...a deal with Rachel Manzo to knock 12 felonies down to 1 misdemeanor get gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett?A: The head of Majority Leader Todd Eachus.
Mark Scolforo with the Associated Press reports this evening on the deal Manzo was given in exchange for testimony against her old boss. (Associated Press 12/22/09)
These revelations by Manzo and John Jones, another former Eachus staff member, shed light on why Corbett sent Eachus a "target" letter earlier this month. (Post-Gazette 12/04/09)
Here is Eachus on Monday telling WNEP "anyone who has created a problem should face justice."
Eachus is a big mouth hypocrite. Everyone working in the Capitol for the House Democrats knows Eachus and the staff he directed did campaign work and politics all the time throughout 2003 - 2006. His district staff also did campaign work out of his district office for years.
ReplyDeleteEven in 2007 when Eachus became the Majority Leader he continued to have his staff do campaign work in the capitol. Everyone working there knows it. It's no secret.
Now that's it's clear to the public that Eachus "created these problems" is he going to "face justice" as he hypocritically says others should or does the tough talking Corbett just let him walk away free?
Was Zane Phoenix involved???
ReplyDeleteEachus became Majority Leader effective January 2009. Did his staff work on campaign activites this year is a good question.
ReplyDeleteEachus does not look, walk or talk savvy enough to get a deal with Corbett.
Eachus was closely allied with former House Whip Mike Veon, D-Beaver, whom prosecutors have portrayed as leading a conspiracy to divert public employees and resources for campaign work before he lost re-election in 2006.
ReplyDeleteVeon and as many as four others are expected to go on trial next month on charges of theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest.
Veon co-defendant Rachel Manzo had been House Democratic policy committee executive director under Eachus at the time of her arrest in July 2008. On the same August day that she appeared before the grand jury, she signed an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor count of theft of services.
A prosecutor asked Manzo about talking to Eachus about moving state workers spending time on campaigns to another office, according to a transcript.
"So those discussions manifested direct knowledge by Eachus that these people were involved in politics as part of their daily work?" the prosecutor asked.
"Yes," she testified. "He used them daily for politics."
Phone messages left for her and her lawyer, Bil l Ward, were not returned.
The only defendant among the 25 arrested as part of the investigation who has gone to trial, former state Rep. Sean Ramaley, D-Beaver, was acquitted of all charges this month.
WHERE IS JUBELIER AND WHERE ARE SENATE INVESTIGATIONS, GRAND JURY, AND INDICTEMENTS.
ReplyDeleteFrank Dermody will be the new Majority Leader, God Bless America, from Once Upon A time In America.
ReplyDeleteNow the Real Crooks are in office.
Please tell me they aren't going to keep the highly paid Laura Kuller on staff after Eachus is gone.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in the Capitol knows she was brought in to be Todd's personal criminal attorney.
KULLER MUST GO! the minute Eachus is gone. If not, the people will demand an explanation!
Believe that!
Where is the Investigation on Dilworth Paxson Law Firm and benefits from Fumo and now Eachus!
ReplyDeleteDermody will not escape Indictemenets either, there is information him as put out by the Veon papers.
Eachus will see Dermody is implicated just about the time of the next elections.
Dermody is on Deck!
If you are a Republican think about running against any Democrat next year.
You will win anywhere!
I LOVE CASABLANCAPA ANYTIME THEY POST ANYTHING, MORE BECOME INDICTED.
ReplyDeleteNOW IS THE TIME FOR JUBELIER, BRIGHTBILL, AND LAVALLE.
HECK GRAB FUMO ON STATE CHARGES TOO!
GO CASABLANCAPA, YOU ARE THE EBST WEBSITE FOR REPUBLICANS ELECTIONS.
Zane Phoneix should retire right away or leave as well.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are dropping like flies! It might be easier for you to just tell us who WAS NOT involved in fleecing the taxpayer.
