What role, if any, have the five Erie County state legislators played in allegations that a number of legislative aides, mostly Democrats, received millions of taxpayer dollars in bonuses while campaigning for Democratic candidates in 2005 and 2006? The allegations are under investigation by State Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican.
If the county’s three Democrats – Reps. Patrick J. Harkins, John Hornaman and Florindo J. Fabrizi - aren’t directly involved in the investigation or allegations, what do they know and what have they been told by their legislative leaders – who are known to be involved - about this widening scandal?
Why aren’t the Erie Times-News and other local news media trying to get answers to these and other pertinent questions from the three district Democrats? And why aren’t the two local Republican state legislators, Curtis G. Sonney and John Evans, the loyal opposition, volunteering their insights into the Harrisburg mess, or being pursued by the news media for their take on these questionable developments? At least one of the more than $4 million in bonus payoffs was by a Republican legislator.
Does the Times-News perceive its only journalistic responsibility within the legislative realm is to publish wire stories on state capital shenanigans, or collar legislative candidates in editorial board meetings just before an election to justify its dubious electoral endorsements?
According to news reports out of Harrisburg, the House majority leader, Rep. Bill DeWeese (D-Greene), called all House Democrats into a closed door caucus this week to tell them he had decided to fire seven high-paid legislative aides, some of them earnng more than $150,000 in salaries, plus tens of thousands of dollars in suspect bonuses. But DeWeese reportedly didn’t explain to his fellow Democrats why he was taking that action, and either none of them asked why or they aren’t talking.
To whom do local House Democrats owe their loyalty, DeWeese or their constituents?
The firings by DeWeese are widely believed to be a ploy intended to distance the House leadership and other House Democrats linked to the extravagant bonuses from the investigation. Three legislative reform activist groups in the state are calling for DeWeese’s removal as House majority leader.
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