How Can The Democrats Stand For This?

Judge wins election despite money and ethics troubles

By Mark Fazlollah

Inquirer Staff Writer

Thomas M. Nocella is being sued over sale of VFW land.  

Newly elected Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas M. Nocella credits U.S. Rep. Bob Brady - Philadelphia's Democratic Party boss - for intervening with ward leaders to put him on the ticket.

"He is the one in control," said Nocella, 67, rated qualified for the bench by the Philadelphia Bar Association, despite having been sanctioned by the city Ethics Commission in 2009.

He pointed out that he had done years of free legal work for the party and said the judgeship was his reward. "That's the way it's done in Pennsylvania," he said.

On Jan. 2, he will begin drawing a $165,000 judicial salary. Nocella welcomes the new income because there is a $358,000 IRS lien against him, the state says he ignored local taxes for years, and he has more than $1 million in debts listed in a bankruptcy case.

Vince Fumo was resentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronald Buckwalter last week.  He tagged another 6 months onto Fumo's original sentence.  In this Newsworks article Buckwalter sums up what is wrong with the Philadelphia political machine.

"I'll never understand Philadelphia politics. Not in my life," said Judge Ronald Buckwalter after listening to Fumo speak for more than an hour.

How in the wide world of sports can a Judge say he is getting $165,000 in salary for FREE legal work?

Rendell's Abuse of Taxpayer Dollars To Solidify Political Base

The Pennsylvania Independent published a story about Ed Rendell distributing a disproportionate amount of Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding to the City of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia County received $109.5 million in RACP funds for 12 projects, a little more than a third of the total funding doled out in the bill signed yesterday by Mr. Rendell, including $10 million for the Sen. Arlen Specter Library at Philadelphia University. Mr. Specter, who served as Philadelphia District Attorney from 1965 until 1974, was Mr. Rendell’s first employer.

“I think that’s been this governor’s mode of operation,” said state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R – Butler). “Dole out the goodies from Harrisburg that he can grab a hold of for his base, for the Philadelphia area especially.”

The Legal Intelligencer penned this story about the Feds appeal of the light sentence imposed on former Senator Vince Fumo after his conviction in what amounts to one of the worst corruption cases in Pennsylvania.

Weighing in at 281 pages and more than 53,000 words, the appellate brief filed by the Justice Department on Thursday to challenge the leniency of the 55-month sentence imposed on former state Sen. Vincent Fumo is like a Harry Potter novel for the judiciary -- highly anticipated, loaded with entertaining vocabulary, and chock full of talk about darkness and wicked ways.

What are the similarities between these two stories? Here is more information from the appeal by the Feds in the Fumo Case.

"The corruption exposed in this case was breathtaking," they wrote.

Fumo was a 30-year member of the Pennsylvania Senate, they wrote, who "used his control of a well-funded Senate committee and of a nonprofit organization he created and supported (Citizens Alliance), as well as his influence over another nonprofit institution, to support a lavish lifestyle and illegally amass political power."

The brief says Fumo used funds and resources of the Senate and of the nonprofit organizations "to provide him with staffers who served his every whim, from running political campaigns, to aiding his personal business ventures, to attending to his needs at the five homes he maintained."

Fumo used the funds of Citizens Alliance "for political purposes, and to acquire over $1 million of luxury vehicles, merchandise, farm equipment, and myriad other items," the brief says, noting that Buckwalter calculated more than $2 million in losses from Fumo's crimes when "in actuality, the loss was at least double that."

And "just as strikingly," the prosecutors wrote, "once the federal investigation began, Fumo embarked on a determined effort to obstruct justice, directing his public employees to destroy extensive computer evidence of his crimes."

In a previous post I highlighted the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp, the tax-exempt, taxpayer-supported nonprofit group founded by State Rep. Dwight Evans, chairman of the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee and the waste of $1 million in Pennsylvania taxpayer's money on a jazz festival.

From Eachus's office Brett Marcy this comment back on May 09, 2010.

"We have worked hard to trim costs and find ways to improve efficiencies," said Brett Marcy, press secretary to House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne.

Over at the Capitol Wire With John Micek he quotes House Majority Leader Todd Eachus about the budget:

"This is a responsible budget, and it's a win for Pennsylvania taxpayers. It holds the line on state taxes and it keeps our commitment to invest appropriately in our children's education and protect our local property tax payers from having to shoulder more of the burden for funding our schools."

How he can make that claim with the obvious waste of taxpayer money is beyond me.

