Although today's Standard Speaker did not report it the Times Leader chronicled Todd Eachus's audacity to make these statements surrounding the Bonusgate investigation.
Eachus declined to say if he thinks state Attorney General Tom Corbett’s investigation into the House Democratic Caucus and the illegal award of bonuses to state workers for campaign work might affect his chances at re-election.
“It’s been a serious investigation, and the House Democratic Caucus has taken it seriously. But I think you’ll note from my comments all year that I have not commented directly on this investigation. And as difficult as that is, because I think people know me, I’m extremely direct, no one should be commenting on a grand jury investigation,” Eachus said.
“Because as (House) leader I’ve managed the entire investigation from Harrisburg, it’s not appropriate for me to comment,” he said.
No, Todd, you "managed" to get into the middle of the Bonusgate by an invitation to speak before the grand jury empanelled in the probe. If memory serves SOP correct AG Tom Corbett is MANAGING the Bonusgate probe, not you.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer, this editorial demonstrates that Todd Eachus should have more pride in the district he represents and decide not to run again rather than his bold move to announce he will run. Obviously this do-nothing legislator has no other options but to keep sucking at the taxpayer tit as a means of earning a living.
Monday, January 11, 2010
'Bonusgate' floated on sea of corruption
The guilty pleas of top legislative aides in Harrisburg have erased any doubt that a widespread corruption scandal was part of an illegal culture fostered by elected leaders.
Seven former House Democratic staffers pleaded guilty in the so-called “Bonusgate” probe last week.They admitted spending taxpayers’ money for political purposes, including at least $1 million in bonuses for staffers who worked on Democratic election campaigns.
The defendants are not household names. But they held important positions at the state Capitol.
Defendant Mike Manzo was the longtime chief of staff to Rep. Bill DeWeese (D., Greene), a leader of House Democrats for the past 20 years. Defendant Jeff Foreman was chief of staff to ex-Rep. Mike Veon of Beaver County, DeWeese’s top lieutenant. Defendant Scott Brubaker was the House Democrats’ director of staffing and administration. Defendant Earl Mosley served as personnel director.
Attorney General Tom Corbett has charged DeWeese and Veon, as well as 16 other defendants, including Rep. John M. Perzel (R., Philadelphia), a former Speaker, as part of an ongoing corruption probe. Perzel and others in the GOP are accused of spending millions of tax dollars to create computer programs to help reelect Perzel and other Republicans.
DeWeese has argued that the bonus scheme that helped to make him majority leader occurred without his knowledge or approval. The convictions of these seven defendants who worked for him say otherwise.
Mosley’s attorney, Matthew Gover, told a judge that Mosley “was directed to issue those checks. He didn’t do it of his own volition.”
The prosecutor, James Reeder, replied: “Mr. Mosley knew what he was doing, he knew that it was wrong, and he knew this was part of a big scheme. ... Defense counsel may argue he was only a cog in this big wheel of this big scheme, but he was a felony cog.”
Felony cogs in a big, broken, corrupt government machine. It is inconceivable, and laughable, to argue any longer that they dreamed up such schemes on their own or did it without the knowledge of party leaders.
All of the defendants who pleaded guilty will be required to pay back the state for the theft of taxpayers’ money.
Manzo and Foreman have agreed to forfeit their state pensions — that should be enforced against all of the defendants who are convicted of ripping off taxpayers. Nobody involved in political corruption should enjoy a comfortable retirement at taxpayer expense.
One of the arguments against Corbett’s investigation among Harrisburg insiders is that “everybody did it.” With these seven guilty pleas, we have the response. If everybody was doing it, the place is rotten to its core.
6 comments:
It's Ark, you moron...
How to stop Corbett from Lying and misusing his chosen members of the Grand Juries.
We only have until March to make sure Corbett and the Republicans will not win by these tactics of smear and hate and underhanded use of Government Resources to persecute democrats.
Unions need to unite and use Volunteers to follow all OAG employees, and stop them from Campaigning.
This is the Democratic and American Way to stop the Corrupt Corbett Garbage Train.
We need to run new candidates everywhere and on every level from local committees, to state committees to legislators to senators every local, statewide, and federal offices.
