas even by the best and brightest.

Tables are meant for turning, and people do change, once given the opportunity to come clean to squawk the walk more than walk the walk!

New staffers often are the most terrified once caught doing what they were hired to stop, but zeal always blinds the ruthless.

Anonymous said...

Get that, Todd?

Signor Ferrari said...

Wait; exactly what crime is being alleged regarding the retirement of a campaign debt?

Anonymous said...

What is the pre-occupation on this blog with Eachus paying off Veon's campaign debt? If the HDCC ever had to repay all the money Veon gave to get Democrats elected, they would have to apply for stimulus money, a la Citibank.

It is not illegal. Nor is it unethical. Nor is it out of the ordinary. Gt over it.

On another string, some genius posted a story from years ago about the issue. My personal favorite was Rep. Tom Tangretti feigning his mock indignation about Eachus, knowing full well that Veon was the only reason he was ever re-elected. Hey Tom, remember Paul Martz? Yeah, didn't think so.

And former Rep. Sara Steelam was even funnier with her wondering aloud what the "quid pro quo" might have been, since Veon was a lobbyist at the time.

Memo to Sara: Not sure exactly what type of favor a lobbyist would expect from a Member who actually paid his bills. It is the other way around. No wonder you got tossed out by the voters, you are obviously either too dumb to be in office, or you left the General Assembly and got dropped on your head.

Signor Ferrari said...

Obviously, it's not illegal, unethical or out of the ordinary.

But we think someone is grasping desperately at any straw that might link Eachus to the big bad boogeyman Veon. Someone, perhaps, who is feuding with Eachus? Someone who hopes to worm his way back into the position Eachus currently holds? Someone with a really lame P.R. team?

Anonymous said...

Somebody...hmmmm...fueding with Eachus, wants his old job back, and has hacks in his p.r. office...wow, could be just about anyone with a silly bow tie...let us know if you have any theories!!

Anonymous said...

Whoa!! I was just reading some other comment strings and ran across the gem where somebody lifting quotes from "Scent of a Woman." I apologize for missing that one, but here is his/her really interesting quote:

"Bill DeWeese was working on the Political Agenda going around the state to evaluate Legislative needs as all Democratic Minority Leaders do in all Legislatures, Congress, and Senates, as his schedule proves.

The Democratic Minority Whip Mike Veon was assigned fundraising for candidate support along with Todd Eachus, the person that retired Mike Veon debt on his own without telling the HDC Leadership."

Um........at the end of the first paragraph....

"as his schedule proves."

Perchance, who might you be who has access to Bill DeWeese's schedule? I kinda always thought that as a leader, his schedule would be about as closely guarded as the Secretas of the Opus Dei.

I guess I should read these comments a bit closer from now on. You never know what you might run across.

Anonymous said...

Must have hit a nerve.

Eachus actually takes credit for electing the majority of Democrats over Veon, but has no recollections of ever knowing about what Veon, Manzo, Cott, and others were doing all along?

I guess he may need P.R. Team.

Anonymous said...

How interesting, let me get this straight and thank you for educating me.

DeWeese was above Veon but alleges did not know what Veon was doing, yet this website holds DeWeese responsible when DeWeese refused a cover up.

Senator LaValle from Beaver County was Chairman and head of the Non-Profit Beaver Initiative for Growth (B.I.G.) that the AG Office claims was alleged corrupted by Veon and Peretta-Rosepink, but in the Grand Jury Presentments he is on record saying he did not know what Veon was doing, yet this website never mentions LaValle blaming Veon.

Eachus was below Veon and takes credit for electing a majority of Democrats in the House, but Eachus alleges he did not know what Veon was doing, yet on his own without approval of any Democrats in the House Eachus paid off Veon’s debts, but is defended on this website.

One must conclude, Veon must have been the sole alleged wrongdoer behind the backs of DeWeese, LaValle and Eachus, is that correct or am I missing something?

Therefore, if this website is saying as well as Veon’s Lawyers that DeWeese was doing what Veon did, so did LaValle and Eachus, but they are not mentioned here only DeWeese.

Me think as others either all are guilty or only Veon is guilty or none of them are guilty.

Up until now, if Eachus claims he is clean and not guilty of anything and did the right thing in using HDCC money raised by Veon to payoff Veon’s debts.

Then so is DeWeese, and so is LaValle not guilty of anything. So why does this website blame only DeWeese and claims no straws link Eachus to Veon?