Rep. Dwight Evans Wastes $1 Million Dollars Of Taxpayer Money On Jazz Festival

Beavers for Initiative Growth, Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation. What do they all have in common? All are non-profits tied to politicians from Harrisburg. In the case of the first two trials resulted from allegations of improprieties connected to mismanagement of their funds. Former Senator Vince Fumo and Representative Michael Veon were associated with those entities.

Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp, however is the tax-exempt, taxpayer-supported nonprofit group founded by State Rep. Dwight Evans, chairman of the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee.

Philly.com reported that the non-profit received $1 million dollars of Pennsylvania taxpayer money to host the West Oak Lane Jazz Festival. Claims were made that the crowd would rival Woodstock, "in excess of 500,000 festival attendees from around the world." In reality only a couple thousand made it to the event.

Today Karen Heller writes an op-ed that Pennsylvania taxpayers shouldn't foot the bill for the festival.

The three-day festival was free to the public.

And, then again, not.

Because you, dear reader, paid for the festival to the (free-form jazz) tune of $1 million through the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp. (OARC), the tax-exempt, taxpayer-supported nonprofit group founded by State Rep. Dwight Evans, chairman of the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee.

This support is $1 million more than what the commonwealth gave to the July Fourth Welcome America festivities, which drew crowds Ogontz Avenue could only dream of.

Meanwhile, city parades, athletic competitions, heritage events, and even Mummers go scrambling for funding.

"I don't want to get into a debate about the numbers," Evans said about attendance, though he has no problem with numbers when it comes to securing state grants for OARC, scads in the past decade.

Consider this: $29.3 million in tax dollars went to his pet charity. That's an amount that would impress even Vince Fumo.

Rep. Dwight Evans and House Majority Leader Todd Eachus frequently appear together in photo ops especially around budget time. Harrisburg will not change it errant ways unless the voters change the way Harrisburg looks by voting out incumbents who fling their thumb off their nose to the public when it comes to spending our money wisely.

Another Legislator Involved In A Questionable Non-Profit Deal

House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans just added his name to the list of Pennsylvania solonians who started non-profits only to be involved in questionable transactions. According to the Pennsylvania Independent the non-profit bailed out friends and collegues of Evans in a failed nightclub to the tune of $700,000.00.

The Ogontz Avenue Rehabilitation Corp. (OARC) purchased North By Northwest, a Mount Airy nightspot, in March and it has remained closed since. In return, OARC received nothing tangible, not even a state liquor license, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

The initial costs borne by OARC included $400,000 in debt and $169,000 in back taxes on the property that had been leased by the North by Northwest partners. OARC was also saddled with $160,000 rent on the property until the lease expired in October.

Mr. Evans, through a spokesperson, declined to comment on the situation to the Pennsylvania Independent. The woman did say Mr. Evans is not involved in OARC operations. His supporters, however, are.

The North by Northwest partners were Mr. Evans’ longtime protégé Ameenah Young, president of the Pennsylvania Convention Center and first recipient of the Dwight Evans Leadership Award given by OARC; prominent city lawyer Carl Singley and his wife, Rose; Ina Walker, CEO of the New Media Technology Charter School; and Philadelphia attorney Hugh Clark, president of that school.

The school is one of six city charter schools currently under federal investigation for possible misuse of funds and has received $500,000 in state taxpayer money. Mr. Clark and Ms. Walker have been asked to step down from their positions, but have refused to do so thus far.

Just last week SOP reported about Senator Argall's non-profit issue. Of course former Senator Vince Fumo's conviction forced the closing of his non-profit, Citizens' Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, which was a central focus in his trial. Lest we not forget former Representative Michael Veon's trouble with Beaver For Initiative Growth, BIG, a non-profit agency created by Veon.

Should we have applauded Senator Mellow when he wanted to tax the non-profits?? Take it easy...just kidding.

AG Tom Corbett has a Handbook for Charitable Non-Profit Organizations online. One would think that one of these fine legislators would at least take the time to read the damn thing.

Island Of Misfits- Tony Phyrillas

More on this humor over at Tony Phyrillas' site.

Pennsylvania Goverment Reform-Restoring Public Trust

One would think that with Bonusgate the Democrats would lead the charge for reform to give the public the appearance they care about what happens in Harrisburg. One would think, anyway. Don't get me wrong. I know it is only a matter of time before the hammer falls on the Republicans. I have it on more than just rumor that the Republican emails have been and are being scrutinized as we, well,.. read.

