The Corbett campaign can't seem to settle on a story to explain why it ignored an intern who tried to report evidence of illegal Senate Republican electioneering.
(It hasn't yet bothered to explain why Corbett's own three-year "investigation" of Senate Republicans didn't turn up this evidence long before the fall of 2009)
Corbett told WTAE last week that the intern spoke to a receptionist in his office.
But Corbett's press secretary Kevin Harley later told the Tribune-Review and the Philadelphia Daily News there's "no record" the intern ever called at all.
Dude, that might have been a good ploy if a) your boss hadn't already admitted your office took the call and b) phone records prove your office took the call.
The more important question, of course, is the one that John Baer poses today:
"I ask, since Corbett spent years investigating (he says) all four caucuses, why a fellow-Republican senator in leadership never shows up on his radar."
The grand jury supposedly subpoenaed the Senate Republicans for documents in February 2008 (conveniently just after electoral opponent John Morganelli alleged that Corbett is "mired in conflicts of interest as he tries to do a balancing act between investigating public corruption while at the same time not offending political and financial supporters.")
According to the grand jury presentment, Orie's political documents weren't removed from the Senate Republican servers until late spring of 2009.
Orie staffers testified they had been performing political work during her entire eight-year tenure in office, including the last three while Corbett was conducting his "investigation."
Why did it take a whistle-blowing intern to bring Orie's alleged crimes to light in the middle of a three-year, multi-million dollar, highly-publicized investigation? And what goes on in Senate Republican offices that never had the bad luck to employ whistle-blowing interns? If we have to rely on the Corbett campaign to find out, we may never know.
It looks like DA Morganelli was right more every day.
ReplyDeleteThe only for Corbett to silence his critics and remove doubts on his investigations is to announce his Grand Jury Findings of Republican and Democratic Senators.
ReplyDeleteThe Judicial Branch has been alerted they are now in play too, so something needs to be done.
This will not blow over anytime soon.
The Ten counts against Jane Orie and two against Janine Orie are only the start, it is clear from the Zappala Grand Jury, Joan Orie Melvin is now a target, and when her subordinates start to talk, she will roll over on the other Republican Judges that ran that year.
As well as the senators that coordinated their Campaigns only for Corbett to silence his critics and remove doubts on his investigations is to announce his Grand Jury Findings of Republican and Democratic Senators.
The Judicial Branch has been alerted they are now in play too, so something needs to be done.
This will not blow over anytime soon.
Like LaGrotta said, everybody was doing campaigning on state time, but they are only selecting a few.
Has anyone heard from Rolf Larsen lately?
ReplyDeleteSpot on Casa...spot on!
ReplyDeleteAs well as you write this stuff, I hope you are fixing to do a screenplay.
hey, spot on...
ReplyDeleteWhere would politics be?
where would government be?
where would the church be?
without DRAMA..
Wake up and enjoy the illusion!
.They can,t indict the whole senate. Think of all the pensions and benefits that would be forfeited. At some point, you have to be realistic.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDelete.They can,t indict the whole senate. Think of all the pensions and benefits that would be forfeited. At some point, you have to be realistic.
April 13, 2010 12:00 AM
It would fix the budget problems!
Senator Gerald LaValle, Chairman of B.I.G, could do well to give up his 4 Pensions, and quit blaming Veon and Rosepink, for all the problems.
ReplyDeleteThe secret Imunnity Witness is LaValle, not DeWeese.
Corbett rebuts charges of using state resources on political campaigns:
ReplyDeleteWednesday, April 14, 2010
By Tracie Mauriello, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
HARRISBURG - Attorney General Tom Corbett denied using state resources to run his political campaigns even as his office prosecuted others for allegations of similar transgressions, in court documents filed Tuesday.
It will be up to Dauphin County Judge Richard A. Lewis to decide whether to hold a hearing on the accusations filed by an attorney for former state Reps. Brett O. Feese and Stephen Stetler.
Both are defendants in government corruption cases being prosecuted by Mr. Corbett's office.
"I'm asking for dismissal of the charges or at least a prosecutor who is capable of objectivity and neutrality," their attorney Joshua Lock of Harrisburg said Tuesday.
"The allegations we made in our motion - which can easily be proven if we are given the opportunity for a hearing - demonstrate a willingness of the attorney general to use his office for political purposes."
Judge Lewis has scheduled arguments for Friday on whether to hold a hearing on Mr. Lock's motions.
Mr. Corbett's office first responded to the motions in a memorandum filed Thursday, but Judge Lewis said that was insufficient and ordered a formal answer that addresses each point in Mr. Lock's motion.
That answer was filed by Senior Deputy Attorney General James Reeder, who called Mr. Lock's claims "bombast and overheated rhetoric."
One allegation claims that Mr. Corbett - the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate - landed state jobs for several campaign staffers until they were needed to work on his campaigns. The employees would then leave state payroll and be paid by the campaign.
Mr. Reeder has said it was not a crime to have employees work on campaigns as long as they are not being paid by the state.
And he said those claims were irrelevant to the charges against Mr. Feese, R-Lycoming, and Mr. Stetler, D-York.
Mr. Lock alleged that Mr. Corbett uses state-paid drivers to take him to campaign events.
Mr. Reeder said those drivers were "actually executive protection" needed because Mr. Corbett's office regularly prosecutes dangerous criminals.
Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley said
The accusations were distractions and the state had no provision for appointing special prosecutors.
This is where a full hearing will benefit involved and make Corbett prove his investigations is not political, selective, or illegal using his office as Campaign Tool.
It is at these times when men like Judge Lewis does rule that a full hearing will resolve these allegations against Corbett and his AG Staff and AG Campaign Staff.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Judge Lewis should learn why would Corbett be afraid of having an hearing since his judgment, actions, and a Federal Lawsuit needs to be made public by Corbett responding not hiding.
Corbett should have no problem explaining all the phone calls from his office on state time.
ReplyDeleteHe must be fearing something and he must be trying to avoid any explanations of his own actions as Attorney General.
If he refuses to respond properly or Judge Lewis does not hold a hearing, Stetler should file a Private Complaint with the local District Attorney.
The Governor should appoint a Special Prosecutors into the Stetlers Allegations and investigate Corbett and his entire office.
It is a shame when an Attorney General will not explain his actions as he prosecutes others saying they are doing illegal activities but he will not explain the Documents showing Corbett has done the exact same thing.
Good luck getting Eddie Marsico to investigate a fellow R.
ReplyDeleteIt has become painfully obvious that the Republicans will stop at nothing to ensure victory over the Democrats and the working class.
ReplyDeleteIsn't an overwhelming majority in the PA Senate enough?
The Republican creed: Stomp, grind and bury and don't let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Duty calls and Karl Rove answers.
ReplyDeleteRedistricting is the mission:
ReplyDeleteOnce they have purged then they will set their sights on down-sizing the State Senate and the House. It's all about numbers. (Actually, less people they have to maintain in tow) in other words, control, pay-off, etc.
And while they are at it, why not appoint our state-wide judges in the interest of reform. It would appear that some of them have dirtied their robes along the way, thus it would be wise for the new and improved down-sized (controlled) state senate to confirm the nominees of the same powers and interests that re-drew the district lines and elected them.
All this is done with Democracy in mind because they care about you.
The revealations of Jack Orie owes the IRS $63,000, show the Ories are a family having secrets far from the Republican Motto, be on your own.
ReplyDeleteThey are hiding many things from the public, and looks like it all will come out very soon.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete"With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plea; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost."
William Lloyd Garrison
US abolitionist & editor (1805 - 1879)
April 18, 2010 12:06 AM