Massive corruption scandal in Pa.: Name that party
It’s the top story in Pennsylvania. Twelve Democrat state leaders facing corruption charges in a massive scandal dubbed “Bonusgate.” If it were twelve Republican state leaders, I guarantee you would have heard all about it by now. Via the Philly Daily News:
A SORDID TANGLE of corruption, cash and sex rocked the Statehouse yesterday in a political scandal that left one current and one former legislator and 10 current and former staff members facing criminal charges.
Among the accusations leveled by two state grand juries: Former top legislative staffer Mike Manzo got his lover, a twenty-something former rural beauty queen, a $29,000 job and $7,000 bonus mostly for doing her schoolwork.State Attorney General Tom Corbett announced the charges against the 12, all Democrats, in a news conference in Harrisburg.
“It’s a very sad day in Pennsylvania,” Corbett said.
The long-running investigation began with a Harrisburg Patriot-News story about secret bonuses to legislative employees. The 12 are accused of using public funds to finance political activities, a vacation, meals for friends and Manzo’s no-show job for his girlfriend.
The charges could harm Democrats in legislative battles this fall, and some have accused Republican Corbett of a partisan focus in the investigation.
Corbett said yesterday he’ll probe Republicans and Democrats and that he had focused first on House Democrats because investigators discovered they were beginning to destroy documents relevant to the case.
“We are investigating all four caucuses of the general assembly,” Corbett said.
Among the accusations in the grand-jury reports:
* In 2005, Manzo, then chief of staff to House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, gave a $21,000-a-year state job with virtually no duties to Angela Bertugli, a young woman he’d had a sexual relationship with since the previous summer.
The following year she made $29,000 plus a $7,000 bonus, even though other staffers never saw her and she had no discernible responsibilities.
Manzo’s wife, Rachel, another former legislative staffer, also is charged with steering public money to political activities.
* Former House whip Mike Veon and Manzo directed more than $1 million in taxpayer-funded bonuses to legislative employees for working on political campaigns, often on state time.
More here.
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Duh-huh.
Does it begin with a “D”?
No Murtha connection?
/lgm mode on
Former top legislative staffer Mike Manzo’s lover is better than “what’s his name McCain” because Michelle Malkin is black.
/off
OUCH my brain hurts
… that’s because you have to use it when you make an entry … lgm apparently doesn’t … his theme song is “If I only had a brain”
lgm has his cornrows tied too tight.
All of these type stories scream “Term Limits”. Will it ever happen?
Democrat in trouble= bitterly partisan distraction from the real problem.
Republican in trouble= culture of corruption.
bert5507 said:
Only if they’re at gun point.
Quick correction…It was only 2 leaders and 10 staffers.
How long before a comment is made that totally misses the fact that the reason an investigation against a bunch of Democrats was started is because of their trying to destroy evidence? %….4 … 3….. 2 ….. 1…….
Sandy Burglar could not be reached for comment….
The scandal engulfing US Senator Christopher Dodd is far worse than what is happening in Pa. When Dodd and Conrad got their sweetheart loans as friends of Angelo, every ordinary customer of Countrywide had to pay a higher rate and higher closing costs to make up for Dodd’s sweetheart arrangement with Mozilo. And Dodd saw not even an appearance of a conflict of interest. And yet the entire Democratic Party machinery in Connecticut is now devoted to destroying, not Chris Dodd (D-Countrywide) but Joe Lieberman. Lieberman’s photograph has been removed, Soviet style, from the Democratic Party Central Headquarters in Hartford, and the leading state Democrats are trying to get Harry Reid to make Lieberman have no seniority. As to Dodd’s shady deals with Countrywide, the state Democrats will defend that to the hilt. After all, only Republicans can do shady deals with Mozilo.
Why must the suffix ‘gate’ still be used? At this point, I feel like it deadens the impact of the actual scandal.
who didn’t know Democrats were up to their ….. in corruption?
Point is, how many cities, counties, and states are having problems with the Democratic party? I’d venture to guess more than half of them. And let’s not forget SanFranNan’s promise to bring us the most “ethical” congress ever.
To paraphrase from “High Sierra”: “Ethics? We don’t need no stinking ethics!”
Or, to put it another way, again, to paraphrase Leona Helmsley: “Only little people have ethics.”
The implication being that either the Republicans have no analogous scandal, or that they at least are not stupid enough to destroy documents.
Heck, would Republicans be stupid enough to document a crime? Why didn’t Manzo just slip her his own cash? Wotta putz, I mean, liberal.
They should have just called Sandy Burglar. He has some free time now that Hillary has “suspended” her campaign waiting for Obama to have a political “accident” of some sort.
