We must admit, we are baffled by the latest demands of professional attention whores Tim Potts and Eric Epstein. They're calling on the Office of Attorney General to make further arrests in the "ongoing" investigation of the legislature known as "Bonusgate."
Is Linda L. Kelly running for higher office?
We're not ruling out that a carefully-selected Senate scapegoat might face token charges, just to allay suspicion that the Senate was completely overlooked - even though Senate staffers who worked on campaigns received some of the largest bonuses in the legislature.
But even professional attention whores can't pull off the pretense that the Office of Attorney General led by then-gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett ever seriously and thoroughly investigated the Senate - or that any 11th-hour charges that might be filed are the result of a serious and thorough investigation of the Senate.
Corbett's refusal to investigate a member of the Senate even after a whistleblower's complaint - much less the fact that he didn't discover the wrongdoing on his own - is sufficient proof that the Senate never was a target.
Even stronger proof is that Corbett aborted his investigation of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board without filing any charges. With the Gaming Board, as with the Senate Republican Caucus, all roads lead to Bob Jubelirer and David "Chip" Brightbill. And Corbett certainly wasn't planning on going there.
As leaders of the powerful Senate majority, they held strong sway over the Gaming Control Board. Very little happened without their approval. It would be difficult to make a case for criminality among the Board - much less the Senate Repbulican Caucus - without implicating Jubelierer or Brightbill. (Look what happened when he tried to leave Bill DeWeese out of House Democratic indictments. Team Corbett may not be geniuses, but they do learn their lessons)
Brightbill, at least, understood this from the beginning. In September 2007, Brightbill created the Great Valley Leadership Fund for the sole purpose of disguising a $6,000 contribution to Corbett's campaign. The $6,000 was, at the time, the only contribution to the PAC - from Brightbill - and the only contribution from the PAC - to Corbett. Corbett didn't return the contribution until seven months later, after questions were raised. But there certainly were other avenues though which Brightbill could pay tribute - According to Capitolwire, Team Corbett reassured Senate Democrats that contributions laundered through the coffers of running mate Jim Cawley would not be returned.
This tangled mess have been avoided if Corbett had done the right thing from the beginning and appointed an independent prosecutor. Nearly five years later, we remain flabbergasted that the press and public passively accepted Corbett's insistence upon investigating his own political adversaries and allies - even as they acknowledged the political advantage he gained from the investigation. Especially since he campaigned on the very same issue.
13 comments:
A good rumor with legs had some Former Federal Proecutors from Philadelphia sitting in the Jane Orie Trial the entire 3 weeks.
They were hired by the Republican Senate Republican Caucus, yet, not one Reporter caught it or disclosed the Law Firms nor the Lawyers names?
Looks like the Republican Senate
Caucus has taken teps to prepare any defense against Indictemnets, but they know so far so safe without a whisper of anything against the Senators or Campaign/ State Staffers.
Your Article is timely but not one Reporter has revealed the shawdows of attorneys following Orie, Prezel, Stetler, and DeWeese Investigations or Pre-Trials or Trials.
It is as if it seems the newspapers are in with Corbett and Cawley now, silent and submissive, strange but true.
Jim Cawley a Wall Street Shark led the Shale Commission that wants “Pooling” for National Gas so no one needs permission to take the gas from your property.
Once the people come to learn this and check the background of everyone on the commission, there will be a uprising that will vote out Corbett, Cawley and win the Attorney Generals job for a Democrat that begin their own investigations on the Republicans and then Corbett will end up in prison.
Mess with people's lands and minerals and you end up losing office.
I agree we need entire background check on all on the Shale Commission from stocks to bonds to corporate ties through relatives, families and close friends.
Time to Jail Up the Internet.
Maybe they can get right on that Shale Commission investigation as soon as they complete the 5 year investigation of all 4 legislative caucuses in PA., and the 2 year investigation of the $3 billion Hershey Trust, and the Jerry Sandusky grand jury investigation.
The best example that Corbett never had any intention of going after his Senate Republican cronies is Mike Long.
For those of us on the inside, we all knew Mike was the most out in the open political operative that walked the halls of this Capitol. Maybe since the day it was built.
He got the single largest bonus of anyone in the House or Senate, but apparently that didn't matter to Corbett.
Of course, it probably helped Mike stay out of the line of fire by actually working on the Corbett for Governor Campaign at the same time the investigation was going on.
Draw your own conclusions... Do your own due dilligence... It's not hard to make the case.
If only the media actually did real investigative journalism.
http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Pennsylvania_%22Bonus-gate%22
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Long_(lobbyist)
http://longnyquist.com/index.html
Rachel Manzo's sentencing, scheduled for today (7/21) was continued for another month. What's up with that? AG brought 12 felony charges against her, then lowered it to just a misdemeanor. Since 3 who pled guilty to felonies already got probation with no loss of pension, what is the hold up with Ms. Manzo, how can she not get probation with no loss of pension with just a misdemeanor?
What am I missing here?
WGAL TV News now reporting that when Corbett's Budget Secretary's wife was arrested earlier this summer for DUI and fleeing from police, she called the Governor's residence, and a state police officer on the Gov's security detail on state time came and picked her up at the booking station in an unmarked state vehicle, and drove her home. Aren't there people in custody today for doing nonstate work on state time using state facilities? And this was a state police officer.