ReplyDeleteEachus must be laughing today at both Corbett and DeWeese. The AP story indicates that Eachus did the same stuff DeWeese did and Corbett indicted DeWeese and let Eachus off the hook. It looks like Corbett has had the goods on Eachus for some time based on the testimony reported on in the AP story.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...Eachus must be laughing today at both Corbett and DeWeese. The AP story indicates that Eachus did the same stuff DeWeese did and Corbett indicted DeWeese and let Eachus off the hook. It looks like Corbett has had the goods on Eachus for some time based on the testimony reported on in the AP story. December 23, 2009 1:37 AM"
ReplyDeleteA good Federal Case for a Runaway Grand Jury, manipulated by the OAG and violations of ABA and PA Disciplinary Conduct violations.
"Anonymous said...You guys are dropping like flies! It might be easier for you to just tell us who WAS NOT involved in fleecing the taxpayer.
ReplyDeleteDecember 22, 2009 11:59 PM"
Yep, it is getting like the Teamsters Presidents of the 160's. 70's and 80's, as soon as you take a leadership position you are indicted.
Veon released files on Dermody's activities and most likely will be posted soon here.
The senate has yet begun its walk on the greed line.
All I know is, many people are now on board in hopes Veon, Cott, and Rosepink-Peretta, all are found Not Guilty. Runaway Grand Juries need to be stopped now.
"Anonymous said...Please tell me they aren't going to keep the highly paid Laura Kuller on staff after Eachus is gone.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in the Capitol knows she was brought in to be Todd's personal criminal attorney.
KULLER MUST GO! the minute Eachus is gone. If not, the people will demand an explanation! Believe that!
December 22, 2009 10:16 PM"
I suspect when Dermody takes over as Majority Leader and then takes over to a short term Speaker of the House in 2010, when Eachus implicates McCall.
There will be a big House cleaning until it comes back on Dermody .
Dilworth Paxson may be replaced too.
"Anonymous said...Zane Phoneix should retire right away or leave as well. December 22, 2009 10:34 PM"
ReplyDeleteNow that is a great Cowboy name and he has a future wth that kind of name, but only at west.
This is a good time to recruit some new members, we are here for you...."The mission of the Free Methodist Church is to make known to all people everywhere God's call to wholeness through forgiveness and holiness in Jesus Christ, and to invite into membership and equip for ministry all who respond in faith."
ReplyDeletePlease join us, as the name implies, Free Methodists trace their heritage back to original Methodism as led by its founder, John Wesley. When Methodism came to America, churches and annual conferences spread across the land. In 1860, in western New York and Illinois, the Free Methodist Church came into being. In New York a group of 1,000 Methodist laymen held several conventions and were joined by evangelical Methodist pastors. On August 23, 1860, the new denomination came into being.
Issues that were important to them included slavery in America. While the mother church did not take a stand, those who took the name "Free" Methodist opposed slavery.
Another issue in that time was the widespread practice of renting and selling church pews, thus relegating the poor to benches in the back of the sanctuary.
"Free" Methodists called for free seats for all and emphasized tithes and offerings to support the church's ministries.
Freedom in worship, in contrast to deadening formalism, was also important to "Free" Methodists.
As a result, the newly named Free Methodists sought to maintain the heritage of original Methodism with its warm-hearted, biblical message and lifestyle.
You may be out of office, a job, or power, but we can bring you into a bigger House of Power that can turn you into a Secret Santa.
God Bless All Of You!
I can the hear singing now,
ReplyDeleteCan't You See,
You And Me,
In Ole De Napoli,
Thats Amore!
Toddy & Tommy,
Waste Mangement
Luzerne & Carbon Counties
CoalMine Garbage Dumps!
"All I know is, many people are now on board in hopes Veon, Cott, and Rosepink-Peretta, all are found Not Guilty."
ReplyDeleteYeah, at least 25 by my count. I'm sure you guys would love to go back to your easy, high-paid lifestyles. Having to actually work and show results is HARD.
Maybe Nate Frank, was right all those stories about Jimmy Hoffa are true about being spread over the Pennsylvania Turnpike on orders from Pittston Big Russell.
ReplyDeleteWaste Management Inc. had the Trucks. Way to go Waste Management Inc!
