July 11, 2008
Massive Corruption Scandal (D) in PA
Oh, snap. Those ever-vigilant, ever-principled, non-partisan politicos known as Democrats were caught with their hands in the cookie jar in Pennsylvania. Twelve of them, to be exact.
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.
And what is the cry from the accused? It's what you'd expect, because we hear the same things from Washington every time a Democrat is caught in a scandal:
The charges could harm Democrats in legislative battles this fall, and some have accused Republican Corbett of a partisan focus in the investigation.I see. It's "partisan" and "political" to prosecute Democrats for blatant violations of the law and abuses of the public trust. When Republicans are prosecuted (or are the targets of partisan political witchhunts - ie, US Attorney "scandal") everything's gravy and the Democrats are just doing their constitutional duty to provide oversight.
Here's a glimpse into the real culture of corruption - big, unaccountable, Democrat-controlled government:
* 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 at the Inky.To decide which staffers got the most cash, a list ranked them as "rock stars," "good," or "OK," based upon the quality of their political work.
* In 2004, Veon used two state employees to drive his and his wife's motorcycles to South Dakota for their vacation so they could fly there and find the bikes waiting. Taxpayers covered their staffers' expenses to the tune of $1,500.
* After state Rep. Sean Ramaley won the 2004 Democratic primary for a Beaver County legislative seat, Veon gave him a "no-work" state job and allowed him to run his general-election campaign from Veon's office, with state employees doing much of the work.
* Veon used state money to buy dinner spreads for his friends after their regular Tuesday night basketball games. Over four years, the tab came to more than $22,000.
* Attorney Jeff Forman collected a state salary ranging from $103,000 to $126,000 as Veon's chief of staff while doing private law work on state time and charging taxpayers for comp time he didn't earn.
F*cking idiots.
I'm doing a little jig here in PA tonight with my comrades over this news. Throw the bums, prostitutes, and corrupticrats (D) out.
ht: Michelle