Of course. George Bush made Manzo hire his lover, and made his staff cover it up.
Bush really gets around.
taylork
I suspect the use of the “gate” is to soften the blow against Democrap involvement in anything. After all, Watergate was the ONLY scandalous activity, dontcha know?( sarc off)
Dodd has so many skeletons in his closet it is insane.
Of course, as you state, the media in CT is showing pix of Dodd as a possible VP to Obama, and show videos of him “explaining” how his mortgage bill will help consumers.
I guess he has already helped himself.
I wonder if he knows what a VIP is now?
I was just going to say the same thing, Dimsdale! Everyone knows the eeeevil Cheney and witless Bush are behind every scandal…sarc off. Frankly, nothing surprises me about any politician anymore. This time, no incumbents and a continuous effort to get term limits on the ballot. I’m beyond fed up with the lot of them.
HT: Redstate. Dodd being vetted for VP list. Could we be so lucky?
Really? You’re resorting to calling former staffers “Democrat state leaders”? Weaksauce.
I guess I have a confession to make then. I was at one time a leader of the Democratic Party on Capitol Hill. My title: intern. I like to think it was my leadership that got the Dems the House in 2006. I was that good.
You people can kid yourself about term limits. We might as well fix the tax code while we are at it.
People in power do not spend millions of dollars to get elected for a job that pays $100k. They do it for power and they will not give it up for anything.
Term limits = raise the Titanic. Not gonna happen.
We have the biggest corruption case in a while going on here in CA and Sacramento specifically and guess which party it is also?
Jury deliberating fate of S.F. political insider Julie Lee
Oh and if you notice it took the Feds to prosecute this case because when Jerry Brown became AG here in CA he refused to even look into the case. What is sad is Kevin Shelley is getting off free and clear in the case even though he was forced to resign when this case broke. . Oh can you guess Mr. Shelley party also from that article?
Would it be anything like this?
This quote pretty much says the essence of every political story and/or article you will ever read:
1) All that matters is the impact on democrats in the election.
2) Republican = Partisan.
I hope Mr. Corbett is indeed mercilessly partisan, in thought and action. It would be a refreshing change.
Well, at least they tell us that the mutts are Democrats in the second paragraph.
Rusty said
And nobody tried to b%ng you?? wow!
Wow. This is the future of news? If the New York Times wrote a story as sloppy as this, they’d get a photoshopped picture and snarky comments.
Firstly, as other posters have pointed out, it wasn’t “Twelve Democrat state leaders”, but “one current and one former legislator and 10 current and former staff members”. It says that in very first paragraph of the article you decided to link. The very first paragraph. Needless to say, you obviously say “Democrats” and “Corruption” and made up the rest as you went along, similar to the French paper seeing one missile and making copies to fill in the rest of the page.
Furthermore, your headline “Guess the Party” implies something that the article refutes. The article makes clear that our of the four caucuses, this one was simply the first to get investigated.
Are we to expect a side-bar posting when the results of the other investigations come out? 3 more “Guess that party”?
LMAO
This is why I love this site you guys or gals have me laughing all the time.
No, corruption is a real problem in both parties. You said it best. Politicians want power. Power breeds corruption. This is especially the case with a majority party. The GOP in 2006 was no better or worse than the Dems in the late-80s or what I expect the Dems to be like in 2025.
I, like you, have no tolerance for it. It’s actually one of the reasons I like this site. There’s no tolerance for this sort of BS. And I am right there with you. It sickens me that Rep. Jefferson still has a spot on the Hill.
But calling ex-staffers “state leaders” is a stretch. And it’s a stretch for partisan purposes. I don’t have a lot of tolerance for that either.
it isn’t the Democratic Party is it? (in itsy bitsy tiny letters)
Pa. is nothing compared to Chicago politics…… where’s Odumbo from again?
I was just arguing with a lib (an exercise in futility, I know…) about this very same thing yesterday. He didn’t seem to think there was any double standard at all when it came to how Democrats who say something offensive or are involved in criminal activity are treated versus Republicans. Really? Michelle is absolutely right (of course)…if these were Republicans you’d have heard all about it by now.
Back at you BM.
You owe me several flat panels!
Hey Rusty,
Is it just me, or does he sound like he’s a little higher on the food chain than “coffee fetching intern”?
I know, i know…d@mn the logic, abstract, and stop with the reasoning stuff! It doesnt help MO’s kids!!!
Why does everyone keep saying this? The story just broke today, and when Michelle first said it, she said it at 8:41am.
