Friday, May 28, 2010

FORE!


Just as we suspected.

Unless we're missing something, every media outlet that covered the preliminary hearing for John Perzel & company missed the most interesting element of the story.

This may be the first time in state history a prosecutor takes a defendant to trial on accusations of destroying evidence after the prosecutor himself opened the door for that destruction.

Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Corbett belatedly brought about a billion charges against Team Perzel, after the political reality finally dawned on him. But the accusations of obstruction fascinate us most - and most offend Corbett himself: "Obstruction's the worst," he huffed at the press conference to announce the billion charges.

Corbett's like a golfer that accidentally drives a ball toward your head, screams "fore!" and then gives you "two for flinching."

It's not just that Corbett gave the House Republican eight months advance notice that he might come nosing around the caucus to see if they left anything incriminating lying around. He explicitly green-lighted the replacement of the computers where that incriminating evidence might reside.

As the Patriot-News reported, "all GOP desktop computers were replaced from July 17 to Sept. 6 [2007] at the Capitol." And, as the Tribune-Review reported, "The attorney general's investigators were consulted about the changeover of computers."

Unfortunately for both Corbett and caucus staff - but only one (rank-and-file) lawmaker - Corbett later decided he was going to need the data on those computers after all. Because Capitolwire was suggesting Corbett's political ties to the Republican legislature might inhibit the investigation. And The Morning Call was calling for an independent prosecutor.

Why would Corbett allow the caucus to ditch its computers in the middle of a criminal investigation? Or meet, along with his campaign manager, with a major target? Or allow another target to host a fund-raiser?

And what kind of investigation was it, anyway, if after nearly a year Corbett didn't have enough facts, or understand where the investigation was going?

Given Corbett's urge to throw people in jail if he even thinks they're asking inconvenient questions, it's unlikely the public will get answers. Even if someone did work up the nerve, he'd probably just duck back into his sofa fort of grand jury secrecy. Lord knows what those OAG party animals are hiding behind that veil. We already know they were improperly using the grand jury to gather information for a sentencing hearing. For all we know, Corbett could be having the jurors filling out his tax return, or washing his cars. Or working in his gubernatorial campaign. Oh, wait, that's right: we already know about that.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

State Democratic Chairman T.J. Rooney, the former state representative from Fountain Hill, protested on Oct. 14 that Mr. Corbett was not investigating Republicans who got bonuses.

The attorney general, who is a Republican, denied that, and suggested that the case be allowed to run its course. On Oct. 16,
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli, a Democrat who plans to challenge Mr.
Corbett next year, called for him to appoint an independent prosecutor.

We have no reason to question Mr. Corbett's independence and integrity, but Mr. Morganelli's
suggestion isn't a bad one. Having someone who is not seeking re-election take care of the grand jury presentments as next year's campaign gets under way would be good for those important proceedings - regardless of who suggested the change in the first place.

Anonymous said...

How about the Senate?

Well, over there, staffers, who spent a lot of time in 2006 doing campaign work for Senate leaders or gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann.

They got roughly the same five-figure bonuses in 2006 they got in 2005, even while working less for the state.

House Democratic staffers who are accused of doing that for former House Minority Whip Mike Veon, D-Beaver, are getting lots of
Corbett's time and energy. And plenty of leaks to reporters about their activities, too.

Corbett can’t, legally, explain what he is doing and why, because a grand jury is still investigating???

And this is emphatically not a question about Corbett’s integrity, which is as strong as most anyone else’s in Pennsylvania politics, except when Corbett cannot answer why after 4 years nothing has been reported on just 50 senators?

But follow the money.

In 2004, Corbett spent $3.1 million to get re-elected. More than $2 million of it came from Republican insiders.

The Republican State Committee, Republican National Committeeman Bob Asher and the Republican Attorney General’s Association provided $1.7 million.

Donors whom former Senate GOP leaders or former House Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, could
divert from Corbett with a single phone call gave almost $500,000 more.

So about 70 percent of
Corbett’s money came from two circles which are both tightly controlled by a handful of powerful
Republican politicians and donors.

The time has come to investigate Corbett contributors, what they own, what businesses, and why they giving so much from just so few.

This is not going away, Corbett may not have been proven dirty just yet, but the smell is awful high as a dead corpse ready under porch.

It may take a few more years, but this will follow Corbett into the Governor's Mansion.

Anonymous said...

ANOTHER YEAR AND ANOTHER Suitcase of computers still not investigated by Tom Corbett???

Patriot-News Needs another story Front page and questioning Corbett, if they want to be objective and fair!

Is state bonus probe partisan? Sunday, August 03, 2008
BY CHARLES THOMPSON AND BRETT LIEBERMAN Of The Patriot-News

The situations might sound familiar. Five-figure bonuses were given to state legislative staffers who spent weeks on campaign work.

A former legislative staffer said her old boss routinely ran his House campaigns out of his district office.