The Post-Gazette(did you take notice how much information from Harrisburg comes out of this newspaper) features an article by Tim Barnes highlighting Republican Sam Smith's announcement on his 15 point proposal to restore faith in those governing us in Harrisburg.

"The vast majority of General Assembly members have the right intentions in mind,'' he told reporters today.

But he said something must be done in the wake of former Sen. Vincent Fumo's conviction on 137 corruption charges; dozens of theft charges being filed against former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon; and the firing of former Turnpike Commission Chairman Mitchell Rubin, who was accused of getting $150,000 from Mr. Fumo for a no-work job.

"Public trust has been diminished,'' he said. "We need to tighten things down and weed out areas where people have taken advantage of existing law.''

Public office is a public trust, the authority and opportunities of which must be used as absolutely as the public moneys for the public benefit, and not for the purposes of any individual or party.- Dorman Eaton

But on the issue of reform we should head George Bernard Shaw's words- Reformers have the idea that change can be achieved by brute sanity.

Wonder when Todd the Legislative Leader is going to put forth his plan? One thing legislators have not learned from private life. When someone screws you it can mess you up for life. You may never trust others again no matter what. If there is going to be meaningful reform Republicans and Democrats alike need to take their respective hats off and worry about what Pennsylvanians want. After all without the voters who needs them.

State of The Sleaze Address

The Post-Gazette published an editorial today titled "State of sleaze: Pennsylvania is ground zero for political scandal."

Saturday, March 28, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There's no more denying it: Pennsylvania is polluted by corruption.

Mitchell Rubin and Mike Veon are the latest in a rogues' gallery of tarnished state officials. Then there is Vince Fumo, the "Prince of Philadelphia," staring at up to 10 years in prison. And there are the 12 House officials and employees (including Mr. Veon) indicted last July in the bonus pay scandal, with possibly more to come.

There will be more to come if the state's back-scratching, nest-feathering political culture continues and lawmakers see reform only as a fleeting exercise in damage control. In that case, the turnpike should give its signs a little truth in advertising. Welcome to Pennsylvania: Corruption Ahead.

Maybe the Luzerne County Vacation Bureau can work on the same signs. Actually the untouched county is Lacakwanna but I suspect they won't stay off the radar for too long.

More Troubles For The Pennsylvania Legislature

WTAE-TV, Team 4, and Jim Parsons out of Pittsburgh put together an eye opening report on outside income and financial interests. The investigation found that many of our legislators have conflicting roles due to outside income from private sources that appear to conflict with the public's interest.

Pennsylvania's state Legislature continues its string of bad news that started with the midnight pay raise fiasco several years ago.

After that, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency debacle, then the indictments in Bonusgate, and last week, the conviction of Sen. Vince Fumo on corruption charges.

Now, a Team 4 investigation finds many of our full-time legislators in Harrisburg get outside income from private interests -- and sometimes, those interests can conflict with the public's.

Remember, we pay our state lawmakers a minimum of almost $80,000 each to represent us full-time -- but our Team 4 investigation found a majority of lawmakers report income from at least one other source.

And in reading through this annual financial interest statement for each state lawmaker, we also discovered something else: More than one-third of state senators and a quarter of House members sit on legislative committees that oversee the industries from which those same lawmakers reported receiving income, owning stock or serving on a board of directors.

Can you believe there is no law against these practices.

Here are links to the Senate Excel files and the House of Representative Excel files compiling the Statements of Finanacial Interests for the legislative Members.

PA Turnpike Chairman Receives Notice of Target Letter-"Ghost Employee"

KYNews radio out of Philadelphia is reporting that Mitchell Rubin, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has received word from the Feds that he is being investigated in the ongoing probe of corruption related to the Vince Fumo case.

Sources have confirmed that Mitchell Rubin (above), chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, has received a so-called "target" letter, indicating he is a target of the ongoing investigation of corruption related to the Vincent Fumo case.

Federal authorities allege that Rubin, husband of convicted Fumo codefendant Ruth Arnao, was hired by former Pennsylvania state senator Vincent Fumo as a "ghost" employee.

An FBI agent handed the target letter to Rubin in federal court at the conclusion of a forfeiture hearing for Vince Fumo and Arnao. They were convicted of all 139 counts against them, including charges that Fumo paid Rubin $150,000 over five years for a no-show job (separate from his Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission post).

Simon & Garfunkel Meet Ed Rendell Singing 'Sound of Silence'

Vinco Fumo is found guilty on 137 counts and guess who remains silent. Eric Heyl of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote a great article on Ed Rendell's silence.

