Thursday, November 17, 2011

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Former gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett tells the Patriot-News this morning why he green-lighted in July a $3 million grant for alleged child molester Jerry Sandusky's Second Mile:

"Yes I knew this (Sandusky investigation was under way), but I could not act publicly on this without saying certain things that would have possibly compromised the investigation" (Patriot 11/17/11)

First of all, we're not sure what would have been compromised given that the Patriot had let the cat out of the bag on the investigation four months earlier. (Patriot 3/31/11)

We wish he would just admit that the construction of the new building was very important to a large campaign contributor.

The Post-Gazette's Jon Schmitz reports this morning that The Second Mile's long-time chairman Robert Poole's company, Poole Anderson Construction, was to be the construction manager of the project. (Post-Gazette 11/17/11)

Unsurprisingly to anyone who follows how Corbett operates, Robert Poole has contributed over $12,000 to Corbett's campaigns.  Given that the construction business isn't what it used to be, we can only imagine that Poole's ability to steer this bit of business his way was helpful to his bottom line (BTW -- Corbett has a habit of ignoring how his political allies run the non-profits they are associated with).

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

How precisely does it take a DA, 2 AG's & 3+ years to uncover 1998 case?

Especially when the DA's Office that forwarded the 2008 Case is the same DA's Office investigated and adjudicated the 1998 incident!!

Took them over three years to figure out that the common thread in all of this is The Second Mile Foundation, not PSU -- think about that!

How in the heck is the press not asking more questions about this especially given the fact that JS and The Second Mile Foundation were alerted in 2008 that they were being investigated and now multiple years of files have gone missing from The Second Mile Foundation????

Were busy talking about whether a football coach knew 100% of the details of the 1998 incident and investigation at the same time the TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IN THE ENTIRE STATE ARE CLAIMING IT TOOK THEM OVER THREE YEARS TO EVEN FIGURE OUT THE INVESTIGATION EVEN EXISTED???

Talk about the Keystone Cops!!

Anonymous said...

PSU Manipulated To Protect The Program, Corbett His Election Campaign!

Corbett pointed one finger at Penn State after taking Campaign Money with his other hand, but now Corbett's 3 fingers are pointed back at him, from his own hand?

Corbett engineered a Slow Cover-Up to protect his Election, and the National Media will prove it, then the Feds will have to step in to arrest Corbett and his Campaign staffers.

Anonymous said...

Time for a Special Investigator with full powers to go anywhere and everywhere in what seems at this point to be an incestuous web that involves so many conflicts of interest that extraordinary means ought to be taken.

If this isn't done, you can bet your bottom dollar that federal agencies will be all over this and by Penn State accepting federal funds, the door is right there to be opened.

That may happen anyway but will no doubt take longer and cost more and neither of those things serve the children of Pennsylvania.

The Governor who was AG for overlapping periods with the incidents already discovered and who held onto that former position so that the people of Pennsylvania could not elect their own choice of a new AG, is compromised not just by virtue of his two or really three State of PA positions, but by his campaign donors as well.

Many of them came from these board members and Trustees and to think that anybody at Penn is capable of finding the truth here is unrealistic.

It's a farce and a waste of taxpayers' money to even start that approach up. And Penn State isn't the whole picture anyway:

Mr. Sandusky's "charity" seems to demand concurrent and intertwined investigation which cannot be conducted by the Board of Trustees of the university.

This reeks of serious trouble that just has to be completely hung out to dry so that the public and the government can have all of the facts needed to protect Pennsylvania's children from ever again being sacrificed apparently at the altar of a sport or an institution or a bunch of careers.

I spent hours reading at your site this evening and have never seen anything quite so ready to be declared a huge cover-up.

Now that may not be the case but this Sandusky situation dragged on for over a decade with enough people in very high positions apparently unable to connect the dots that are finally surfacing.

That does rule every single person involved out when it comes to investigating the extent of what went on and then to determine just how many people were involved in keeping this to themselves.

