Eachus- "Anyone Who Has Created A Problem Should Face Justice."

In response to a WNEP reporter's inquiry that was Todd Eachus's statement. Well,Todd, you may just get your wish. CasablancaPA has made a case revolving around Todd Eachus's invovlement in Bonusgate for some time. Their latest post spells out a plea deal highlighted in the WNEP report between AG Tom Corbett and Rachel Manzo, a former Eachus employee.

They reference an Associated Press article written by Mark Scolforo filed from Harrisburg.

John Paul Jones, a $62,000-a-year legislative research specialist until December 2007, told the grand jury that Eachus, D-Luzerne, brought him onto the state payroll after the November 2006 election, which returned Democrats to the majority in the House, with a cover story about his legislative work.

"That was sort of like the code of, here's what I do, but really I was solely there as a political guy," Jones said.

Jones testified that Eachus told him he considered the General Assembly's capability to produce public service announcements a free tool to help incumbents get re-elected.

In a May 2008 grand jury appearance, Jones said that while he was working for the House Democratic Campaign Committee in the run-up to that pivotal 2006 election, he and another campaign committee employee worked closely with Eachus out of an office in the Capitol's East Wing.

He said they helped Eachus phone Democratic state representatives to pressure them either to donate to the campaign committee or promise to spend a certain amount on their own races.

"As Todd would often say, he wanted to spend what he called soft dollars, which were government dollars, on public service announcements so that we had to ultimately spend less hard campaign dollars," Jones testified.

Jones said that for a time he and two other legislative aides spent nearly all day on political matters, raising money and performing other campaign-related duties. A phone number could not be located for Jones.

An unidentified state prosecutor, in the grand jury transcript, asked Jones whether Eachus was "directing and encouraging" their campaign efforts.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Jones responded. "There were plenty of times where (an aide) and I would be in to make phone calls or to staff Todd so he could make fundraising phone calls out of his office."


SightsonPennsylvania did a "Legislator X" series outlining testimony from the Grand Jury. Eachus has refused to answer questions relative to testimony given by others in this investigation. Mr. Eachus is within the his legal rights to refuse to answer any and all allegations. All persons mention in Corbett's investigation are innocent until proven guilty. That is a premise that SOP will always support regardless of the subject matter. It is an inalienable right.

Is somebody's goose cooked? Guess we will have to wait for the pop-up timer.