Even when his utterances are insensitive, Gov. Ed Rendell seldom is at a loss for words.

That's why his silence was perhaps the most startling development Monday after former state Sen. Vince Fumo's conviction on corruption charges so numerous that they confound even the most learned mathematical theorists.

Perhaps Rendell was embarrassed over being called as a character witness by Fumo's defense team.

The governor's silence, though, stood in stark contrast to his words last March, when he stood beside Fumo as the senator announced he was retiring from the Senate because of the criminal case.

"We're all complex people. No one is 100 percent good, and no one is 100 percent bad," Rendell said at the time. "The balance tips greatly toward the good work that Vince Fumo has done."

PA Turnpike Chief's Link To Fumo Raises Questions

Fallout from the Vince Fumo guilty verdict is raining down in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Chairman Mitchell Rubin has an integrity problem that seems to be snowballing according to the Allentown Morning Call.

March 18, 2009
HARRISBURG | - Gov. Ed Rendell said Tuesday he will review whether the chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission should keep the job despite income he received from a taxpayer-financed consulting job controlled by former Sen. Vince Fumo, whom a federal jury convicted of 137 corruption charges.

Also Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R- Delaware, called on commission Chairman Mitchell Rubin to explain why he should not resign the post and return the money he received from the consulting work that Fumo's prosecutors called a ghost job.

The pressure on Rubin came a day after a federal jury in Philadelphia convicted Fumo on all the charges against him, two of which focus on Rubin's separate $30,000-a-year, five-year contract with Senate Democrats, which ended in 2004.

The case against Fumo did not involve Rubin's Turnpike Commission post, and Rubin, 57, was not charged with any wrongdoing. Rubin was initially nominated to the Turnpike Commission in 1998 by then-Gov. Tom Ridge, a Republican.

Rubin's wife, Ruth Arnao, a longtime Fumo aide who ran the community group, also was convicted Monday of all 45 counts against her, including obstruction.

BREAKING NEWS- VINCE FUMO GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS

Metro: Rikard Larma

According to a report from the Associated Press former State Senator Vince Fumo has been found guilty by a jury of his peers on all counts.


Ex-Pa. senator convicted of 137 corruption counts
1 hour ago

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A jury in Philadelphia has convicted a powerful former state senator of all 137 corruption counts against him.

The jury in U.S. District Court found 65-year-old Vincent Fumo guilty Monday of defrauding the Senate, a nonprofit and a museum of more than $3.5 million. Other charges included destroying e-mail evidence.

The verdict comes after a five-month trial that featured more than 100 witnesses.

The judge denied a government request to revoke bail for the Philadelphia Democrat.

From the Philly Metro Wire:

PHILADELPHIA. Ex-Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, whose rise to power was only as epic as the five-month corruption trial against him, was found guilty today of all 137 counts against him.

Fumo likely faces more than 10 years in jail after he was convicted of conspiracy to defraud Pennsylvania taxpayers out of more than $3 million.

His co-defendant, Ruth Arnao, was also found guilty.

Look What Happened In The Vince Fumo Trial

It never ceases to amaze the conscious when one reads some action like this in a trial.

Over at Capital Ideas John Micek highlighted a story By Kitty Caparellaof the Philadelphia Daily News on Philly.com In the trial of Vince Fumo, Fumo's defense is asking the judge to suspend deliberations and investigate a blogging juror.

"STAY TUNED for a big announcement on Monday everyone!"

So wrote a blogging juror who's been deliberating for five days in the public corruption trial of former state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, in a comment posted Friday on his Facebook Internet profile.

The posting by Juror No. 5 - Eric Wuest of suburban College-ville - raised questions:

Is a verdict imminent? Did Wuest have third-party discussions about the trial as a result of his postings on Facebook and Twitter social networking Internet accounts during the 15-week trial and the ensuing deliberations?

Last night, Fumo defense attorneys NiaLena Caravasos and Peter Goldberger filed an emergency motion seeking an immediate suspension of deliberations so the judge could conduct "a delicate, but probing inquiry" of the juror Wuest's actions.

"Depending on the results, the lawyers wrote, "one or more jurors ought to be removed and possibly replaced."

The motion did not contain the name of the juror, though the names are a matter of public record and the jurors are not sequestered. But based on phrases in the motion, the Daily News found Wuest's Facebook postings.

The newspaper made no attempt to contact the juror.