The number of children which is unknown at this point is so troublesome because people with responsibility and who seem to know each other socially and professionally as a group lost their moral compasses and thereby exposed by prolonging things, more and more children every day for YEARS to a serial predator.

It's too much for any thinking person to write off as simple incompetence: there was intent here that was evil.

WMS4Yeshua said...

Guys,

I had to say something in response to the whole Penn State situation, and it's really hard for me not to really blow up, because I have personal experience with this issue. To say that I am outraged over this having taken place would be an understatement, and if I were that "Assistant Coach" and saw that travesty, Sandusky would be DEAD, and I would either be in jail, or held as a hero for getting rid of that piece of trash!! Every time I hear of this or any other incident involving the violation of children, I get sick to my stomach, and madder than anything, because to me it's the ultimate in evil, and despite all the laws out there that are supposed to protect children, IT STILL GOES ON!!! All I can say, is that sooner or later all the sin of this town will rise up and take all those down who practice this sinful lifestyle, and when it occurs, God will judge this town big time, and it won't be pretty.

Anonymous said...

So the goobernor had to give the 3 mil so it would not compromise the investigation? HMMMM. Now that it is wide open, will the tax payers get their money back?

Anonymous said...

"I did not know the date that the presentment would come down, or if it would ever come down because I had pulled myself away from the investigation," Corbett said.

So why didn't the "Guv" do more? He knew about it just like Paterno.

For 3 yrs?

Anonymous said...

Watch Corbett under oath

Memory failure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsGvyoquw8A&feature=related

Raw data destroyed by Corbett:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-oOsm09Vsw&feature=related

Anonymous said...

ARRISBURG – An Allegheny County state House member today called for a federal investigation of the Penn State child abuse scandal.

Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Penn Hills, said he is preparing a House resolution calling for the U.S. attorney`s office and FBI to take over the probe.

DeLuca said there is a need for an independent investigation of former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and of the state attorney general`s investigation.

U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, the chief federal prosecutor in Central Pennsylvania, said in a statement earlier this week that the "extremely disturbing" allegations "mandate a thorough review of the facts and appropriate action by law enforcement at all levels." But a spokeswoman for the office declined comment on DeLuca`s statement.

DeLuca is among those who have questioned why the investigation, begun under Gov. Tom Corbett as attorney general, took almost three years. He also said it made no sense for Corbettt approve a $3 million state grant in July for The Second Mile, a charity for kids that Sandusky founded. A grand jury report alleges Sandusky molested eight children. The allegations identified in the grand jury report covered a time span of 1994 through 2008. Sandusky's victims were largely Second Mile kids.

"A teacher accused of sex crimes is arrested the next day," DeLuca said.

DeLuca had been investigated by the state attorney general's office in 2009 for patronage and political activity. No charges were ever filed.

Corbett and his spokesman have defended the length of the probe and the grant, which is now on hold. The investigation went to a grand jury because a grand jury can compel testimony from reluctant witnesses. The grand jury report alleges a potential cover-up and says that two top administrators failed to report a 2002 incident in Penn State`s football locker room. Corbett is the former U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh.

Corbett, a Republican, said he could not deny the grant earlier this year for fear of compromising the investigation. After leaving as attorney general in January, he said he had no idea when or if indictments would be issued. Kevin Harley, Corbett`s press secretary, discussed Corbett`s position on the grant Wednesday but could not be reached today.

Nils Frederiksen, spokesman for Attorney General Linda Kelly, today declined comment on DeLuca's call for a federal probe.

Smith, former chief investigator for ex-Auditor General Bob Casey, now a Democratic U.S. senator, said he is assisting the U.S. Department of Education`s investigation of possible violations of the Clery Act. That federal law requires universities to annually report campus crimes.

"I can't comment about other specific areas of federal inquiry," Smith said in the statement.

Heidi Havens, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office, said Smith would have no comment beyond the statement.

Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, asked Corbett in a letter this week to push, as a member of Penn State's board, for an independent counsel to conduct an investigation of the board. "Even if the board did everything correctly they cannot be impartial in the investigation," DePasquale said.