Gas Kate Smith sings God Bless America, at the end of Once Upon Time In America, funny how movies are becoming the truth in the Keystone State.
Everything is now in place for making Pennsylvania one big waste dump.
First, they came for the Staffers!
ReplyDeleteSecond, they came for legsilators!
Third, they came for the Mice in the Cafeteria!
Fourth, They are coming for senators!
Fifth, they will come for themselves!
Now that all good people's leadership is gone, time for the big elites to divide up the Commonwealth and take their unfair shares of the big pizza pies.
Jim Gerlach is much cleverer, more knowledgeable on topics and better qualified campaigner than Tom Corbett.
ReplyDeleteGerlach would be a better opponent to any Democratic Governor contender.
Tom "The Lights Are On But No One Is Home" Corbett would really be no match for any of the likely Democratic candidates, once his OAG is audited by Jack Wagner.
Corbett’s chink in his armor is actually his association with the people that he has retained to run his campaign.
Corbett has transformed numerous public staffers in the OAG to the campaign trail and fundraising apparatus over the commonwealth, and they are still having trouble gathering donations.
Do you think that Perzel, Power Elites, and Citizens in the know are unintelligent?
Corbett's true vulnerable spot is his over-spending.
In the face of being the Top Law Enforcement Officer in Pennsylvania, Corbett has a convicted felon running his operations; this is going to be great campaign commercial.
Both are very tight and loyal with Bob Jubelirer.
It goes back when Corbett was set upon do to harass Eichelberger with bogus investigations that never panned out, to stop him in defeating Jubelirer.
Jubelirer was thrown out of office anyway but has yet to be investigated after 3 years going on 4 now?
Now Eichelberger has his chance for payback.
There is a group of Top Republican Contributors that are going to support Democratic Candidates over Corbett.
One reason given is they know Corbett is living on borrowed time.
The Asher/Jubelirer/Waste Management/DeNaples connections cronies of the Tom Corbett Neon Grand Jury Show may have a stunning opening, but could close in weeks once some revelations come out on Video Games for Kids!
Anonymous said...Yeah, at least 25 by my count. I'm sure you guys would love to go back to your easy, high-paid lifestyles. Having to actually work and show results is HARD. December 23, 2009 9:52 AM"
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about the Office of Attorney Generals Salaries or campaign contributions given on State Time?
Corbett should request Auditor General Jack Wagner to do an audit his office to remove this as a campaign issue.
After all, if they are removing Mice from the Capitol Cafeteria, what about Strawberry Square, there may be mice there too?
We need a posting of OAG salaries and match them with contributions so we all can have a from beginning to end Fumogater!
After all where there is mice there are rats, and they come in both parties and they are not red or blue, they are grey.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought, but could todd eachus be the Secret sealed Immunity Witness, against all that have been charged?
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts from anyone?
All the attacks on Laura Kuller are interesting in that the leaders, from DeWeese to McCall and Eachus have NEVER fired those implicated (like Steve Webb, Karen Steiner, Tom Andrews,etc.)
ReplyDeleteJohn Paul Jones managed the campaign for Rep. Eugene DePasquale (D-95) back in his 2006 race that he was projected to lose against reformer Karen Emenheiser. This was Rep. Steve Stetlers old seat. Stetler quit after the primary. Stetler found out he was going to lose to reformer Emenheiser because of the pay raise. Anyone smell smoke here. Someone should ask Rep. DePasquale about this.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...All the attacks on Laura Kuller are interesting in that the leaders, from DeWeese to McCall and Eachus have NEVER fired those implicated (like Steve Webb, Karen Steiner, Tom Andrews,etc.)
ReplyDeleteDecember 23, 2009 11:34 AM"
The OAG needs these HDC Employees to be witnesses in the prosecutions against others in the HDC.
It is The Perfect Process of Societal Suicide by Prosecutions using HDC State Employees Time and Resources to testify against those in the HDC that used State Time and Resources.
If Eachus had any balls he fired, the lot lizards for admitting they committed crimes on state time and let the OAG challenge those firings?
When employees admit they violated work rules, with or without immunity, they get fired, period.
