118:
At least fourteen staffers from the House
Democratic caucus have been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury in Harrisburg. Agents for the state Attorney General's office have also seized 20 boxes of records from the House Democratic caucus's Legislative Research Office in August. The director of
43:
Pennsylvania media referred to this scandal as "bonusgate." Originally the investigation centered on
Democratic and Republican Caucuses (top state committees of each party) in each of the state's two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Democrats dominated the investigate in the
106:
investigation into whether the House
Democratic caucus made illegal payments to staffers with motions to quash subpoenas and exclude evidence seized. However, months later he abruptly fired several staffers after turning over to Corbett self-selected documents and e-mails, and dropped his legal
228:, who was working for the House Democratic caucus after losing his 2006 re-election bid, pleaded guilty to conflict of interest charges relating to hiring his relatives for no-work jobs. The scheme was uncovered during inspection of personnel documents during the bonus investigation.
110:
The documents DeWeese turned over to the
Attorney General revealed that DeWeese acknowledged awarding bonuses for campaign work and used a state-paid consultant to perform political tasks. DeWeese has not been charged in connection with bonuses or the state-paid consultant.
114:
Grand jury testimony in the case revealed that DeWeese made bizarre personal demands of his staff, such as a small coffee in a big cup, a small salad in a big bowl, or "12 M&Ms." His state-paid aides balanced his checkbook, bought condoms and arranged his dinner dates.
256:
Judge
Richard A. Lewis. On appeal, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania cited errors in the trial judges' instructions to the jury and called Veon's original conviction a "criminalization of politics" and a new trial on all counts was ordered(2016)
247:
guilty on 14 counts related to using taxpayer-paid bonuses to reward state workers for campaign efforts, illegal campaign fundraising, other campaign efforts and a single count of conflict-of-interest for having aides drive two motorcycles to a
171:
Computergate was discovered as the
Bonusgate investigation continued and found that the Republican Caucus was guilty of using public money to develop computer programs that would identify and specifically target Republican voters. (2007)
39:
to work on party politics and campaigns. While the bonuses themselves are not illegal, state law forbids state employees from performing campaign work while on the job and forbids payment for campaign work out of taxpayer funds.
51:
and
Republican corruption in a subsidiary investigation dubbed "Computergate" by the press, in which Republicans used state monies to pay state employees to develop computer programs to find and target Republican voters.
981:
950:
260:
Also convicted were two former aides, Brett Cott, found guilty on three counts, and
Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink, found guilty on five counts. A third aide, Stephen Keefer, was acquitted of all charges against him.
139:
On
January 31, 2007, the Senate Republican became the first caucus to release a list of their staffers who received bonuses. The next day, Senate Republicans ended the practice of giving bonuses altogether.
83:
The investigation's early focus on the House
Democratic caucus and Attorney General Corbett's 2010 gubernatorial aspirations have led to charges from that the investigation may be politically motivated.
452:"Is This The End of Porngate? – Taxpayers can finally see an independent report that cost them $ 385,000. But they won't glimpse the names of state employees who were caught emailing offensive messages"
162:
On February 13, 2008, Attorney General's office officially extended its investigation to the Senate Republican caucus. The Senate Republicans have retained two Philadelphia law firms as legal advisers.
797:
764:
187:(R) State Representative, as part of Computergate, pleaded guilty to conflict of interest, theft, and conspiracy, in a scheme to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on computer technology from
62:
There was also a skimming operation in which two not-for-profit organizations in Beaver County, PA called Beaver Investment for Growth (BIG), had funds skimmed to fund political campaigns.
386:
275:
477:
989:
958:
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Samuel Stokes (R) GOP Staff and brother-in-law to Perzel (R) pled guilty to conflict of interest and conspiracy and was sentenced to 5 yrs probation and fined.
371:
907:
768:
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290:
119:
that office, Jennifer Brubaker, is married to Scott Brubaker, former director of Staffing and Administration, who was among those fired in November 2007.
59:
in 2008 which judges in Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas in Wilkes-Barre, were paid kickbacks to ensure juveniles were sent to for-profit facilities.