Anonymous said... Rachel Manzo's sentencing, scheduled for today (7/21) was continued for another month. What's up with that? AG brought 12 felony charges against her, then lowered it to just a misdemeanor. Since 3 who pled guilty to felonies already got probation with no loss of pension, what is the hold up with Ms. Manzo, how can she not get probation with no loss of pension with just a misdemeanor? What am I missing here? July 21, 2011 3:30 PM
Answer:
Tom Corbett's William Ward represented her and now is Chief of Staff of Governor Corbett.
You need not guess further but Corbett's Heart, Back, and Legs hurt from unknown outside force known as Karma.
No one these two escape what is coming to them.
Anonymous said...He got the single largest bonus of anyone in the House or Senate, but apparently that didn't matter to Corbett.
Of course, it probably helped Mike stay out of the line of fire by actually working on the Corbett for Governor Campaign at the same time the investigation was going on. July 21, 2011 1:52 PM
Question?
How can one work on an Attorney General's Campaign for Governor that is suppose to be under Teh Office Of Attorney General Investigations?
This is the kind of Prosecution Misconduct the Supreme Court should investigate since they were Lawyers under The United States Supreme Court.
Don't understand how you beat on Epstein and Potts for agreeing Corbett should bring charges against the senate republicrats. These guys are heroes for their 2005 payraise efforts. Without them, I don't feel we would have Payjacker Veon in a cage and Payjacker Deweese and Payjacker Perzel heading to trial and hopefully long prison sentences. Of course the pension impact (why do the laziest among us - government workers, still get obviously unaffordable pensions??) will still be felt for generations. Payjackers prove the two party system is inherently corrupt. Republicrats are our real traitors and terrorists. Agree Juby, Brightbill, Smith, etc., etc, are transparently obvious and not saying Corbett isn't just as bad. But please focus on root causes, not more repub vs. demo noise. History tells us voting for republicrats will just lead to more unaffordable spending to suppport permanent reelection (freeloading).
Anonymous said "Of course the pension impact (why do the laziest among us - government workers, still get obviously unaffordable pensions??) will still be felt for generations."
If memory serves, Potts gets a nice pension from the payjacking he did as a House staffer -- one that will be felt for generations. He's a hypocrite, not a hero. One could assume Epstein is similar as a former Senate staffer. Stilp was a House staffer. I see a pattern forming here.
People associated with Common Cause and the League of Women Voters are the true government watchdogs. The others don't deserve your money or your respect -- or the respect of this blog.
You talk about the “payjackers” and “Bonus Gate”, but what about the Republican hypocrites? Look at the new class of Republican House members (and Gov. Corbett too) – check the records – educate yourself and find out if any of the reformers for change are currently participating in and have accepted any of the following perks for the House: 1 - the bloated sweet pension plan, 2 - the Cadillac health insurance plan, 3 - the per diem payday supplement, 4 - the state vehicle fleet or bloated mileage reimbursement, 5 – who, if any, voluntarily refused the December 2010 COLA pay increase, 6 – who, if any, voluntarily are contributing to the health care plan, and last, but certainly not least, 7 – the “district newsletter” franking mail privileges that primarily serve as state paid political mail.
Not to mention that all of the so called reformers in the Republican Caucus voted like puppets on strings along straight party line under the control and direction of their Republican Party Leaders and Republican Governor Corbett. Like sheep being taken to slaughter – not a single independent thinker among them.
All of these perks cost the taxpayers millions of dollars every year and the self-righteous pigs just keep on taking and taking from the taxpayers. One would venture to guess that all of the newly elected Republican Majority House members have accepted every one of these perks even though they all used them as issues in their 2010 campaigns stating in their campaign literature and speeches that they were against them, didn’t think they were proper and found it offensive that members were receiving them.
AGHAST, after they won and got elected, they (Republican House members and Gov. Corbett) didn’t hesitate to sign up and begin to accept the perks. HIPOCRITS!!!! I say and the voters and the Democrats just let them get away with this propaganda without retort.
Wake up – the Republicans will tell you what they think you want to hear or their polls indicate that you want to hear and then, right in your face, do exactly the opposite by doing what they want for their own benefit. Look at Representative Metcalfe (R – Butler)as the model example or PIG in more ways than one – he publically decries that he is against all that but accepts every perk that the republican majority offers: a Cadillac health insurance plan, a full pension, and 4 star paid meals, campaign contributions & gifts from the powerful Harrisburg lobbyists. Majority Leader Mike Turzai and Speaker Sam Smith too. All this on the backs of unemployed or underemployed, and uninsured families throughout Pennsylvania.
Anonymous 7/27 – Hey I agree with you. The repubs are just as bad as the demos. The 2005 Payjacking should have woken everyone up to the sleaze of the two party system. This is a “system” problem in the engineering sense; we must demand more choices and competitive, unrigged elections. Root cause analysis tells us the system is broken – the thought that some new republicrat personality is going to ride in and save the day is just laughable. Look at Perzel and Deweese – when you stop laughing, get back to me: no real jobs, forever freeloaders, sneaks. This is the kind of “leadership” trash we get from settling for this joke system. The two parties are going to continue to serve us up the same career trash that we are used to on both sides. Two parties is the minimum possible and an ideal conspiracy. I truly can’t believe there are still people who are willing to wear the demo or repub brand. They must not read the papers. Stop voting for the party you hate the least and demand fair ballot and media access.
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