Taxpayers are paying for the previous tax dollars that went to bonuses and salaries on state time for political gain, taxpayers are paying for the investigations of these employees and lawmakers, and now taxpayers are paying for employees hired to work on campaigns and have nothing to do, and the OAG is not indicted for misuse of state resources either?
Don't discount the fact that the FBI may be looking at Eachus due to his connection to Robert Powell and the fantasy cargo airport that proposed for the Hazleton Area. So far Powell has been identified as making payments to three judges in Luzerne County. Eachus secured $250 million for the cargo airport. What are the chances he did it for free? Powell was flying Eachus around in his jet that never made it to ethics filings.
ReplyDeleteYou must admit that Corbett has a sense of humor, alone present, if he indicts Eachus all by himself.
Eachus's own words- "Anyone Who Has Created A Problem Should Face Justice."
Not to dismiss anything that has been charged - but if the crime is doing nonlegislative or political work during so called "state" hours, who isn't guilty? Instead of 25, or 26 including Eachs, shouldn't it be 1,026? And isn't that true of the Atty Gen., Aud Gen., State Treas., Gov and Lt, Gov's offices too?
ReplyDeleteFor that matter how about city halls and county courthouses throughout the commonwealth? Not to excuse ths stuff, but just saying.
Has anyone interviewed PJ LaValle about the activities he did or MCall?
ReplyDeletehttp://sightsonpennsylvania.blogspot.com/2009/12/dejavu-stish-eachus-deweese.html
ReplyDeleteIf you want to speak about political work on legislative time, how bout T J Rooney while he served as both State Rep and Democratic Party Chair, and had an employee parttime at the state and part time at the party HQ, btw with fulltime pension and healthcare benefits.And the poltical work done in the legislative communcations office.
ReplyDeleteYou can't say the Veon staff - all of them and especially Brett Cott -didn't put in way, way more than 40hours a week. I guess its ok to come in late, leave early and take long lunches as long as you don't do any questionable work, no wrk is requiredat all.Or in DeWeese's office its ok to hide most of the day as long as you bring the bosses condoms to him.
ReplyDeleteThe Bill DeWeese articles represent a personal rip off of taxpayers - for his own crazy egotistical reasons. Veon never did that.When read bout DeWeese shaking down lobbyists for every meal, making staff get him dates and buy his condoms....he is way creepy. Quie a eptation for harrasing women, but not performing very well. Scary creepy.
ReplyDeleteDos Dermody still emplo David Bliss while pontificating about how wrong it is to do olitical work on state time? Did DeWeese ever fire Angela Bertugli - who interestingly hails from a politcally involved family in Greene County, or Tom Andrews? Does McCall still employ those implated in the first presentment? Will DeWeese pay back the caucus expenditure fr his criminal defense attorney (and isn't that unethical?).
ReplyDeleteWhat ever happened o Bill Slane because of the evidence boxes he "forgot" to turn over?
Staff and especially former staff have a respoibilty to give info to the AG about every person who did political work on state time. Anyone ho does that without being forced to is a real whistlblower.
Is it true Laura Kuller was the person who recommended Bill Chadwick to Bill DeWeese?
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...Has anyone interviewed PJ LaValle about the activities he did or MCall?December 23, 2009 1:29 PM"
ReplyDeleteI have not seen one, but I do see a trend here.
The OAG is doing a "Match Up Game”.
Take one Pleader of Guilty such as Foremen, Brubaker, or Manzo,
and then "Match" them up with Immunity Witnesses
and then "Match" them up with current HDC employees that have testify before the Grand Jury without immunity.....
THEN
MATCH UP LAWMAKER BY LAWMAKER!
Then
Indict and write Presentments for Press Headlines regardless of Exculpatory Evidence!
Then
Let those indicted be fingered and made fun of by those that have not been indicted such as when Eachus was dancing the two-step when DeWeese was indicted last week.
Then
Watch Grand Jury Transcript be released showing Eachus will be indicted soon, and now Dermody is doing a Happy Dance.
Then
watch Ex-Staffers that pleaded Guilty talk about how they hated their bosses, even though they worked for them and were suppose to be careful how they did their jobs and kept things from their bosses.