642:
352:
795:
519:
717:
678:
491:
216:
Don McClintock (R) staff to John Perzel was found guilty of conflict of interest and conspiracy and also sentenced to five yrs probation and fined.
531:
305:
143:
Out of sixteen Senate Republican staffers receiving bonuses, only three had worked on campaigns. Mike Long, a former aide to Senate Pro Tempore
1170:
1078:
147:, received a $ 22,500 bonus in 2006 despite taking several weeks off to work on his boss's unsuccessful re-election bid. Senate legal counsel
390:
253:
80:
with House Democrats handing out $ 2.3 million, House Republicans - $ 919,000, Senate Democrats - $ 41,000 and Senate Republicans $ 366,000.
65:
This was followed by disciplinary action against politicians who sent or received raunchy, racist and misogynistic emails called "Porngate".
621:
210:
Paul Towhey Jr. (R) also CoS to John Perzel, pled guilty to conflict of interest and conspiracy and was given 5 years probation and fined.
92:
Eighty of the 100 Democratic House staffers who were awarded bonuses in 2006 either donated money to or worked on the campaigns of Leader
932:
1149:
181:
Jill Seaman (R) Staff to Freese was found guilty of corruption, sentenced to 9–23 months in prison, nine months of probation and fined.
1180:
829:
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705:
1131:
1104:
436:
323:
1117:| Former lawmaker Mike Veon granted new trial in corruption case | November 22, 2016 | Mark Scolforo, The Associated Press |
520:
Mario F. Cattabiani and Angela Couloumbis, More subpoenas, more details in Pa. bonus probe, Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/14/07
895:| Jill Seaman sentenced to 9 to 23 months in prison for Computergate case convictions by Matt Miller | January 13, 2012 |
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100:
77:
36:
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1034:| 2 former aides to John Perzel plead guilty to conspiring to defraud taxpayers | Matt Miller | August 17, 2011 |
131:
said some House Republican staffers worked for campaigns, but also said they were not paid with taxpayers' money.
47:
As the investigation continued other areas of concern arose, including findings of judicial corruption, nepotism,
1147:
The Associated Press March 23, 2010, 9:29AM ET text size: TTEx-Pa. rep guilty of 14 counts in corruption case
349:
127:
On October 22, 2007 House Republicans received subpoenas seeking personnel records. House Republican Leader
1118:
658:"Bonusgate Records Contradict Deweese: By Mario F. Cattabiani And Angela Couloumbis Inquirer Staff Writers"
721:
682:
499:
178:(R) State Representative was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to 4-12 months in prison and fined.
35:
began investigating $ 3.8 million in public bonuses which were paid to state legislative staffers in the
1076:
Mark Scolforo, Ex-lawmaker faces charges as corruption probes roil Pa. House, Associated Press, 11/14/07
535:
56:
868:"Ex-Rep. Brett Feese gets state prison term, ordered to pay $ 1 million restitution in corruption case"
48:
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576:"Inquirer 20071115 | Democratic Party (United States) | United States Government"
412:
1153:
1135:
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801:
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1013:"Former Perzel chief of staff Paul Towhey pleads guilty in Computergate corruption case"
657:
575:
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225:
184:
175:
1065:
Ex-lawmaker guilty in Pa. 'ghost-employee' scheme | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/05/2008
679:"Grand jury testimony tells of DeWeese's demands on staff - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review"
68:
In 2014 still more bribery was discovered in the Pennsylvania Attorney General Sting.
