CORBETT TO PG: WILL USE BONUSGATE IN CAMPAIGN

In an item in today's Post-Gazette, gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett told Dennis Roddy he will be using his bonusgate investigation as part of his campaign:

"...Mr. Corbett gained name recognition and some criticism for an aggressive series of grand jury investigations into the legislative spending scandal that came to be known as Bonusgate. His first round of grand jury presentments snared a collection of former state legislators, including former House Minority Whip Michael Veon, D-Beaver. Amid criticism that he was targeting only Democrats, he later unloaded scores of criminal counts against the Republican former state House Speaker, state Rep. John Perzel, R-Philadelphia. He has made it clear he'll run on that record, but to date, the primary challenge from Mr. Rohrer has pushed Mr. Corbett to shore up his conservative credentials, leaving little time for internal party messages about crime-busting. 'You might see that coming,' Mr. Corbett said, 'but right now we don't need that for the primary.'" (Post-Gazette 4/27/2010)

This is the first and most blantant admission from Corbett that bonusgate is a major piece of his campaign and that he will use it when he feels the "need."

Here at CasablancaPA, we don't find this shocking. However, many others who have been following the gubernatorial campaign may find it big news, especially since Corbett directly contradicted one of his key strategists who made a fairly adamant promise just last month:

"John Brabender, Mr. Corbett's chief media strategist, insisted that, 'I can tell you now that we will not be talking about Bonusgate -- ever -- in the governor's race.'" (Post-Gazette 3/24/10)

We guess Brabender better start putting that bonusgate tv spot together now. He has probably already checked in with Mike Long who used the bonusgate issue aggressively in the state senate campaigns he managed in 2008.