You’re right, HE wasn’t a coffee fetching intern. Therefore, since he wasn’t a coffee fetching intern, he is a “Democrat state leader”. Yep, that’s some fine logic you’ve got there.
It’s rather simple, really. Just google “12 PA Democrats charged…” and take note of who has coverage and who doesn’t. Guaranteed that the MSM will not have anything on it.
#30 Rusty
For once I agree with you. Both parties have their problems.
It just seems when the Dems get into trouble there’s all this talk about being “Bitterly Partisan” and “Distractions From The Real Problems”, etc.
But, when Repubs are in trouble, there’s a “Culture Of Corruption”, “Impeachment”, “Censure”, etc.
I say, if you can’t do the time then don’t do the crime.
Sure – just broke.
30 beat me to it but HERE, so you do not have to work too hard.
No. 10 of them are current, based on reading what you’ve quoted. That’s state leadership.
And, if at one time the Democrats were involved in government and the scandal, yeah, they were state leaders while corrupt.
If this were Republicans, the attitude of every liberal here would be a complete 180º from what it is when their beloved Dems are revealed to be corrupt.
Then we totally know who to blame. The economy, food prices, gas prices all went to hell after 2006, dont’cha know.
Because it’s the truth. Here’s your sign, You know if this where Republicans you would be all over it and mark my words if there are any Republicans involved you will be one of the first to say “see I told you so.”
I have to give the paper credit. They identified the party in the headline of the story. If it had been the NY Times, the Washington Post, etc., you’d have to read at least half of the story before learning that.
Rusty said:
EQ replies:
ouch!….that’s going to leave a mark.
EQ – 1
Rusty – 0
(for today anyway)
Name the party: Alaska, California
LGM:
Nice try but it doesn’t mean a thing, as usual. The thread is about a situation in PA and it happens to be Democrats involved. The fact that MSM doesn’t jump on this is only truer by your reference to Alaska and California. BTW how about the yeoman’s work being done by emergency crews in California vs Louisiana? Wanna continue to play?
Alaska – where you should be
California – where you belong
Whether it’s state Democrat leadership or their likr-minded underlings, the terminology does not negate the fact that Pa. Democrats were having a filed day on the public’s dime, and a hefty dime at that!
And yes, if this had been a Republican scandal, you can bet the farm it would have made national headlines in the MSM.
Gov. Bobby Jindal signed a number of bills into law Thursday, including Senate Bill 233 which limits the amount of time the governor’s appointees can serve on state boards and commissions.
An appointee would not be able to serve more than 12 years or for more than two and a half terms in three consecutive terms.
At least two years would have to pass before the appointee could serve on another board or commission.
The limitations apply to appointees who begin serving after Aug. 15.
It’s a start.
Gee, I don’t feel sad at all, I am rather enjoying it. Then again I don’t live in Pennsylvania. (o:
I bet you were intern, I bet you were. Monica was gone by then, right?
Ant both those situations got NATIONAL attention by the MSM, we did not have to go find it.
But I am glad lgm is doing what he does best–being a jerk.
Might be why Democrats support prison reform and oppose the death penalty.
AntAnd both those situationsgee thanks soap. u take em. lol
lgm:
You have a lot of nerve skulking back here after posting those lies about Cindy McCain. Have you no shame?
Go crawl back under that rock where you belong, you libturd.
Look, Soap – we’ve got enough problems out here right now without lgm adding to them. I deeply resent you’re wanting to send him out here(although, come to think of it, he might fit in well in Berserkeley – picture lgm in pink pantsuit in front of the Marine recruiting office, or trying to climb a tree in Cal)
The only place lgm belongs is in an insane asylum.
interesting reading:
http://www.termlimits.org/
#15: In the interest of accuracy, and nothing else, the movie line you allude to wasn’t in “High Sierra” (1941) it was in John Ford’s “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948).
Humphrey Bogart starred in both.
(I know, I know: “Accuracy? We don’t need no stinkin’ accuracy!”)
Let’s just hope JesseJackson’s castration team hasn’t jumped party lines and gotten to Corbett (R). I don’t trust these republicans who say they’ll probe republicans….they give me the impression that they want to show they are fair in going after their own but end up making themselves look worse than the dems. Even if the infraction is negligible compared to the dems…
You are quite correct, sir. I shall immediately fall on my sword in shame. However, I much preferred the line in “Blazing Saddles,” one of my all-time favorite Mel Brooks movies(right behind “young Frankenstein”)
Mea culpa.
‘
She linked the story which was the MAIN story of Philly.com, the website for the “liberal” Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News. Essentially, she logged on the Philly.com, saw the main page story, copy and pasted the article, and thus, “broke the story”. That’s all it takes?
