Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Corbett, whose supposedly secret grand jury investigation of the legislature leaked like a sieve for a year and a half, now says he's "disappointed" that grand jury transcripts have appeared in the press.
We're always surprised Corbett's head doesn't burst into flames from sheer hypocrisy when he says stuff like that. But if the rumors we're hearing are true, he's got more "disappointment" in store. Sources tell CasablancaPA that all 4,000+ pages of grand jury testimony that were delivered to defendants' lawyers are now in the hands of the press. What further juicy tales of Corbett's incompetence may lie in store? We can't wait!
We're not surprised at Corbett's "disappointment," since "leaks" that come from anywhere other than his office always result in huge embarrassment for him. Who could forget the famous "U R welcome" e-mail linking former Leader Bill DeWeese to the bonus scandal? Or the hundreds of e-mails showing DeWeese and his top aides directing a state contractor to perform political work? Or the hundreds of incriminating e-mails DeWeese withheld from investigators? Or that Corbett ignored evidence implicating former Revenue Secretary and Campaign Committee head Steve Stetler and allowed Stetler to ditch a grand jury subpoena?
These revelations are not just embarrassing but inconvenient for Corbett, as he is forced to take precious time out of his busy campaign schedule to attempt damage control (although DeWeese remains suspiciously uncharged in the bonus and LCOMM matters).
Then there are the "leaks" that reveal Corbett's own shady dealings such a secret meeting between Corbett, his campaign manager and the supposed target of an investigation, or allowing another supposed target to host a fund-raiser for him, or allowing another supposed target to host another fund-raiser for him (if "allowing" is indeed the proper term). Plus the hundreds of phone calls on state phones during state time between state OAG and legislative workers and Corbett's campaign staff.
No wonder Corbett is terrified at the publicization of whatever further blunders and shenanigans that may be contained within the transcripts - which may at this moment be in the hands of some enterprising journalist!
30 comments:
AG Corbett and his Staffers have crossed the Political Lines they accuse others of doing, and claiming the normal activity of politics into Criminal Acts.
Now it has blown back on his own Allies, Political Friends, and Republican Organizations, Zappala will uncover this better than anything Corbett could manipulate.
Corbett is history and it will show up sooner.
Krastek is in deep trouble too.
Someone should connect the Campaign Donations from Big Republicans to State Judges to the the Owners of the Buildings Leased by the State Judges.
Check out the Grant Building in Pittsburgh First and Foremost!
This is where Corbett will be caught in the cross hairs of a scandal bigger than Bonusgate, Orie gate, and OAG gate.
Easy to trace the real owners behind the Corporations too.
This is the kind of evidence for a Federal Grand Jury not State or Local!
Which of the remaining Bonusgate defendants do you think leaked those 4,000 pages to the press?
Gossip, innuendo and personal observations make for juicy reading sometimes, but they aren't enough to bring criminal charges.
The real e-mails everyone should be focused on are the ones that Veon's attorney DOESN'T want introduced as evidence for the upcoming Jan. 19 trial.
What is he afraid of?
Those Presentments were manipulated by Fina and Krastek, and written in a sloppy manner for political purposes.
They ignored exculpatory evidence submitted to prove innocence so Corbett and have Juicy Press, but they will fail against the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Take your deep trust into the people, the people will stand up to tyranny.
They will see through these pages of deceit for political gain.
Corbett seemed to have diminished confidence at the press conference where he announced charges against DeWeese, Stetler and Rodavich.
Anyone think the timing of that event -- just days after Ramaley was found innocent -- was designed to keep that prosecutorial failure from getting too much press play?
The last thing he probably wanted was the press doing any analysis of the Ramaley loss and what it might portend heading into the Veon trial.
To counteract that, he threw some new and bigger fish into the frying pan.
Judging from what happened with Ramaley, all Radovich needs to do is line up some folks who saw her performing legislative work.
How is Radovich still employed when every other employee charged was let go? Is thi more of DeWeese cleaning things up and making them right?
Frank Dermody as Democratic Whip is not firing anyone even though they broke work rules.
