From the very beginning of his bonusgate investigation Gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett has begged state legislative staffers to give his office a call to report any illegal campaign activity by their bosses:"...Corbett said whistle blowers or a smoking gun will be needed to prove a public corruption case, which is notoriously difficult without direct witness testimony, e-mails or other evidence to show a clear link. ‘People have to come forward,’ Corbett said Friday night. ‘We need evidence. If people have evidence, pick up the phone and call. Come and see my agents.’" (Patriot News 2/12/07)Yet, when a whistle-blower does just that, Corbett's office ignores her. Here is his exceedingly lame excuse:
"Before going to the district attorney, the former intern who blew the whistle on Sen. Orie first called the office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, who's running for governor as a Republican. Corbett said the receptionist at his office referred the intern to the district attorney's office. 'For some reason, it did not get reported to our criminal division at that point in time,' Corbett said. 'And when we finally did learn of it, the district attorney's office was already running with it.'" (WTAE TV 4/7/10)That is absurd! The idea that a "receptionist" makes decisions about possible illegal activity and makes referrals is utterly and unequivocably absurd. This is how Corbett runs the Office of Attorney General? A whistle-blower calls in about alleged criminal activity (that has been in the front pages and television newscasts for over two years) and a receptionist declines to take the case? It doesn't even pass the bare minimum smell test.
Corbett needs to answer some very serious questions about his "investigation" of the Republican State Senate Caucus.
After reading in yesterday's presentment how Orie maintained political material on the Senate Republican servers well after Corbett's investigation allegedly began, Patriot-News columnist Laura Vescey asks a very good question:
"If the Bonusgate probe did what the Attorney General’s office said—that is, probed all four caucuses of the state legislature—how come Senate Republican computers were allegedly still storing campaign files?" ("Orie indictment could raise questions about Corbett's probe" pa2010.com 4/7/10)State Democratic Party Chairman asks even more bluntly:
"Whether or not an Allegheny County Grand Jury has indicted Sen. Jane Orie, as published reports have indicated it has, the public is entitled to know why Corbett's office apparently refused to investigate the allegations against her. Furthermore, it's curious that an investigation by the county District Attorney apparently discovered allegations of wrongdoing that Corbett's investigation overlooked." (Press Release 4/7/08)We're looking forward to Corbett's answers.
11 comments:
Maybe Corbett is against Whistleblowers’ and leaves it to Receptionists because of the following cases below:
His own employee Former Career Professional Pennsylvania Senior Deputy Attorney General Thomas Kimmett sued him as a WHITLEBLOWER.
Kimmetts lawyer said the office is illegally paying commissions to favored collections agencies after recovering state money from unpaid debts.
Is that how Corbett spends the students money, and our taxes ?
Republicans believe in privatization because it feeds their campaign coffers.
By turning public service into private profit for their friends through no bid contracts they force tax payers to pay more for government services and enrich their corporate friends.
Their corporate friends then return the favor with lavish campaign contributions.
Its a rather nice gravy train and who cares if the citizens get short changed?
Well Tom Corbett, the Pennsylvania Attorney General has gotten his hand caught in the cookie jar.
After charging House Democrats with the improper use of taxpayer funds he has now been accused of the same by a former prosecutor.
Former Career Professional Pennsylvania Senior Deputy Attorney General Thomas D. Kimmett, has sued Corbett for firing him after trying to blow the whistle on the operation.
Kimmitt accuses Corbett of privatizing a program to collect delinquent taxes and giving a company 40% of the recovered proceeds in a no bid contract.
Settlements with taxpayers were sent to the collection agency in spite of the fact settlements had been reached.
Once you reach a settlement there is no need for collection.
This was a blatant attempt at making kickbacks to the collection agency in my opinion.
Of course Tom Corbett is owned, lock, stock and barrell, by Bob Asher, the Montgomery County candy maker and convicted felon (for political corruption).
It is an outrage that our Attorney General would allow himself to be associated with the likes of Asher who was convicted of extorting a $300,000 contribution to the PA Republican Party through his cohort Bud Dwyer, the State Treasurer at the time.
This was also about a no bid contract. Dwyer committed suicide before he became a Convicted Felon (Not Convicted Until Sentence), to save his $2.4 Million Pension for his Wife and Family rather than face prison.
Asher went to federal prison for a year.
Now he is the single largest financial benefactor for Pennsylvania Republicans.
SECOND CASE:
Corbett is the man that stopped the forgery case I filed with the state police.
Their office did this by ignoring me, and stopping the wrong case, said I lost the case in court.
I never filed a forgery case in court,only a breach of contract and Corbett let the people that stole my identity to forge my bill of sale and let the three cheaters of me, the state of Pa and the IRS taxes go free.
The tax may have been a small amount,but he let them and two lawyers go free ,little taxes make big taxes for others He ignored me.
John Ashcraft and Christopher Reid Kept a signed document from the arbitrators to cause them to rule for Charles Roberts,the fraud,conspiracy,identity theft to forge go free.