Pat Meehan's Political Kickoff And The Beaten Path

An early start to the Governor's race beat spring's arrival. Pat Meehan, a former U.S. Attorney officially entered the race with the kick off of his website. Sources handicapping the Republican side put A.G. Tom Corbett against Meehan as the top contenders.

Pat Meehan is the former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He served from September 17, 2001 until July 15, 2008 as the federal prosecutor responsible for the city of Philadelphia and its eight surrounding counties. On July 16, 2008, he announced that he was joining the Philadelphia law firm of Conrad O'Brien Gellman & Rohn on July 21, 2008.

Meehan and his office are nationally recognized for their work on terrorism, gang prevention, protecting seniors and children, and public corruption. The current trial against Senator Vincent Fumo is due to the work of Meehan's office.

Okay so let's keep this straight. Richard Sprague once represented Vincent Fumo. They parted over an argument. Meehan investigated Fumo which led to charges. Richard Sprague is now representing Robert Powell as part of the Luzerne County public corruption case. Richard Sprague, as a Justice, wouldn't step aside in the Judge Ann Lokuta trial even though he represented Robert Powell who has ties to former Judge Michael Conahan according to court records.

Betty Roccograndi of the Times Leader wrote December 7,2008 The links between Sprague, Powell, Conahan and other Powell pals who testified against Lokuta is disturbing, and any fair-minded person has to wonder whether Sprague’s objectivity was clouded even a little bit.

Another noted client of Richard Sprague is Louis DeNaples. Okay what does that have to do with anything? Vincent Fumo authored the gaming bill that brought Sprague and DeNaples together. Did we just complete the circle of life??

Got off the beaten path for a moment about Pat Meehan's kickoff but then again its my blog.

Eachus Hires Christopher Casey To Do An Efficiency Study???

At a time when Card Check is a buzz word, Todd Eachus was elected House Majority Leader beating Rep. Frank Dermody of Allegheny County in a closed door election process.

Eachus replaced Bill "Da Weasel" DeWeese who is now No. 3 at Whip. You have to admire someone who hits the ground running since he assumed the job December 1.

Eachus announced that HE hired outside legal counsel for the House Democratic Caucus(remember that he paid off arrested Mike Veon's campaing debt without consulting the rest of the caucus Members). His choice was Christopher Casey, brother of Senator Bob Casey.

On December 2, 2008 I reported on the Vince Fumo trial where the latter Casey's name was part of the testimony.

If you look at the bio on Christopher Casey you will read the following:

Areas of Focus: Partner, Corporate Investigations and White Collar Group. Mr. Casey concentrates his practice in white collar defense, criminal and civil antitrust, defamation, and complex commercial litigation.

I guess that Bonusgate probe by Attorney General Tom Corbett was focused on the "government duplication, waste and inefficiencies" that citizens demand during difficult economic times. At least that is what Eachus said in his press release. The release also states Casey will be "tasked with examining current procedures, contracts and staff structure." Having been involved in a merger of the number two and number five corporations in my industry I can report that an attorney was not brought in for these areas. Consultants with expertise were hired to reduce duplication, etc. but they weren't attorneys.

Since Eachus was one of the representatives who refused to give back the illegal pay raise of 2005 his explanation seems like a case of "Wag The Dog".

Senator Vince Fumo Behind Anti-Rendell Ads in 2002

The Associated Press is reporting out of Philadelphia that testimony in ex-Senator Vincent Fumo's trial indicates he quitely funded anti-Rendell campaign ads according to an article in today's Times Leader. As you read the story it parallels Attorney General Tom Corbett's efforts in Bonusgate.

Fumo gave $35,000 to a political action committee that placed anti-Rendell newspaper ads, had state Senate aides set up computer and phone equipment at Rendell rival Bob Casey’s headquarters, and delegated Senate contractor Howard Cain to run a get-out-the-vote effort for Casey, Cain and others testified.

The newspaper ads gave no hint that Fumo, a longtime Philadelphia power broker, was involved. In small type, they said only that they were sponsored by “Public Officials for a Better Pennsylvania” — a PAC formed two months earlier by two high-ranking Democrats, Rep. Bill DeWeese and Sen. Bob Mellow. Both men supported Casey.

Mellow told The Philadelphia Inquirer recently that he could not recall what role Fumo played in the PAC. DeWeese also cited a hazy memory. But DeWeese conceded that using the group to shield Fumo’s role in the attack “certainly seems to be a dubious mechanism.”

Harrisburg is nothing but a breeding cesspool full of corrupt politicians. Some get caught and others get talked about.