Dermody's wife is a Partner at the Reed, Smith, Shaw, and McClay a Big Boys' Law Firm founded by Philander Knox for the Big Industrialists in Pittsburgh from Carnegie to Mellon to Frick to Hillmans.
They beat up the Unions and hate all common men and women that make up the Middle Class by undermining the Unions, expanding Selfish Banking for Owners, Boards, and CEOs and sending jobs overseas to China, India, and Mexico.
Veon, Eachus, Perzel, McCall, and DeWeese all represented the Middle Class not the elite like Frank Dermody.
One cannot borrow themselves into the Middle Class.
Anonymous 6:34 PM nailed it, Corbett is indivting people to save his himself and his candidancy regardless of the truth.
It is dirty, underhanded, and will not work.
In time, the Cops or Karma will catch up to Corbett and his Sheriff Notingham group of fility fellow staffers, that do not know what they do?
It comes back later in the night and ruining good people's lives over misaaplication of the laws and their intent will now come down like thunder upon the Republicans.
The reports on Jane Orie in the Press, are just a shade of the scum shawdows they had people working on state time for state judges and senators.
The AP is reporting that 7 co-defendants are entering guilty pleas to lesser charges next Wednesday, before Veon's trial. This is very suspect. Most prosecutors never let defendants who are going to be witnesses against their co-defendants enter the pleas in court before they testify in order to insure their cooperation (make sure they say what they want them to say).
This is just another example of Corbett's desperation and the OAG trying to prejudice the jury pool before Veon's trial. The OAG is starting to set a pattern. They indicted the Republicans a month before Ramaley's trial and then they sent target letters out 1 week before Ramaley's trial. Unfortunately for them their tactics didn't work. Now they must do damage control before the January trial so they are going to spend the two weeks before Veon's trial bragging about the 7 pleas (convictions) they have in yet another attempt to prejudice the jury pool.
What no one has called them out on is that most of these 7 people entering guilty pleas are entering them because they can't afford the legal fees to defend themselves. As much as the press covered LaGrotta's recent story you would think they would recognize that these 7 people may be entering pleas because they don't want to put their families through the negative publicity and can't afford to defend themselves.
Is there an investigation of the Senate - Ds and Rs?
Anonymous...January 2, 2010 4:46 AM:
You can't fire so called 'whistleblowers.' While I agree with this blog that those that got lucky as staff members and were offered immunity appear to be hypocritical. It is unfair and part of the reason Corbett has mishandled this case. If any Rep. started firing staff member, it would be some pretty solid lawsuits of wrongful termination that would be filed.
When Reed Smith was founded, it was a completely different law firm than it is today. Just like the Democrats and Republicans hold different values now than they did when Reed Smith was founded in 1877.
If you really think that Frank Dermody wasn't raised middle class, you know absolutly nothing about him and his family. I have met Veon and DeWeese. DeWeese didn't treat his staff like he was middle class. Veon was fair, honest, and one of the hardest working people I ever met. Veon always stood up for people that he didn't have too. He always fought for those that couldn't fight the battles themselves.
Frank Dermody will continue to work hard to get things done, just like he has since he Dad passed away and he had to help take care of his twin 3 year old brothers.
When someone works hard and starts to make good money, it doesn't mean they don't understand the middle class anymore. It is oftehn times when you are born into money that you have a harder time understanding how the other side lives. So maybe Frank's children will have a harder time, but Frank Dermody is middle class and represents the middle class well.
Corbett the Hegemon powerful enough to influence events throughout the Commonwealth came to an end when Zappala struck the Republican Senate right in the heart of their campaigns for Judges.
This is not going to go away but actually grow into a bigger scandal than Bonusgate since it involves the Judicial Branch working on Campaigns on Corbett's defined terms.
Frank Demody was part of HDCC that Veon, Stetler and Eachus ran and are indicted for based on the Veon Pre-Trial Motions.
He cannot be selected for any reforms either, if the Democrats want credibility.
The same with Shapiro, Frankle and Preston, once the Senate Republican prior and current go down, then their will be true reform.
Dermody has the same problems as Veon, Eachus, and DeWeese,in being part of those re-election campaigns when Corbett expanded all Campaigning on State Time.