Then
If OAG loses case, more Indictments against anyone that will make bigger headlines.
Then
The OAG is using everyone at the HDC to turn on everyone at the HDC.
Then
Veon,Cott and Team Casa post Exhibits nd Transcripts on this blog
Then
OAG indicts more as posted
Yet, no sign of any Senate Investigations of Corbett's mentors, friends, and campaign contributors????
The song of "The Windmills In Your Mind" from the Thomas Crown Affair seems to be appropriate with this planned make me Governor Clean Up Campaign.
Someone needs to go to Federal court and stop this runaway Grand Jury being manipulated unfairly for political gain by OAG Deputies.
Who Will Stand Up? It will take a Brave Soul, But it needs to be done. The abuse is getting out of hand.
The Governor comments that lawyers he's talked with tell him Stetler may not be guilty of anything because he only did what was already being done, and didn't take any "affirmative" action. If that's a defense, very few are guilty - particularly staff. Can't every staffer say they were doing what they were told to as part of their job?
ReplyDeleteIf Rachel Manzo was educed to just 1 misdmeanor, and "mastermind" Mik Manzo is down to just 5 charges, what should happen to less involved staffers? Maybe the same outcome as Ramaley.
"Anonymous said...Just a thought, but could todd eachus be the Secret sealed Immunity Witness, against all that have been charged?
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts from anyone? December 23, 2009 11:07 AM"
In my opinion, after seeing all the blogs on CasablancaPA it is clear to me, that Mike Veon may actually be the Secret sealed Immunity Witness.
We will know soon, if Mike goes to trial, he is not, if he pleads, he may have been all along.
Anytime, Team Casa Post blogs, Indictemnets follow, now that ain't no trend that is a Fact!
I hope all defendants are acquited!
PJ didn't do any campaign work for McCall...but Adam Wagonseller did...oops!
ReplyDeleteI understand he AG needs cooperation from witnesses that were guilty of the same charges the AG is bringing against others; but should they get off scott free? If I were AG I think I might ant immnity to eople like Eric Webb, John Paul Jones, Kevin Sidella, Tom Andrews, Steve Webb, Karen Steiner, Michelle Borlinghaus, and so on based on the need for their testimony, but contingent upon them paying their bonuses back. That's the least they should do.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...Not to dismiss anything that has been charged - but if the crime is doing nonlegislative or political work during so called "state" hours, who isn't guilty? Instead of 25, or 26 including Eachs, shouldn't it be 1,026? And isn't that true of the Atty Gen., Aud Gen., State Treas., Gov and Lt, Gov's offices too?
ReplyDeleteFor that matter how about city halls and county courthouses throughout the commonwealth? Not to excuse ths stuff, but just saying.
December 23, 2009 1:28 PM"
Add in Deputy Prosecutors from OAG that are maniplulating the evidence and refusing to check out exculpatoy evidence and you ahve a Runaway grand Jury.
Add in where the AG himself and Deputy Prosecutors are friends with other Alwmakers and Campaigned or worked together, you have a political witch hunt for political gain purposes.
Once these cases created by OAG abuse are decided in court, they have a great chance for Appeals.
BUT BY THAT TIME, CORBETT WILL BE GOVERNOR!
What happened to those in the House epublcan Caucus that admitted to the grand jury they were participating in crimes? Have they been fired? How bout the law firms involved in the Nader and Casey petition challenges and the computer firms that took GOP caucus taxpayer funds for doing political work and for that matter Eric Buxton, are they barred from getting state work?
ReplyDeleteHas anyone brought ethics comlaints against them? Gene Stilpwhere re you hen we need you?
"McGruff said...Don't discount the fact that the FBI may be looking at Eachus due to his connection to Robert Powell and the fantasy cargo airport that proposed for the Hazleton Area. So far Powell has been identified as making payments to three judges in Luzerne County. Eachus secured $250 million for the cargo airport. What are the chances he did it for free? Powell was flying Eachus around in his jet that never made it to ethics filings.