One of the reasons this isn’t getting much media coverage is that it is old news. Veon got knocked off his perch because of a midnight pay raise given to judges and legislators. Corruption is no reason to throw a PA politician out of office! Though the events are more than 100 years old, Lincoln Steffens book “The Shame of the Cities” gives you a clue. Philadelphia knew their political leaders were corrupt. They always voted for those who ran the corruption most efficiently, i.e. who got the trash picked up on time.
In PA, only 4 legislators count: the party caucus heads in the House and Senate. A legislator might be voting on a bill at midnight that he only learned about by reading the newspaper that afternoon. In fact, a legislator might vote on a bill that he learned about the day after he voted! Oddly, they always voted with the leadership. This is the state where a previous scandal was about legislators jamming wedges of paper into their voting buttons so they could vote, and be marked present, when they were hundreds of miles away.
Oh, here’s an interesting example of PA legislative action: If you are a legislator, you are given an allowance of hundreds of dollars (maybe 600?) per month to lease a car to drive to the capital and you are paid mileage to drive it and you are paid about $120 per day to come into work on top of your state salary. PA may still hold onto the #2 spot for size of state legislatures in the US.
This story is important because Veon and Deweese were big deals in the legislature. The aides will be thrown under the bus but they are the ones that really got all the work done; meaning analysis, coordination and working with lobbyists. A good staffer could often outlast his legislator.
All-in-all, I don’t think this scandal will have much effect. Maybe one seat will switch.
In Pennsylvania, the aides weld a tremendous amount of power, whether D or R. The indictments are not done; Corbett moved on House Dems because they were destroying evidence. Corbett and the Public Corruption Unit (I’ve worked with them) are remarkably anal in their investigations, and they will follow the evidence all thru the state capitol.
Word is from some lobbyists that I know is that the state house will turn from D to R before this is finished, because of indictments, resignations or convictions.
Pass the popcorn!
Hey Rusty – do they still use the term “boinkettes” to describe the interns and the make-work females there?
This FACT remains solid.
When a Democrat in office commits a crime, they are re-elected or even promoted. Ted Kennedy murdered a 24 year old girl and and got away with it. Barbara Boxer was the worst offender in the House banking scandal and was “promoted” (elected) to US Senator. William Jefferson was caught with $100K in illegal money his freezer and he’s still in office.
When a Republican in office commits a crime, they are removed or forced to resign. Randy Cunningham PLEAD guilty to bribery. Ever seen a Democrat in office admit to guilt? And you never will! Democrats don’t even apologize, unless it’s a non-apologetic apology.
The real issue is one of ethics. Generally, Republicans have them, Democrats don’t. That’s because the Democrats in this country are mostly power-mad socialists that will stop at nothing to force their belief that “whatever government does is good for all” on people that know otherwise.
The biggest mistake the founders made was to not include term limits in the Constitution. But they believed in freedom and assumed that everyone else would want it to. They couldn’t forsee a party of corrupt socialists replacing freedom with their doctrines using Orwellian double-talk to achieve their goals.
Michelle, she didn’t have the opportunity to go to your Republican school, so please, no mocking.
What is a “rural beauty queen” anyway? I’m thinking Miss Pig Knuckles, but I could be way off base.
…and all you needed to criticize her ONCE AGAIN! YOU criticized US for making a statement and YOUR response was the story is “just breaking”. You are a bit uninformed.
Now, go play in traffic.
OKAY – OKAY. I apologize to everyone from Alaska and California. lgm is on the east coast and Alaska seemed like a far enough away place to send him. Let’s face it, lgm is cut out to be in SanFranNans district.
Aloha – managed to find a picture of the rural beauty queen in question.
Senators Craig and Vitter and Stevens all disagree with your assessment.
The criminal aspects are clearer now…
Pennsylvania is a rural state, even though there are 11 million residents. There are only 3 cities that have over 100,000 residents. Rural beauty queen means that she was from a rural area, and that she won one of the many crowns given in the small towns of the state.
I bet when the reporters come to her doorway she’ll be clinging to her Bible and guns!
She’s still a democrat, she is more likely clinging to her copy of the latest gossip rag about Britney Spears and her tube of lipstick.
Those twelve Democrat state leaders are, I am sure, so very, very sorry…
…that they got caught! No worries, though. After all, they are Dem’s, and we all know that Dem’s never pay the price for malicious conduct.
atheling said:
It’s OK to trashtalk Obama’s wife but not McCain’s?
“Democratic corruption is a hoax!” Pelosi speaking to the cafeteria staff, patiently waiting for someone to take her away.