If a Representative did not attend over 30% of his duties, I doubt he can be called hard working at anything.
First off, none of the Immunity Witnesses are Whistleblowers, they all made deal to testify in exchange of immunity to avoid their own participation in illegal activity as defined by the OAG.
They all broke work rules and admitted under oath they did nothing but campaign, and they are doing nothing now under OAG direction but testifying, hardly legislative work.
Right now the OAG is using State Pay, State Time, and State Resources for, of, and by the OAG while doing no legislative work and have admitted to violating work rules.
The Whistleblower Act does not include them and is not applicable. Let them sue and lose.
Reed Smith represents elites for select few and has been a big part of moving USA jobs overseas. The roots of Reed Smith have and always been on stepping on the little person to protect the few influential. Roots do not change when they bear fruits for the privileged.
Give me a break, they never have been for the little person and Dermody’s wife working for Reed Smith works for the Rich Clients not any little person or Middle Class. Big Credit Card Companies, Banks, and were part of the economic downfall of our economy that hurts far more little people not Reed Smith clients.
The Middle Class was built on the Union Principles that doubled USA Productivity from 1946 to 1973 and wages grew for the little guy and gals until 1973 and created a strong Middle Class.
After 1973, Law Firms like Reed Smith actually were part of the rise of CEO and Banks Bonuses and Compensation going over 8000% for the CEO’s and other Balloon Executives approved by the Corporate Board Members that Reed Smith members are part of in every way over the employees.
Reed Smith protects Banks not the Middle Class. Frank Dermody wife works for Reed Smith, in Anti-Trust of all places, end of story.
In the words of Richard Trumka, little people and common people cannot borrow themselves into becoming Middle Class upon the policies Reed Smith created and still protects these shady, greedy people. Demody rise is their doing if you check the Campaign Donations.
If Frank Dermody is Middle Class and Reed Smith is the new savior, let both remove them from all business with the Commonwealth to stand tall in Ethics over Greed, so long as Dermody is in Leadership.
Finally, Dermody relationship with OAG Krastek needs a full hearing and investigation. This alone needs investigated since Dermody name was all over the HDCC Emails with Veon in 2005 and with Eachus, yet Dermody as not been called before the Grand Jury???
Krastek’s Kin or just Friend or Colleagues taking out true Middle Class legislators without relationships to biggest Republican Law Forms in the world, not just Pennsylvania.
No one said, Frank Dermody was not raised in the Middle Class family, only you did for a point you cannot defend. No one said, he did not work hard with a fallen father. No one said he was close to Mike Veon but your post.
What we have is a record of dubious work habits in the legislature. Frank Dermody is a proven lazy legislator by his record, attendance, and how he took off the summer and abandon the Middle Class. This is what rich people do, not common legislators. Frank Dermody is carrying the water for his Wife’s Law Firm goals not the people as seen by his Campaign Donors listings.
Reed Smith wants the Appointments of Judges on merit so they can approve and control what Judges rule from the Bench that will protect Reed Smith Insurance, Banking, and Corporate Interests.
Reed Smith wants the people's election of Judges to be removed.
Look what happen this election, Republican Senator Orie is now under investigation for using State Resources on State Time, and 8 of 9 Republican Judges won Office?
Now go and check the contributions of Reed Smith's Lawyers, Corporate Clients, and Insurance Companies Clients and explain to me how Dermody is for the little guy with wife working for the big guys?
It is very strange that AG Corbett through Deputy AG Tony Krastek has carefully selected what legislators go before the Grand Jury?
If it was truly a fair investigation on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania, how can you ignore Frank Dermody's participation in the HDCC?
One would think he would be called before the Grand Jury too, but so far, he has been protected by the OAG not investigated.
I think this is another Pennsylvania Scandal waiting to happen and it will come out the more CasablancaPA keeps posting the evidence, along with other blogs.
Frank Dermody needs to be called before the Grand Jury if Corbett’s wants his investigation to be credible. So far, Corbett and Krastek have been very secretive and selective on how they choose their targets?
This will not stand in the end.