A change in computer systems coincided with word that an investigation was under way.

You might guess that these are the latest revelations from Attorney General Tom Corbett's investigation into the House Democratic caucus.

These actually are some of the facts that have surfaced over the last year out of the House and Senate Republican caucuses -- groups that Corbett, a Republican, has insisted will receive the same scrutiny as Democrats.

For now, no charges have been filed. That wasn't the case with the Democrats.

The House GOP replaced computer equipment in 2007, after Corbett would have launched his investigation.

Corbett said e-mail trails provided some of the best, real-time evidence about the alleged conspiracy among the Democrats.

Democrats critical of the staging of the probe have argued that Republicans were given ample opportunity to clean their records.

Corbett needs to answer some questions now, but the Newspapers do not know how to ask them all of a sudden, even after another year?

Anonymous said...

Smith said House Republicans "did not pay out any money to political operatives with bonuses paid for with taxpayers' money."

Republican Senator Jane Orie has proven Republican Smith wrong!

Anonymous said...

For the sake of educating the great unlearned ones out there in computer (un) awareness land, could someone please explain Tom Corbett's recent actions to secure the names of internet users. How does this relate to Casablanca, the bloggers, those who read, contribute, exchange ideas through CasablancaPA? and how does it obviously effect the internet in general. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Cott & Veon were outed last year by the newspapers. Corbett knew who it was, but needed to prove it for Cott's sentencing.

There's a bogey for sure in Pa. politics
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, April 5, 2009

In the classic film "Casablanca," Captain Renault is a corrupt official who freely admits he has no convictions.

Could Captain Renault also be the nom de plume of Mike Veon, the former Beaver Falls state legislator currently attempting to avoid conviction on a plethora of public corruption charges?

Someone using the good captain's name is the primary contributor to the anonymously authored CasablancaPA blog (www.casablancapa.blogspot.com/).

This endeavor, according to its home page, supposedly exists to chronicle "Pennsylvania politics, rank hypocrisy, a partisan Attorney General and all things Bonusgate."

In reality, the Web site's main purpose is to batter state Attorney General Tom Corbett and his handling of the ongoing Bonusgate investigation.

The blog debuted in September, two months after Corbett charged Veon and 11 others affiliated with the House Democratic Caucus with using millions of dollars in public money for political purposes.

Corbett last month added to Veon's legal woes by charging the one-time Democratic House whip and a former aide with theft and conflict-of-interest charges.

The pair allegedly misused the Beaver Initiative for Growth, a nonprofit that obtained more than $10 million in state tax dollars.

CasablancaPA contains dozens of items authored by Captain Renault -- portrayed in "Casablanca" by the incomparable Claude Rains -- attempting to discredit Corbett.

"There is growing criticism of the partisanship and quality of Corbett's Bonusgate investigation," Renault states in his most recent post. "A wide spectrum of people (are) questioning Corbett's ability and motives as he now begins his third year of investigating Bonusgate."

Renault's posts occasionally contain embedded links to court filings and contracts. Identifying information in several of those files' document properties lists Veon as the author.

Another poster to the blog uses the "Casablanca" alias of Ugarte, the petty criminal played by the immortal Peter Lorre. Like Captain Renault, Ugarte also occasionally embeds links.

Identifying information in several of those files' document properties lists Brett Cott as the author. Cott is a former Veon aide who also happens to be one of the 12 Bonusgate defendants.

Attempts to reach Veon and Cott for comment on how their names happen to appear deep in the recesses of a blog highly uncomplimentary of the man who brought criminal charges against them were unsuccessful.

Veon and his attorney, Joel Sansone, did not return phone messages last week. Cott's Harrisburg phone number has been disconnected; his attorney, Bryan Walk, didn't return a call.

Are the references to Veon and Cott in the embedded links proof positive that Veon is Renault and Cott is Ugarte?

No.

Might those references appear curious to the many followers of this wide-reaching state scandal?

Probably.

Anonymous said...

Wow, why is Corbett so obsessed with this blog??

Anonymous said...

Good to see John Perzel and Bill Deweese won re-election, apparently the voters in their Districts refused to believe Corbett's Grand Jury Presentments.

Now we must go for a Special Prosecutor to investigate Corbett and the Republican Senate.

While working on the Appeals for Brett Coptt and mike Veon and Anna Marie Rosepink on wrongful convictions due to prosecutorial Misconduct.

It will happen!

Anonymous said...

There is nothing perfect in humanity.

And all humans make mistakes and certainly all political parties do.

But you can make your decision as to what you believe to be more in line, what program, to be more in line with your own thinking; and certainly you can make up your mind as to whether you will get the greatest prudence, the greatest honesty, the greatest integrity, the greatest businesslike methods and economy in Government.