He said he agreed with Corbett`s statement there can be "no margin of error" in protecting children.

"We need outside intervention and that probably ought to come from the feds," said Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver County. "I'm not sure the rest of the country would have confidence in a Pennsylvania investigation done by Pennsylvanians."


Read more: Lawmaker calls for federal probe of Penn State scandal - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/state/s_767828.html#ixzz1e6VsSfqy

Anonymous said...

Pennsylvania DA Tom Kearney asks FBI to investigate Corbett administration security contractor with ties to pedophile sex ring


An aspect of the growing courthouse child sex and prostitution scandal was covered-up and protected by then-Attorney General Tom Corbett.

http://www.yardbird.com/DA_seeks_FBI_probe_of_Corbett_security_contractor.htm

Anonymous said...

Where are all the so called "pro-life" Republicans from the Southwest - Turzai, Reed, Reese, Evankovich, Kreiger, Pyle, & Dunbar - in this Penn State, Republican Corbett former AG/now Governor mess. Corbett didn't investigate this child predator and all of these gutless republican officials won't call him out on it either. They are all talk and NO ACTION - say what then need to get elected and do as they please to protect the republic political agenda.

They should all resign!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

The faculty Senate endorsed a resolution asking for an investigation to be led by a committee whose chair has no links to Penn State.

The resolution also called for a majority of the group's members to have never been affiliated with the university.

As well as, having no confidence in Tom Corbett as AG and Governor since he was involved in the initial questions that have not been forthcoming.

The BOT's lack of curiousity about SIX of its employees, including its President, testifying before a grand jury is inexcusable.

Trustee: Hi Graham, heard you testified at a grand jury recently. Anything we should know about?

Spanier: No nothing important. One of retirees got accused of horsing around in a shower with a child at the Lasch building. We took his keys to the showers away.

Trustee: Oh, was that all? Anything else.

Spanier: No, back to business as usual. Agenda Item Number 1: How do we get rid of Joe.

Anonymous said...

What a tragic story to date and the rage can be seen in the words within this fine article written by Sara.

The pain one can feel is clear to anyone with one ounce of feelings.

It is clear now, based on these alleged comments, that Sandusky excuses of calling it “Horsing Around”, turned ever so sad into vicious touching probing his victim’s reactions for future abuse.

These kinds of comments may actually make the Federal Prosecutions refusal to accept a Plea Bargain. I say this, because I no longer trust anyone at the Pennsylvania Attorney General Office to do the right things, since they have a pattern and practice of corruption under Tom Corbett that needs an investigation too.

At the same time, there can be no question now, once these children speak, the Penn State Football Program should be shut down by the New University of president.

But I think he and the new Athletic Director just do not have the will or power to do it, so long as the Penn State Board of Trustees that gave so much to Tom Corbett, continue to remain blind of their own complicity.

Consequently, a Federal Investigation will uncover the complicity and reckless negligence of the Trustees, AG Corbett, Second Mile Leadership, and of course, the fate that came upon Spanier, Paterno, Schultz, and Curley!

Therefore, the National Media will not let this die, and will uncover things Pennsylvania Media refuses to uncover on Tom Corbett, Frank Fina, and Linda Kelly, as well as Mike Long, Brian Nutt, and Todd Nyquists role in Corbett campaign delaying this investigation not to harm tom Corbett’s Election to the Governorship.

In summary, the Penn State Football Program will be shut down by the NCAA if Penn State cannot see they need a fresh start, with fresh faces, not connected in any way to Penn State Trustees, bent on stopping all of the truth.

In time, they will be removed as each Children’s Testimony describes things no one can defend, then others will ask, protests, and challenge all that the Trustees thought they could have managed, but there is only one way to manage it.

All Trustees must resign Now. Along with the New President, AD, and understand let outsiders find the truth, then come back and support the new leadership, except those found to have participated in the cover up.

There is no other way, and they will soon realize it, when it is too late.