Mike Veon is and always has been a hardworking legislator, no question about it.
But according to DAG Tony Krastek Veon was using State Money to elect Democrats on State Time.
Frank Dermody as right with Mike Veon but has not been investigated so something is wrong there?
Frank Dermody has not the same record as Mike Veon either, he lives too high now off his wife's salaries from Reed Smith and forgot his roots for her law Firms roots.
You can see it by his record of not working by being absent over 30% of the time.
Frank Dermody has more questions than answers and until he is part of the investigation, there is no real reforms.
Anonymous said...Frank Dermody will continue to work hard to get things done, just like he has since he Dad passed away and he had to help take care of his twin 3year old brothers. When someone works hard and starts to make good money, it doesn't mean they don't understand the middle class anymore. January 2, 2010 1:29 PM
Sorry, all hard work starts by showing up on the job you claim you are doing. No one can fool the people otherwise. If you are not there you are not working and Attorney General Corbett has been investigating those legislators except for Frank Dermody?.
What Frank did when he was young is commendable like anyone, especially for his own family. But this is sometimes the bigger problem, they only take care of their families more than the people’s business.
What Frank Dermody has not done for the people that elected him is show up and do his job, 100% of the time, not 60%. Frank Dermody has been a Part-time Legislator and that is a fact jack.
The record shows, Frank takes care of himself, family, and wife's law firm more than the people he represents.
Frank Dermody almost lost in 2005 and was part of the Veon HDCC Re-Election Leadership Circle, but no investigation has come to Frank Dermody and he has not answered questions about his close relationship with OAG Anthony Krastek.
Could Frank Dermody be the Secret Sealed Immunity Witness Team Casa has been looking for from its inception?
Anonymous said...The AP is reporting that 7 co-defendants are entering guilty pleas to lesser charges next Wednesday, before Veon's trial. This is very suspect. Most prosecutors never let defendants who are going to be witnesses against their co-defendants enter the pleas in court before they testify in order to insure their cooperation (make sure they say what they want them to say).......This is just another example of Corbett's desperation and the OAG trying to prejudice the jury pool before Veon's trial. The OAG is starting to set a pattern. They indicted the Republicans a month before Ramaley's trial and then they sent target letters out 1 week before Ramaley's trial. Unfortunately for them their tactics didn't work. What no one has called them out on is that most of these 7 people entering guilty pleas are entering them because they can't afford the legal fees to defend themselves. January 2, 2010 10:23 AM....
I agree you speak the truth, something has changed since the Ramaley Acquittal, New Indictments, Eachus pending indictment, Dermody Rise to Power without him being investigated, and, Senate Orie/Judicial Grand Jury Investigations.
What has happen is the investigation has gotten out of control by the way the Corbett's OAG defined working on Campaigns on State Time.
Now that the Republicans are up for slaughter and crimes, the Judges too, all of sudden, and Dermody in place to take over, Corbett is closing down investigations not expanding him, in spit of his own words and actions have expanded who can be indicted.
If Veon is able to suppress the Emails there is no case, but Corbett will still benefit running for governor and Krastek putting his close friend in power without investigating him.
Too many people’s lives were ruin over made up illegal acts Corbett cannot prove to a jury, especially the 7 Defendants, just so he could gain political power.
The real culprits are the OAG Deputies and their misuse of Immunity Witnesses that order and oversaw most of these illegal operations to save themselves for doing things many of their Bosses did not know in full totality and are not being believed by the juries.
The real investigation will be on Republican Senators, Judges and eventually Corbett's OAG for how they took so long, were selective and outright violated ABA Professional Conduct in ignoring exculpatory evidence.
Thank God in good men and women standing up for themselves in Veon, Cott, Rosepink-Peretta, Keefer, Perzel, Stetler, DeWeese and Rohanich.
Corbett is bigger trouble then he knows in my opinion. Once Mike Long goes down, Jubelirer and Corbett relationship with no investigation will heat up.
Free The Veon Four!
Investigate the OAG Investigation!
Investigate Jane/Joan Orie!