Men who have in the past done effective work exposing weaknesses and practices that needed addressed in the Commonwealth Capitol have, by reckless talk and questionable methods, made themselves the issue rather than the cause they believe in so deeply.

Anonymous said...

The great mass of governmental people, Government workers, and civilian and in uniform, people in our schools, and everywhere else that we can think of, are just as dedicated as you and I.

They are just as loyal.

Now, the Office of Professional Responsibility, Free Press, and Judicial Conduct Board were to be your protection against the unwarranted attacks of an overpowering Attorney General.

They are to look after every commonwealth citizens' civil liberties, to make certain that your liberties were not eroded away.

Now, there can be very grave offenses committed against an innocent individual, if he or she is accused, pos­sibly, by someone having the immunity of Grand Jury misdeeds.

They can lose their jobs.

They can have scars that will be lasting.

Pennsylvania needs to believe in, and practices, fair play, and decency and justice.

In this commonwealth, public opinion is the most powerful of all forces.

And it will straighten this matter out wherever and whenever there is real violence done to our great rights.

Now, let us take, again, some of the counterbalancing values.

Did you ever stop to think there is no place in the world that has ever freely adopted a rule by bureaucrats in a vote of the people?

On the contrary, every time any government is taken over, a very small minority practicing imprisonment, injustice, and fear has done it.

Or through some slick method, or political move it has gotten control of the capitol, establishing a Gestapo or other method of police control and has ruled that state.

We do not believe that any Attorney General, no matter how great, has a right to take another people and subject them to its rule, or policies or threats.

Pennsylvania was conceived with one idea: that cooperative effort among great and free, peace-loving people could establish peace in this commonwealth with prosperity.

Corbett is a threat to freedom!

It is not a matter not to vote for him for Governor for he will remain Attorney General, therefore, it is a matter we need a Special Prosecutor to investigate Corbett before or after the election.

Anonymous said...

Today Mr Corbett showed up at the Indiantown Gap Memorial Day service. He was not part of the program but he showed up anyhow with a prepared speech. It wasn't a campaign speech but I think we all know why he was there. Yesterday he was in the Annville Memorial Day Parade with a large group of campaign staff, not with the group of other elected officials who were there as a group to show their support of the troops not to campaign.

I think it's a disgrace to use such a time as this to try and advance your political career.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't the right thing to do is for the people to Recall Corbett on the Ballot for Attorney General; and vote against him as Governor and then they would be rid of his ineptness once and for all by voting against him twice on November 2.

Anonymous said...

When the press is on your side you can do anything. The Press grilled the late Catherine Baker Knoll for attending the funeral of a Pennsylvania National Guard member killed in Iraq. She was there to represent the people of the commonwealth who elected her, and if she could help, she certainly would. But the press had a vendetta against her because when she ran the Department of Motor nVehicles,(back in the 70's). she did not let a certain wealthy editor get preferential treatment because he claimed his time wAS SO VALUABLE. sHE TREATED EVERYONE EQUALLY and he was perturbed because he had to stand in line just like everyone else. The only persons allowed not to stand and wait were pregnant mothOf course Tom Corbett is never campaigning on Public Time. Now, ain't that a kick in the head.

Anonymous said...

sEEMS LIKE A LOT OF TALK WHEN THERE SHOULD BE ACTION . wHERE ARE THE LEADERS...wHERE ARE THE pARTIES? dEMOCRATIC, rEPUBLICAN
, OR tea? rECALL tOM cORBETT

Anonymous said...

sEEMS LIKE A LOT OF TALK WHEN THERE SHOULD BE ACTION . wHERE ARE THE LEADERS...wHERE ARE THE pARTIES? dEMOCRATIC, rEPUBLICAN
, OR tea? rECALL tOM cORBETT

Anonymous said...

Happy Memorial Day!

Anonymous said...

Happy Memorial Day!

Anonymous said...

I never thought I'd say this, but I miss the person who used to write this blog before BC was sentenced. This blog had an edge and an intelligence that is missing now. This new writer is flat, lugubrious, and downright bland. BC may be an unrepentant felon, but that S.O.B. could write. Hard to wade through the repetitive mole hills that claim to be mountains. Bye Bye

Anonymous said...

Is that a valley is see between Bye Bye?

Anonymous said...

Is that a valley is see between Bye Bye?

Anonymous said...

Is that a valley is see between Bye Bye?

Anonymous said...

Is that a valley i see between Bye Bye?

Anonymous said...

We don't need anymore Armchair Activists. Time is running out, you can all sit and watch the sands trickle through the hourglass and so it will be Fall and too late. Where are all your principles (and principals)?

It's Time for a Recall, or let's just give up and not do anything at all.

There is still time to put the Recall Question on the Ballot.

And then Vote to Recall Tom Corbett as Attorney General on November 2:
and
Vote Against Tom Corbett as Governor on November 2.

You know the old adage: If your Heart is in the Election, Get up off your Ass and Work!!