ReplyDeleteYou must admit that Corbett has a sense of humor, alone present, if he indicts Eachus all by himself.
Eachus's own words- "Anyone Who Has Created A Problem Should Face Justice."
December 23, 2009 12:51 PM"
YES, YOU ARE RIGHT; CORBETT SHOULD INDICT HIMSELF TOO, UNLESS HE INDICTS JUBELIRER AND DERMODY WITHIN WEEKS.
THIS IS CORBETT'S TRUE TEST OF FAIRNESS; GO AFTER YOUR FRIENDS, WHICH CREATED A PROBLEM SO THEY FACE JUSTICE.
A Federal Review of Prosecutors behavior before the Grand Jury would be the fairest thing to do right now.
I find this entire mess just comical in every way.
ReplyDeleteI mean, if you are not just a little scared when you enter a Grand Jury, you are either very rich or you have not studied the games of prosecutors enough.
This Bonus Money won was not as twice as sweet as money earned. It is clear that Manzo and his wife that created it and suggested it to the leadership was a sure bet of making out the lawmakers to be fools and the staffers thief’s.
Imagine, the urge to give yourself, your wife, your co-workers huge bonuses was a bigger gamble and so universal and its practice was so pleasurable, that I assume it must be evil.
If you must play the game to increase your pay, these staffers should have decided upon three things at the start:
1. The Rules Of The HDC Legally & Ethically
2. The Risks Of Not Doing Either
3. And The Quitting Time.
After all Men and Women are gaming animals.
They must always be trying to get the better in something or over the other. After all, if you beat the House the OAG will catch you as the player.
Therefore, these staffers just gave themselves the opportunity to beat themselves in the end game.
They were like casinos and prostitutes having the same thing in common; they are both trying to screw someone out of their money and reputations and then went home with smiles on their faces.
Until they got caught, and in the words of Publius Syrus, “The better the gambler, the worse the man or woman.
They forgot one thing, the OAG political ambitions, and gambling known as business looks with austere disfavor upon the business known as gambling.
These staffers gambled away their reputations, jobs, and careers over cheap small Bonuses too small to mention.
Taxpayer’s money are traps to catch schoolboy novies and cavernous girls, who begin with a guinea and end with a mortgage, and legal fees, will bankrupt both
"Anonymous said...Has anyone interviewed PJ LaValle about the activities he did or MCall?
ReplyDeleteDecember 23, 2009 1:29 PM"
PJ was a victim here more than anyone else was, he is a kind man, helpful, and thought doing his job was the right thing, until he found out it the AG turn such jobs into criminality.
PJ always tried to do the right thing, so he pleaded in haste, in my opinion, falling for the OAG's Staffers telling him what he did was illegal.
Just when PJ thought life could not get any worse he finds out, he is like a virgin with a sexually transmitted disease.
PJ has my respect and I hope he rises above everything that has happen to him.
It is the privilege of a faithful and loyal servant to be impertinent.
ReplyDeleteDo the Manzos' and Brubakers' really think there's happy ever after for people like them?
I can just witness that conversation, now....Mike says...There's this girl, Sweety, who I like, I really like.
I suppose you could say I'm obsessed, and basically if I don't shag her soon I'm going to explode, so I thought heavy narcotics might ease things on a bit."
Rachel replies..."We walk around pretending before the Bonuses we're in a Disney movie when really it's a gangster porn flick. Great. And I had to wear white."
Mike retorts..."Since when do you care about that sort of thing?"
Rachel...So I'm a 28-year-old staffer and my boss's a political whore, and he's so scared I'll tell the OAG he's trying to be my best friend.
Mike says...You see I never stopped loving you, even though I couldn't see you.
Rachel responds... I need to explore all my options.
Mike pleads...I'm your only option.
Rachel...you need to find another job soon because you're a Really Useful Engine.
Mike...Ijust did an interview here is what I said...."Oh, good afternoon, Sir... A real honor, Sir; Like my family before me... and how are today, can I wash your car, Yes... Watch out for that other guy, definetely... And keep an eye on that guy too, certainly... Uh, yes, Sir; I practice the Three Rs: Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic... I mean... I will be Responsible, Reliable, and Really Useful... Yes, Sir. We will go get a good night's sleep, looking forward to a hard day tomorrow. Anything you need I am here for day or night, trust me...Good-bye, Sir!