I think Tom Corbett along with staffers and campaign aides that tried to cover this up, so his election came before helping the children.

Anonymous said...

SHOCKING YOU TUBE VIDEO ON CORBETT COVERING UP PENN STATE:

Governor Corbett Buried Sandusky Scandal as AG?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t33DLPVIGos

THIS NEED TO BE PUT ON PENN STATE RIVALS BOARDS KNOWN AS BWI-BLUE WHITE ILLUSTRATED

THEY WILL POST IT ON OVER 1,000 WEBSITES IF REQUESTED.

Anonymous said...

Corbett's approval of Second Mile grant debated (link) See article linked below.

Apparently several state legislators think something doesn't seem right here either. Laughable that Corbett would claim he approved the grant in the summer of this year to "protect the investigation".

This guy is so self-serving it is pathetic.

SOURCE LINK:
Corbett's approval of Second Mile grant debated

By Brad Bumsted, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, November 17, 2011

HARRISBURG -- Gov. Tom Corbett on Wednesday defended personally approving a $3 million state grant to The Second Mile Foundation, which prosecutors contend provided sexual assault victims for its founder, former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

"He (Corbett) couldn't block that (grant) from going forward because of what he knew as attorney general," said Kevin Harley, Corbett's press secretary. "He couldn't let on to anyone (including the governor's office) what he knew."

The Second Mile, which Sandusky founded in 1977 to serve at-risk youths, "hasn't been charged with anything," Harley said.

But retiree Joe Marasti of Penn Township is not buying Corbett's explanation of why he needed to approve state money for Second Mile. Sandusky faces 40 criminal counts involving child sex abuse of young boys he met through the nonprofit.

Marasti, who had two daughters graduate from Penn State, has nothing against Corbett. He is a self-described Reagan Democrat who voted for the Republican in 2010.

His belief stems from a mistrust of things the university and state government did in the aftermath of the scandal that has rocked the nation and cost college football icon Joe Paterno his job as coach. Penn State President Graham Spanier also quit under pressure.

"I have no idea where this whole thing is going," said Marasti, 69, the former Penn-Trafford School District superintendent. "But as the father of two Penn State alums, I hope the U.S. attorney and FBI take over the investigation."

Sandusky, the former defensive coach who helped develop Penn State's reputation as "Linebacker U," has said he is innocent and is not a pedophile.

Corbett, who as attorney general began the child abuse investigation, approved the $3 million grant because there are not -- and never were -- criminal allegations against the charity, Harley said. The money has not been disbursed.

Former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell initially approved the grant for the state's share of a new building for The Second Mile, but it was among a large batch of still uncommitted money Corbett decided to review after taking over as governor in January. Corbett approved it in July, four months before a state grand jury issued criminal allegations against Sandusky and two Penn State officials charged with failing to report the crimes.

BELOW MORE OF CORBETT EXCUSES DO NOT COMPUTE AND NEED A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION CONTINUED...:

Anonymous said...

CONTINUED FROM ABOVE ANGELS FOR THE TRUTH AGAINST SELF-INTEREST POWER HUNGRY AG CORBETT:

In Philadelphia yesterday, Corbett said that denying the grant would have posed the potential to "compromise the investigation." By July, Sandusky had stepped down from Second Mile, Corbett noted.

Grand juries under state law are secret proceedings until an indictment is issued.

"The Second Mile had good purposes," Corbett said. "I'd like to see it go forward. I don't know whether it will be able to continue to go forward, and I hope there is a successor to the organization. Right now we have to pull back" the grant.

Asked if The Second Mile is under investigation by the Attorney General's Office, spokesman Nils Frederiksen said, "We don't identify potential targets of grand jury investigations."

Corbett's budget office, headed by Budget Secretary Charles Zogby, reviewed and approved the Second Mile grant. After the budget office review, the governor reviewed the grant, Harley said.

"Everything goes through the governor," Harley said.

Corbett was not aware of the details of the Sandusky investigation since January when he took over as governor, Harley said. He would get broad updates on the status from state police Commissioner Frank Noonan, the former head of investigations in the Attorney General's Office, but no details, Harley said.