So did the Judge Roscioli see all of the documents and let Mr Roberts go.The proof of the breach of contract meant nothing to her,which she saw several of.
I was alone at the hearing. Atty. Ascraft would not appeal it. Now I know why.
The aide in Allentown, Scott Perry also threatened the Bethlehem Police in 1997 for arresting his cousin,the same person that did the reading of all the documents that Charles Roberts sent him and ignored me.
All proof was there to show what they did,Corbett also had all the documents sent to him too .Me I got zilch from his so called help to the elderly, but elder abuse and suffering ,from what they did to me.
I have proof of all documents,if anyone doubts me.
Geneva Williams
Bethlehem, PA
Fifteen employees of Jane Orie most without Immunity testified about they were ordered to work on campaigns.
During the Veon Trial, even the OAG Guilty Pleaders and OAG Immunity Witnesses all said Mike Veon did not order them to work on Campaigns.
What will do in Jane Orie is her hiding the evidence of Illegal Campaign materials under her coat proving she knew it was illegal.
Mike Veon never acted such a way, and many employees never knew it was illegal, and told by the OAG, then 117 charges were never proven guilty by the OAG.
Unlike the 80 Count later reduced to 41 Counts Cyril Wecht Case and Mike Veon Et Al 159 Counts, Jane Orie will have only 4 to 5 counts, but they are very hard to beat before a Allegheny County Jury from a Grand Jury Hearing conducted properly.
Yet, now we make all lawmakers into lawbreakers based on Corbett's interpretations, and now it will bring in the Judges!
Corbett and others may think this will go away after the elections, but he will be mistaken.
Activist calls for Justice Melvin to resign
Thursday, April 08, 2010
By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
HARRISBURG -- The guy who lugged a 20-foot-high inflatable pink pig around the state in 2005 to protest the legislative pay raise has now trained his sights on state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin.
Gene Stilp, a Harrisburg citizen activist and a Democrat running for the state House this year, filed a complaint today against Justice Melvin with the state Judicial Conduct Board, which oversees the conduct of judges.
Mr. Stilp also asked Justice Melvin, a Republican who was just elected to the high court in November, to permanently step down from the court. Mr. Stilp claims she should be investigated for allegedly violating "canons 1, 2 and 7 of the Pennsylvania Code of Judicial Conduct."
Justice Melvin hasn't been charged with anything by Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. But one of her sisters, state Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, and another sister, Janine Orie, a member of Justice Melvin's staff, were charged by Mr. Zappala Wednesday for allegedly having some of Sen. Orie's Senate staffers work on the Supreme Court campaign last year on the taxpayers' time and dime.
Mr. Stilp claims Justice Melvin has "failed to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary, failed to avoid impropriety in her association with the legislative staff effort for her campaign directed by Sen. Orie and violated the provision involving family conduct during the campaign."
Mr. Stilp claimed that Justice Melvin "had to be deaf, dumb and blind not to know what was going on in her campaign" for the high court last year. He said the conduct board should ask "what did she know and when did she know it?"
So far, neither Supreme Court officials nor the Conduct Board has commented on the charges against the two Orie sisters or said anything about Justice Melvin.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10098/1048860-100.stm#ixzz0kWJCBKFU
The issue of using legislative staff members for campaign purposes is a sensitive and tricky topic.
Technically, lawmakers can use their staff as long as those individuals do so on their own time and voluntarily.
Unfortunately, in many cases staff members were not hired because of their amazing qualifications. Nope.
In many instances, legislative staffers were hired because they were long time friends (or friends of friends) of the elected officials for whom they work.
For that reason lines become blurred. It becomes difficult to draw a clean line between legislative work and campaign work.
It all gets jumbled together into a big melting pot and it is hard to know the difference between legitimate work and illegal campaign activity.
I believe that this may be the case with more than one of the lawmakers that represent Mercer County.
I’ve seen lots of things over the past few years.
I’ve experienced situations that were questionable and I can direct you to photos that document equally confusing behavior.
Rather than relying on politicians to “do the right thing”, maybe we should make the rules more straight-forward.
Or have a procedure when some staffer makes a mistake of mixing campaigns on state time, to turn it in to an Investigative Office that can put a primand or pass it to the Ethics Committee.
It is so easy to mix both and when you work on the people's busineess you are really working for re-election too.
Anonymous said...
Activist calls for Justice Melvin to resign...10:46 AM:
It should not apply just to Joan Orie Melvin, but a Grand Jury within the Week should be called and investigate the entire Judicial Campaigns of 2009, both Democrat and Republicans and their relationships to Republican and Democratic Senators and Legislators.
At the same time, if Joan Orie Melvin as an ounce of integrity and character, she must suspend herself from the Supreme Court Voluntarily to avoid the continued Appearance of Impropriety.
If Not, The Judicial Conduct, Board must take action to keeps its reputation for Integrity of Judicial System. It blew the “Kids for Cash” by the alleged corrupt Luzerne County Judges, they cannot hide from their accountability now.
It is one thing to call into question and investigate the legislature, but the Judicial System has a Higher Standard to live to to preserve our system of government.