Rachel asked...Did you get the job? If you did you can stay, okay?
Mike gets upset...I don't want your charity.
Rachel boils back..Thats not what I'm offering. Look Mike, you're a liar, you use me whenever it suits you, you steal, you get jealous of everyone I get close to which makes you a complete nutter... but I don't know what I'd do without you.
Mike...It was wrong to tease you, Rachel. lets do what we have to do, and let the OAG tell us what to say.
Rachel...I'm going to go and exercise another one of my rights, that's what I'm going to do.
Mike...I hope this isn't the one about the right to bear arms.
Rain Day Queen...I think her bare hands are going to be enough.
Don't tell me it's subversive to kiss a Republican! How is Dauphin County?
ReplyDeleteSixty-two percent Republican, thank you!
What makes life so difficult in Harrisburg?
People!
Moral! Maybe someday we can send a little committee of our own investigating moral in Strawberry Square.
Perzel...We've all become animals with exactly one instinct left. Self-preservation.
Now take me, handcuffed, a dozen times, every media camera caved in on me, and everything solid in my life pulled out from under me.
My office, title, country, my possessions, my beliefs... yet somehow I kept going. Months and months waiting to hear from the OAG, crammed in with all my relatives.
I kept going. What do you think it was like to be a the only Republican Lawmaker indicted in this town when the Corbett first swept in? I kept going.
At the risk of dislocating your personality, try to remain calm.
After all, winter must be cold for those with no warm memories... And we've already missed the spring!
The things we like best are either illegal, immoral or fattening.
ReplyDeleteThe trick in life isn't getting what you want, my dear, it's wanting it after you get it.
PJ Lavelle is a good person - who never did a lick of legislative work for Veon...see, that's the funny part, this stuff is not news to people who worked in the capitol during that time period...so the defense of PJ comes up a ;ittle, um, short (heh,heh).
ReplyDeleteRecent phone call from Corbett to Jubelirer on his right phone not wong phone, "Shhhhh, there must be something between us, even if it's only an ocean, right now. Good time to take a worldwide cruise for about 11 months."
ReplyDeleteBob responds..."Ok, I shall give them what they want. I will sit here quietly in my disgrace. It's what they've always wanted!"
Corbett says...I'm sorry, it's a stinkin' business. The job had to get done.
It truly is the irony of ironies the way the prosecutions are being carried out. Corbett is prosecuting people using taxpayers money to further his own political ambitions and his campaign for governor and the prosecutions involve other actors who likewise used their office for their own political gain. This is a classic case of a very black pot getting sooted more more and more calling very dark sooted pots black.
ReplyDeleteBut there are ethics involved in these types of prosecutions. You can go back to Dick Thornburgh and see that it has been done before but Corbett may want to be very careful with Eric Holder as the attorney general. He has placed high ethical standards for prosecutors by undoing the gross improprieties in the US attorneys offices in the Stevens investigation and letting Stevens go and Obama let the Republican prosecutors stay in place for quite some time. I can't imagine that all of these folks were not being monitored in some way by the Homeland Security folks, who are here for National Security purposes and undoubtedly monitor things as the NSA did, including ensuring that prosecutors don't give away secrets to potential enemies of the State. We are now a new type of society and nothing goes unmonitored, particularly online. Whether there would be jurisdiction is unknown and untested but there have been a slew of folks who have moved from one party to the other and Corbett has many dark secrets according to some online posters. Well, you can be a fox in a henhouse a long time but sooner or later the farmer is going to show up and call you to task. The NY Times has a good article on the same subject from 1990 and Thornburgh is mentioned in it. We'll see how history has changed since Homeland Security has come about.
"Anonymous said...PJ Lavelle is a good person - who never did a lick of legislative work for Veon...see, that's the funny part, this stuff is not news to people who worked in the capitol during that time period...so the defense of PJ comes up a ;ittle, um, short (heh,heh).
