PA HOUSE DEMS SUE CONSULTANT-BONUSGATE

The folks over at GrassrootsPA.com provided a link to an AP News story about the wranglings of the PA. Democratic Caucus concerning bonusgate.

The Democratic caucus in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday sued the lawyer who had been helping it deal with a legislative corruption probe by the state attorney general.

Caucus officials said they sued William G. Chadwick and his Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm to force him to turn over the client file that was generated by his work for them. A copy of the lawsuit, filed in Dauphin County Common Pleas Court, was not available after business hours Monday.

Chadwick, whose service to the caucus ended Jan. 15, said Monday that former majority leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene, has asserted attorney-client privilege as to the file.

"Bill DeWeese, as leader of that caucus, was my client," Chadwick said. "I am unable and I cannot produce the file to anyone, because of his assertion of privilege, which is protected by law."

Eachus was selected in November to replace DeWeese as floor leader when the new Legislature was sworn in in January; DeWeese became whip.

Chadwick, reached shortly after he had been informed of the lawsuit by e-mail, declined to say how much material was contained in the client file. He said he had not seen the lawsuit but would turn over the documents if a court determined that DeWeese doesn't have attorney-client privileges regarding them.

Caucus lawyer Christopher Casey said Chadwick had no right to hold onto the documents.

"All work product produced for the Democratic caucus by William Chadwick while the caucus was his client is the property of the caucus," Casey said in a statement.

Through July, the caucus had paid Chadwick's firm, Chadwick Associates Inc., about $800,000 from public funds for services that included handling grand jury witnesses and combing through e-mails to comply with investigative subpoenas.

Investigators are looking more broadly at whether public employees or public resources were used improperly, including for campaign purposes.

And folks right there is the problem. Attorney Casey, if the money used to pay for Mr. Chadwick's work came from the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania why is it not their documents? Why are they the documents of the Democratic Caucus?

Let's see Chadwick- "lawyer who had been helping it deal with a legislative corruption probe by the state attorney general." But wait here's the deal on Chris Casey.

Newly elected House Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne County) will announce Wednesday that he has hired outside counsel to conduct a "top-to-bottom review" of the House Democratic Caucus and recommend changes to make it more efficient.

Eachus hires attorney to review HDC, look for inefficiency and job titles
The review, which will be conducted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Casey, will try to eliminate "government duplication, waste and inefficiencies" that citizens demand during difficult economic times, Eachus said in a press release obtained before distribution by PolitickerPA.com. Christopher Casey is the brother of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton)

A lot of money on lawyers..does anybody know what they are doing in Harrisburg?? As for Eachus, attorneys and money look at my next post.