As stated, this all could be avoided by Justice Joan Orie Melvin without pay removing herself until after the investigation is over, and if no charges, gets back pay.
"'And when we finally did learn of it, the district attorney's office was already running with it.'"
Why would Corbett need an intern to inform him of what he supposedly had been investigating for three years at that point? How did he miss it? (As if we don't know)
Anonymous said...
"'And when we finally did learn of it, the district attorney's office was already running with it.'"
Why would Corbett need an intern to inform him of what he supposedly had been investigating for three years at that point? How did he miss it? (As if we don't know) April 8, 2010 12:33 PM
Could it be that they Zappala and Corbett are working together for bigger interests?
I mean Tony Krastek on the OAG Staff along with Corbett took out DeWeese (pending), Veon (convicted), McCall (resigned) with actions pending on Eachus, removing all former leadership in the way of Frank Dermody that was part of the HDCC Campaigns on State Time according to Veon Motions Emails, and related to his wife Reed Smith Law Firm,while moving into leadership while being a leader in only missing votes and now poised to take it all over?
The same Frank Dermody that took out Supreme Court Justice Rolf Larson?
In return, Senator Jane Orie is a thorn in the Gaming Commission side and Corbett's biggest contributor DeNaples put his Casino in his daughter's name now as Jane Orie is removed from leadership in the Republican Senate.
Now add the removal of Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin and you got a clear path to controlling all leadership in all 3 Branches.
Legislature/Senate, Supreme Court, and Governorship!
Just in time for Marcellus Gas Wells to rape Pennsylvania Clean Water in the name of Halliburton and Waste Management, and the Casino will go on as planned!
Amazing Corbett refusing to respond to Stetler's Attorney Allegations Corbett's Misconduct....Attorney General Tom Corbett is rejecting complaints about his conduct that were lodged by two ex-legislators charged in the ongoing Bonusgate investigation.
Mr. Corbett, in legal briefs filed today, urged a Dauphin County judge to dismiss claims made by former Reps. Stephen Stetler and Brett Feese and to proceed with a preliminary hearing on Mr. Corbett's allegations that they misused taxpayers' money for political purposes.
In his motions, Mr. Lock basically accused Mr. Corbett of the same type of activities -- using state equipment and funds to engage in his own political activity on state time -- that Mr. Corbett has alleged against the Bonusgate defendants. Mr. Corbett is the leading Republican candidate for governor this year.
However, Judge Lewis delayed Mr. Stetler's March 26 hearing for two weeks to give Mr. Corbett a chance to answer the two defense motions. Mr. Corbett is now asking Judge Lewis to end the delay and proceed immediately with the hearing on the charges against Mr. Stetler.
Mr. Corbett said the defense motion "to dismiss the prosecution on the grounds of prosecutorial misconduct has no basis in law or fact and should be denied without a hearing."
THIS IS WHERE THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF JUSTICE DEPENDS ON A WISE AND FAIR JUDGE.
JUDGE LEWIS GAVE CORBETT TWO WEEKS TO RESPOND TO THE ALLEGATIONS ON CORBETT'S MISCONDUCT.
CORBETT INSTEAD OF RESPONDING IS SAYING NO, JUST DISMISS, THE ALLEGATIONS.
IF JUDGE LEWIS REJECTS CORBETT NEW MOTION, THE JUDGE WILL BE DOING WHAT IS PROPER AND MAKING CORBETT RESPOND TO HIS MISCONDUCT, DEFEND IT, AND GO ON THE RECORD OF DENYING IT, THEN CORBETT CANNOT TAKE IT BACK IF EVIDENCE COMES OUT OTHERWISE.
ALL OF SUDDEN CORBETT IS HAVING COLD FEET, CRYING ABOUT RESPONDING TO HIS OWN CONDUCT, AND THAT ASKING THE JUDGE NOT TO MAKE HIM DEFEND HIS MISCONDUCT BEFORE THE JUDGE.
CORBETT'S BALLS ARE SHRINKING IN SEEMS!
HERE IS CORBETT CLAIMING HE IS INVESTIGATING ANY EVIDENCE OF MISCONDUCT THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH, BUT NOW WANTS TO BE EXEMPT FROM HIS OWN?
IF CORBETT HAS NOTHING TO FEAR OR HIDE, HE SHOULD SHOW UP AND RESPOND TO EVERY ALLEGATION AND EXPLAIN HIS USE OF STATE PROPERTY,
AND ANY GOOD HONEST PROSECUTOR WOULD DO JUST THAT, NOT CRY FOR A DISMISSAL?
Mary Beth Buchanan and Corrupt Politicans:
http://northpghpolitics.blogspot.com/2010/04/mary-beth-buchanan-and-corrupt.html
What is Corbett afraid of in defending himself against Stetler's motion, what a coward.
A Special Prosecutor will catch the lot of them at the OAG, and then you will see real crying.
The issue isn't Tom Corbett. The issue is the Federal Judges that protect these people in Harrisburg PA. Everyone has a favor to pay back to someone in Harrisburg!
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