If Frank Dermody wants to help the Middle Class, then this explains why he is a Part-Time Legislator since he lives off his Reed Smith wife's big time salary that protects Banks, Corporations, and Insurance Companies:
PART 1
CEO Pay Soars to New Heights, Worker Pay Shrinks
by Holly Sklar
In 1973, CEOs made 45 times as much as workers.
In 1991, when Crystal said the imperial CEO "is paid so much more than ordinary workers that he hasn't got the slightest clue as to how the rest of the country lives,"
CEOs made 140 times as much as workers.
Last year, CEOs made more than 300 times as much.
How would you like a 54 percent pay raise?
That's how much pay jumped last year for the chief executives of the 500 largest U.S. companies, reports Forbes magazine.
Worker pay is shrinking, the economy is stalling, the trade deficit is growing and the stock market is below 1999 levels, but CEO pay is still on steroids.
The highest paid CEO in 2004 was Yahoo's Terry Semel, who hauled in $230.6 million.
That's more than $4 million a week.
Yahoo is on the "Lou Dobbs Tonight" list of companies "sending American jobs overseas, or choosing to employ cheap overseas labor, instead of American workers." It would take the pay of 7,075 average American workers to match the pay of Yahoo's CEO.
William McGuire of UnitedHealth Group, the nation's leading insurer, was the third-highest paid CEO on the Forbes list.
His pay of $124.8 million could cover the average health insurance premiums of nearly 34,000 people.
"While executives are richly compensated, patients are tightening their belts," Dr. Isaac Wornom, chairman of the Richmond Academy of Medicine, wrote last year.
"Premiums, deductibles and co-pays are up, while benefits continue to shrink.
CEOs can win big even when the company loses. Merck, for example, had to pull its Vioxx pain medication off the market because it increases stroke and heart attack risk, and Merck stock was down 28 percent last year; but then-CEO Ray Gilmartin got a supposedly performance-based bonus.
His total 2004 compensation was $37.8 million; he received new grants of 90,000 shares of stock and 250,000 stock options; and he'll make more annually in retirement than average workers earn in their lifetimes.
CEO pay averaged $10.2 million in 2004, counting salary, bonus and other compensation such as exercised stock options and vested stock grants.
PART 2 BELOW....
Maybe Reed Smith and Frank Dermody can pass legislation that limit's Board of Directors and CEO's to show their commitment to real reforms?.
PART 2....
Full-time worker pay averaged just $32,594.
That's 11 percent less than 1973's average worker pay of $36,629, adjusting for inflation, although worker productivity rose 78 percent between 1973 and 2004.
In 1973, CEOs made 45 times as much as workers, according to pay expert Graef Crystal.
In 1991, when Crystal said the imperial CEO "is paid so much more than ordinary workers that he hasn't got the slightest clue as to how the rest of the country lives," CEOs made 140 times as much as workers.
Last year, CEOs made more than 300 times as much.
Executive pay now takes more than double the bite out of company earnings it did a decade ago, reported Lucian Bebchuk, Harvard Professor of Law, Economics and Finance, and Yaniv Grinstein of Cornell University's School of Management, in a recent study.
Looking at data for thousands of publicly traded companies, Bebchuk and Grinstein found that pay for the top five company executives rose from 4.8 percent of aggregate net company income during 1993-1995 to 10.3 percent of aggregate net income during 2001-2003.
While workers are having a tougher time making ends meet, CEOs are getting perks worth more than worker paychecks. CEO freeloaders expect perks such as lifetime use of company jets, chauffeured cars, company apartments, club memberships, sports tickets, financial planning, personal assistants and more.
In CEO World, the more money you make, the less you should have to pay for.
While worker pensions are increasingly unavailable or unreliable, CEO retirement gives new meaning to "the golden years."
CEO robber barons are increasingly stashing their loot in guaranteed pensions, deferred compensation, guaranteed consulting fees -- no actual consulting necessary -- and other postretirement perks and compensation to avoid shareholder scrutiny and sidestep the new rule for companies to treat stock options as expenses.