ReplyDeleteDecember 23, 2009 4:03 PM"
When you are told that your job is poliyical and you think it is about campaigns and funding, you still are doing your job.
When you find out it may be illegal and you still feel you did noting that was criminal, and the OAG says yes you did.
You do the right thing you think is right again, AND MAY REGRET YOU WERE WRONG AGAIN.
TRUST ME IF YOU MET PJ YOU WOULD LIKE HIM AND HE WAS LOYAL TO MIKE UNTIL HE FELT HE HAD TO PLEAD GUILTY.
PJ has been badly misled by the many and all he is trying to do is serve and help the few.
BREAKING NEWS........
ReplyDeleteGrand jury investigating state Sen. Jane Orie
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
By Dennis B. Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pennsylvania state Senator Jane Clare Orie, R-McCandless.
An Allegheny County grand jury has opened a criminal investigation into State Sen. Jane Clare Orie, R-McCandless, the state senate's third-ranking Republican, and detectives last week seized computers from her district office.
The investigation, confirmed tonight by Jerry McDevitt, who is representing Ms. Orie, apparently began a day before the November election when an intern at the senator's district office in the North Hills complained to the district attorney's office that political calls were being made there on behalf of state Supreme Court nominee Joan Orie Melvin, the senator's sister.
On Friday, detectives executed a search warrant at Ms. Orie's district office at the La Casa Blanca Building on McKnight Road. Earlier in the month, detectives had placed Ms. Orie's office under surveillance, Mr. McDevitt said.
He also complained that, at one juncture, investigators had followed his client to church.
"It was pretty much a computer raid," Mr. McDevitt said. He said detectives seized computers assigned to office staff, several laptops and the office computer server, leaving Ms. Orie's own computer in place.
Sources with first-hand knowledge of the inquiry said the office has received complaints of fundraising and other political calls from the senator's district office. Additionally, a college intern brought complaints of improper political activity.
Last night, Mr. McDevitt, a high-profile criminal defense attorney who successfully fought back a massive indictment against former Coroner Cyril H. Wecht, said the investigation into Ms. Orie is itself a political act.
In angry terms he accused Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. of carrying out an overly-broad and unconstitutional search warrant of the senator's office, and further accused Mr. Zappala of a conflict-of-interest because of Ms. Orie's opposition to an expansion of casino gambling in the state.
He pointed to a story earlier this year in the Post-Gazette that detailed the involvement of Mr. Zappala's father, former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Zappala, in a gaming industry organization.
ReplyDelete"Those computers contain among other things, her legislative strategies and plans on how she has been and is dealing with these gaming law issues, including the table game issues at play right now," Mr. McDevitt said.
He added that he plans to "unleash hell in December" over the raid at the senator's office.
"We intend to fight this like hell. This is just wrong on every level. It's frightening in what it says about the way the district attorney plans to run the office," he said.
District attorney's spokesman Mike Manko tonight issued a two- sentence statement on behalf of the office:
"If the attorney for the Senator has confirmed the existence of an investigation by the Allegheny County Investigative Grand Jury, then it is neither necessary nor appropriate for this office to comment further. As for statements about the District Attorney and / or his family, counsel is clearly posturing on behalf of his client."
The investigation into Ms. Orie comes on the heels of a high-profile state-level investigation into allegations of widespread corruption in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. That probe, led by state Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican, has ensnared two former speakers of the state House -- Democrat H. William DeWeese of Greene County and Republican John Perzel of Philadelphia.
Additionally, more than 20 other former House members and staff of both parties have been charged with diverting taxpayer dollars and resources to election campaigns, in violation of state law.
The probe into Ms. Orie, however, comes from a county-level grand jury unconnected with Mr. Corbett's probe. While grand jurors in the state cases, known broadly as Bonusgate, have met in Harrisburg and Downtown Pittsburgh, the grand jury investigating Ms. Orie sits in a municipal building in Dormont.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09357/1023270-100.stm#ixzz0aZsCaZCu
Dermody is days from taking over for Eachus!
ReplyDeleteThen the real crooks will take over.