PA: Corbett charges Perzel, Feese, eight others (GOP Speaker of House + Appropriations Chairman)

[JPZenger]

http://blog.lobbytracpa.com/2009/11/12/corbett-charges-perzel-feese-eight-others-in-bonusgate-investigation/

PA. Attorney General Charges Former With GOP Speaker of the House and the Former Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee With Corrupt Use of $10 Million of State Tax Dollars and an extensive related coverup. The Republican AG is running for Governor, and this is expected to help his campaign.

Excerpts from link:

PA. "Attorney General Tom Corbett on Thursday filed a sweeping set of charges against Republican and former Speaker of the House John Perzel, Republican and former House Appropriations Chairman Brett Feese, and eight of their former or current staffers, alleging they illegally used millions of taxpayer dollars for campaigns and then obstructed the attorney general’s investigation into the practice...

In all, the attorney general made 456 criminal charges against the 10 Republicans, which could carry a maximum sentence of 2,948 years. The charges are two-tiered – one set focuses on the alleged illegal use of taxpayer money and resources, the other on what the attorney general said was deliberate obstruction of his office’s investigation.

...the attorney general said Perzel, who he called the plan’s “architect,” used about $10 million in taxpayer money to build a massive, technology-driven system that helped House Republicans get and stay elected. The 188-page grand jury presentment given to reporters described an array of computer systems implemented in the wake of Perzel’s narrow re-election in 2000 that, among other things, extensively tracked voter information and helped Perzel staffers make sure his supporters voted on election days. The attorney general also accused Perzel, who remains a House representative, of hiring no-show legislative employees to do campaign work and using illegal, untraceable robocalls to smear House Republicans who opposed him. Corbett called the robocalls “dirty tricks.”

Corbett also said his office “encountered numerous impediments and obstacles” while investigating the alleged misuse, an obstruction of justice the attorney general said bothered him the most about the charges... “This office, as well as the grand jury, experienced a series of deliberate acts by the Republican caucus to obstruct and hinder this investigation.” ...Corbett also said the investigation into alleged House Republican obstruction has not finished."

[Dogmudgeon]

1. CORBETT is doing this.

Incredible. But none the less, :thumbsup:

Of course, he's been a Dems-only prosecutor for years. Better late than never.

And for years, the Philadelphia Inquirer has whined about the "Democrat-dominated Culture of Corruption". But as of yesterday, it has become a "Bipartisan Culture of Corruption".

--d!

[JPZenger]

2. Perp Walk Photo in Handcuffs

[Vidar]

3. A pity we couldn't have him in Holder's position.