The True Reform movement must trudge in the deep depths of cold-water trenches to find names for our Ballots by March of this year.
The HDCC better quit hiding from Corbett and start taking on Corbett, and if it does not we know some in the HDCC are glad they moved up as others were taken out by Corbett.
If the HDCC does not organize and strike back in the next ten days, we know we have been betrayed.
Part-Time No Show Up Legislators are not up for this job, better look for better Leadership.
Wecht Is The Perfect Candidate To Take On Corbett And Make Corbett Resign And Be Investigated Before The November Election, Wecht Is Hearing What We Are Hearing, The Orie Investigation Is Directly Leading Back To Corbett's OAG.
Jane Orie basically appointted her sister Joan Orie Melvin to the Supreme Court by cooridinating the Campaigns from Republican Senate State Offices?
But not 1 of 800 Corbett's Employees had anytime to investigate the Complaint?
Frank Fina Said:
"There's no ledger for politics in the crimes code, Literally, the direction is: There's the Crimes Code. If someone's violating it, put it before the grand jury and see where it goes, Anybody who violated the law is going to get it," Fina said.
So where was the State Grand Jury Frank when you given a Complaint during the very time elections laws were being violated, Frank?
And these people want to select Judges???
Why does Corbett have two phones, if he uses his Private Campaign Phone all of the time?
I think Corbett has two phones because with one phone he is investigating Democrats and his own Republican enemies.
The other one is for telling his Political Buddies to how to avoid Investigations he will not be making anymore.
I wonder if all the Judges that ran, had two phones?
I wonder if Tom Ridge had two phones when he ran for Governor?
I wonder if Jane Orie had two phones?
I wonder if Joan Orie Melvin had two phones?
I mean if you wear Two Phones does that mean you Get Of Out Of An Investigation For Free?
What happens when Corbett's State Business phone goes off about the same time you are talking on your private phone on State Time?
Do you do the State Work you were hired and elected to do, or do you keep on the Private phone and ignore your State Work on Taxpayers Dime.
We really do need to see both his Private and State Phone, Blackberries and Laptops to compare if he was working on his Campaign during State Time.
We need an Auditor Generals Investigation on AG Corbett's Co-Mingling of Phone Time?
After all, Deputy Attorney General Frank Fina is quoted, "There's no ledger for politics in the crimes code...."Literally, the direction is: There's the Crimes Code. If someone's violating it, put it before the grand jury and see where it goes, Anybody who violated the law is going to get it," Fina said.
I mean, after all, it doesn't take a psychic to figure out that I don't like or respect Tom Corbett. And if you know our history, you know why.
But I want to be objective on this page.
I want to write about things I know about - share my experiences so maybe people who read the blog will get a better understanding of politics.
And I want to be fair. I want to be honest. I want to tell the truth.
What to do?? What to do??
Then, I got the following email from someone I don't know. Someone who reads my page and comments frequently.
It read:
"Hey, where's the Corbett stuff? Don't quit on us now! The sh-t you are writing about him is important and people should know it. This a--hole wants to be governor. People need to know what he's really like!"
So, I went back and re-read "the Corbett stuff" I've written. Stuff like:
-- His using the power of the prosecutor to get publicity for his campaign for governor.
-- His accepting huge, questionable campaign contributions from federal felons.
-- His campaign workers calling his state workers and his state workers calling his campaign workers on state phones, on state time.
-- His alleged deal with former Senate leader Bob Jubelrier to NOT indict for crimes related to bonuses paid with tax money for political work.
-- His work as a former lobbyist and was Legal Counselor for Waste Management, Inc. - the largest importer of trash into Pennsylvania.
-- His lack of experience on every issue that governor's must deal with daily.
-- His willingness to accept a state pay check to be a full-time attorney general while he runs around the state campaigning as a full-time candidate for governor.
(Hmmmm.....getting paid by the taxpayers while campaigning. Sound familiar, Tom?)
-- His willingness to ignore potential crimes committed by Senate Whip Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) because Orie is a Republican and she and her organization support Corbett for governor.
And there's more.
Hey, I can't deny it. Indeed, I must confess: When it comes to Tom Corbett, I have not overdone things.
But there's a reason for that:
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