As Bebchuk and Jesse Fried, co-authors of "Pay Without Performance," explained in a 2004 report, "camouflaged compensation" generates less outrage, is less tied to performance and "allows executives to reap benefits at the expense of shareholders." Making matters worse, CEOs earning more than their fair share are being rewarded with huge tax cuts.
Workers and their families are paying the biggest price as CEOs milk their companies and our country like cash cows.
Holly Sklar is co-author of Raise the Floor: Wages and Policies That Work for All Of Us (www.raisethefloor.org). Contact her at hsklar@aol.com.
Even Worse These Are Ceo's That Contribute To Corbett For Governor Campaigns As Corbett Goes After Selective Legislators While Protecting Others And No Senate Investigations Even After Orie's Revelations Or Should I Say Reevaluations?
Now You Know The Rest Of The Story!
I got a grand idea, lets call the Guilty Pleaders Whistleblowers, and give them back their jobs in the HDC qand HRC, so we can avoid Lawsuits?
I want the Intern that blew the whistle on Jane Orie operations on behalf of Republican Judges right under the oversight of the Republican Attorney General Investigators and Deputies Attorney General to be knighted.
I mean a non-paying Intern did more in 1 day than AG Corbett's OAG 800 Staffers did in 4 years regarding the Pennsylvania Senate.
I hope the Intern is still employed since she is now official Whistleblowers? If not, she should sue!
If the Newspapers have the Grand Jury Transcripts, why is there not an investigation of how these secret Grand Juries are no longer secret?
Time for Feds or Zappala to do it, we cannot count on Corbett or Krastek, can we!
Maybe Dermody Wife can do, it to protect Reed Smith's investments into their Judges, Candidates and Lawmakers they control so they can show Reed Smith changed or dyed their roots?
Anonymous asked a good question about why DeWeese's assistant (who AG says was a no show ghost employee) is still employed after she was charged with DeWeese. If it's true that every other staffer charged was either fired or suspended without leave (as well as several others not charged but involved) why is this woman (Radavich?) still being paid? It does seem like more hypocrisy from DeWeese. But isn't she a caucus employee? Shouldn't the caucus enforce the same rule for her as everyone else?
As for the others (Steve Webb, Karen Steiner, David Bliss, Bob Caton, Tom Andrews, Jon Price, Bill Sloane, Michele Borlinghaus, etc.,) - it'd be interesting to see who each of these employees work for, and how much they make. Eventually the main stream press will tell this story.
Eeveryone who knows Fraank Dermody says the same thing - nice guy, smart guy, but LAZY...he has a more impressive attendance record at Penn National than in the House.
And for all those who say that other legislators were "involved" with HDCC, that means squat...Veon ran the show tightly. those who were Chairman under Veon (such as Stetler) had some say, but not much...to slur Frankel, Preston et al is ridiculous...they made no decisions.
Anonymous said...
Eeveryone who knows Fraank Dermody says the same thing - nice guy, smart guy, but LAZY...he has a more impressive attendance record at Penn National than in the House.
And for all those who say that other legislators were "involved" with HDCC, that means squat...Veon ran the show tightly. those who were Chairman under Veon (such as Stetler) had some say, but not much...to slur Frankel, Preston et al is ridiculous...they made no decisions. January 3, 2010 12:51 PM
There is no slurs on Eachus, Dermody, Preston, Frankel, or Shapiro they and their staffs did work with Veon, M&R Manzo, Brubakers and Cott and knew what was going on and that is seen in the emails, documents, and other evidence submitted in the Veon Pre-Trial motions.
Since Mike Veon and all the rest were Indicted so should be the others above since Corbett's Standard is NO CAMPAIGN WORK ON STATE TIME.
If they are not investigated this whole Prosecution has been a Political Sham by Corbett's OAG and the OAG needs to be investigated.
If Dermody, Eachus, Shapiro, Preston, McCall, and Frankel escape all investigations, no Grand Jury invites, then set Mike Veon and all Defendants free since no laws were actually broken as you say above.
Mike Veon and his people are innoncent or Frank Dermody and the entire new HDC Leadership gang are guilty of the same things the OAG is indicting people on, and the Jurors are going to see through this sham of shame by the OAG.
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