There were no allegations of wrongdoing against personnel of Second Mile or the nonprofit, Harley said.

Corbett flagged $1.1 billion in grants Rendell approved near the end of his term. The governor has approved about $926 million of the grants, spokesman Eric Shirk said.

Corbett's explanation "doesn't make sense to me," said Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Penn Hills. Because the governor knew about the investigation since he was attorney general, he should have held back the Second Mile grant, DeLuca said.

"I don't know," said Sen. David Argall, R-Schuylkill County, when asked whether it rang true to him. "People will be sorting that out for weeks or months."

DeLuca said he is concerned that the Penn State board of trustees, separate from the attorney general's investigation, is conducting an investigation of itself. Corbett serves on the university's board.

That was a concern Marasti echoed.

So far, everything suggests "this is a massive cover-up," Marasti said.

House and Senate leaders are talking about a commission to look into the Penn State scandal and offer solutions.

"I've had conversations with the governor, members of his administration, House leaders and Senate Democratic leaders about a bipartisan, bicameral approach to addressing the issues raised by the Penn State child abuse indictments,'' said Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware County.


Read more: Corbett's approval of Second Mile grant debated - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_767739.html#ixzz1eBXGL3I4

Anonymous said...

Proceed with caution!

I became aware of the following information at 1:58 AM on November 20, 2011.

Copy and paste these resources.

If they come to you as hyperlinks, do not click them.

Save this message as evidence.

Copy and paste the following information into your web browser:

http://tinyurl.com/k2y9t

This will take you to the following page:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3395321338401208062#

Listen to the video titled:

"Conspiracy of Silence - Illuminati Pedophiles in Washington D.C." (documentary)
55:12 - 5 years ago

It should appear in a small screen near the top left corner of your monitor.

Open a new tab in your web browser.

Copy and paste the following information into your web browser:

http://www.atrueott.com/

Carefully read the ENTIRE page and think about all that is going on in our world today.

What you do with this information is up to you!

Stop Graham Spaniard!!

Anonymous said...

Penn State University receives about $227 million in state tax dollars, but the university is not covered by the Open Records Law that applies to state agencies.

That sets it apart from nearly every public university in the nation, said Adam Goldstein, counsel to the Arlington, Va.-based national Student Press Law Center.

In the aftermath of the child sex scandal and cover-up alleged in a grand jury report, lawmakers will examine to what extent Penn State, Pitt, Temple and Lincoln -- the state-related universities -- should be covered by the state Open Records Law.

There's no question in Goldstein's mind.

"Penn State has been playing a malicious hokey pokey with open records laws for years," Goldstein said. "If this isn't enough cause for them to change it, if this isn't good enough reason to determine that Penn State needs some oversight, I don't know what would be."

Goldstein said it would have been easier to access public university records almost anywhere else in the country.

"Generally speaking, public universities are covered as public entities under most laws. ... Until recently, there were two exceptions (to open records laws covering public universities): Pennsylvania and California; but in California, the university has been subject to the law since 2008 or 2009," Goldstein said.

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware County, is author of the law that exempts the university from disclosing anything beyond basic federal tax data and the salaries of the university's officers and the 25 highest-paid employees. He asked a Senate committee to review the universities' status on open records. A spokesman for Pileggi said the senator believes, at the least, that campus police records should be public record.

"Sen. Pileggi believes strongly that any police force with arrest powers should be fully covered by the Open Records Law, including those on the campuses of the state-related universities," said Erik Arneson, director of communications and policy for the Senate Republican Caucus. "There should be no difference in how the law applies to a municipal police force and how it applies to a university police force with arrest powers."

Anonymous said...

CONTINUED....

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky and two campus administrators -- one of whom oversaw campus police -- are charged with felonies. Sandusky is accused in 40 criminal counts of molesting boys. Former Athletic Director Tim Curley and retired Vice President Gary Schultz are accused of failing to report a 2002 incident in Penn State's football locker room.

Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Uniontown, an outspoken advocate of open records, said the events at Penn State could provide an opportunity to make the law stronger.

"Anybody that takes public money ought to be open to scrutiny for their entire budget," Mahoney said.

Stephen Miskin, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, said a House-Senate commission set up to examine which laws need to be strengthened as a result of the Sandusky case will review how the Right to Know law applies to Penn State and other state-related universities.

Pileggi asked Sen. Charles McIlhenny, R-Bucks County, chairman of the State Government Committee, to hold a hearing on the issue. No date has been set.

Although the state-related universities receive hundreds of millions from the state annually, that money has represented less than 10 percent of their overall budgets, which also are funded by tuition and private contributions.

Penn State officials, who often use those numbers to justify the school's status as a "state-related" rather than state-owned school, at the same time maintain the school is a public university. Historically, for tax purposes, Penn State has been considered "an instrumentality of the commonwealth," university spokeswoman Lisa Powers.

Mahoney said his version of the Right to Know Law in 2007, which did not survive in the Senate, would have made records of state-related universities public records.

Goldstein recalled the proposed law and the lobbying that surrounded it.

"There were a lot of people connected to Penn State lobbying to exclude Penn State from the law," he said.


Read more: Penn State's open records law exemption draws questions - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/state/s_768179.html#ixzz1eGIyAlmH

Anonymous said...

This PSU - Corbett - Paterno fiasco has completely taken over the press and nothing is being reported about Computergate and the $20 million illegal spending of taxpayers money.

Sam Smith and Mike Turzai illegally spent and/or used in excess of $20 million dollars of taxpayer money and nothing is being reported. But Fumo is getting more jail time for his actions on less than $4.2 million.

Corbet is corrupt and Smith & Turzai are too. While bonusgate was a serious issue, Corbett dedicated millions of state dollar in resources into that investigation, including hundreds of staff hours and several investigators, but he only assigned 1 investigator to a child sexual abuse investigation at Penn State University. Corbett needs to be investigated.

Jo Pa is a registered republican, most, if not all of the PSU board of trustees are registered republican, and Corbett knew the voting PSU public would crush him if he broke the story on child porn at PSU.

Shame, Shame, Shame on Corbet both as AG and Governor. And don't forget about current Speaker Sam "Snuffy" Smith and Mike "the dictator" Turzai - they should all be in jail in the same cell as Perzel, Feese and the rest of the hipocrite republicans.

Sandusky, Jo Pa, and all the rest are the benefactors of the Corbett partisian political machine and Corbett's action were directed at the democratic party only. I wonder if Jo PA, Sandusky and the Board of Trustees were dems what would have happened.

Anonymous said...

Second Mile gave Corbett 642.000 in Campaign Contributions for his run and election to be Governor.

Anonymous said...

Corbett has AG had 14 OAG Staffers and Investigators assign to Bonusgate Investigation without one investigation on Republican Senators?

At the same time, Corbett assigns only one State Trooper to investigate the Sandusky Child Molestation Charges and Second Mile Foundation.

Campaign Records show Donors to Second Mile gave Corbett $642,000 in Campaign Contributions for his run and election to be Governor.

Yet, this newspaper has never ask AG Corbett how can you allow Children to be in danger as you protected your Political Republican Senators while prosecuting your Democratic Political Foes, all in the name of Justice?

The editors of this Newspaper have never requested a Federal Investigation in AG Corbett behavior, selective prosecution, and duplicity to date, shame on them too.

Yet, Joe Paterno is guilty of do nothing as Children were abused, raped, and scared.

Well, Et Tu Patriot News and all Newspapers until your calls for an investigation of Tom Corbett and his tenure at the Attorney General Office, heard, written, and forthwith.

The Only Right Thing To Do Now is ask for the entire truth to come out and timeline of those that could have stopped it, and chose another path for his own Political, Campaign, and Self-Interest for Power purposes, and only a Federal Investigation can uncover the entire truth now.

Do the right thing!