1164:
938:
812:
746:
557:
370:| Bonusgate: How the statewide public corruption case unfolded | February 13, 2012 |
295:
252:
rally. On June 18, 2010, Veon was sentenced to six to fourteen years imprisonment by
148:
1128:
334:
151:
received a bonus of $ 19,647 despite working for Republican gubernatorial candidate
855:| John Perzel charged in 'Bonusgate' by Ben Waxman | Updated: NOVEMBER 13, 2009 |
249:
194:
93:
103:
32:
300:
152:
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197:(R) Chief of Staff to Perzel was convicted of corruption, and sentenced to 2
706:
Bonusgate probe spreads to Republicans | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/23/2007
76:
Bonuses to staffers were awarded by the four legislative caucuses in the
17:
350:
What rises to 'criminal level' in Bonusgate? - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
324:
DeWeese: 7 aides ousted over e-mail | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/18/2007
532:"The Sam Adams Alliance - Building a network for liberty - Bonusgate"
765:"Pennsylvania Statehouse: News and commentary from the Patriot-News"
155:
from July through October. Erik Arneson, chief of staff to Senator
908:"Former speaker of Pennsylvania House pleads guilty to corruption"
478:"Waters, James plead guilty to bribery; Lowery Brown picks trial"
437:"Pa. High Court to Hear Ex-Lawmaker's Corruption Appeal - Law360"
367:
159:
was paid $ 15,000 in bonus payments. None were found guilty.
951:"Former Pa. Speaker John Perzel sentenced in corruption case"
337:
E-mails show how Dems tied staffers' bonuses to campaign work
830:"Bonusgate: Pa. legislative staff bonuses under microscope"
718:"GOP bonuses legit, Smith says - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review"
1115:
1032:
892:
191:
for the benefit of Republican political campaigns. (2011)
853:
413:"70 Youths Sue Former Judges in Detention Kickback Case"
276:
2005 Pennsylvania General Assembly pay raise controversy
815:
Bonus pay spread over party lines in state Legislature
558:"Democrats attempting to block state probe of bonuses"
982:"Perzel gets at least 2 1/2 years in corruption case"
556:
Mauriello, Tracie; Barnes, Tom (September 21, 2007).
236:On March 23, 2010, after a week of deliberation, a
791:
789:
787:
785:
740:
738:
701:
699:
1129:Former Whip Mike Veon Found Guilty In Bonusgate
1048:"3 Pa. GOP corruption defendants get probation"
387:"Former PA House Speaker John Perzel indicted"
8:
55:Still later investigations discovered the
380:
378:
240:jury found former Democratic State House
44:highly (at that time) Democratic state.
1186:2006 controversies in the United States
450:Gambacorta, David (November 22, 2016).
316:
306:List of Pennsylvania state legislatures
1105:Veon gets six to 14 years in Bonusgate
813:Tracie Mauriello and Dennis B. Roddy,
641:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
634:
496:, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 12/20/07"
335:Dennis B. Roddy and Tracie Mauriello,
99:DeWeese initially attempted to block
7:
291:List of scandals with "-gate" suffix
96:or his Whip, former Rep. Mike Veon.
817:, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 12/17/07
339:, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 12/16/07
1176:Political scandals in Pennsylvania
25:
1046:Jackson, Peter (March 21, 2012).
832:. The Evening Sun. Archived from
828:Fellinger, Richard (2008-02-15).
656:Ferrari, Signor (April 6, 2009).
411:Urbina, Ian (February 26, 2009).
745:Barnes, Tom (February 1, 2007).
72:Attorney General's investigation
980:Peter Jackson (21 March 2012).
1011:Matt Miller (19 August 2011).
1:
1171:Pennsylvania General Assembly
494:GOP bonuses legit, Smith says
271:Pennsylvania General Assembly
101:Pennsylvania Attorney General
78:Pennsylvania General Assembly
71:
37:Pennsylvania General Assembly
224:Former State Representative
368:http://www.post-gazette.com
1202:
747:"GOP halts bonus practice"
1181:2006 in American politics
1152:October 23, 2012, at the
597:"Agent Soop Testimony 1"
578:. Scribd.com. 2007-11-15
135:Senate Republican Caucus
893:http://www.pennlive.com
751:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
667:– via Scribd.com.
660:. Philadelphia Inquirer
562:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
385:Tu, Alan (2009-11-12).
123:House Republican Caucus
88:House Democratic Caucus
389:. WHYY. Archived from
27:In 2007, Pennsylvania
1094:Veon given 6-14 years
992:on September 26, 2013
961:on September 26, 2013
57:Kids for cash scandal
220:LaGrotta guilty plea
49:conflict of interest
232:Veon guilty verdict
1134:2011-07-18 at the
1081:2008-02-03 at the
914:. 1 September 2011
874:. 10 February 2012
800:2010-05-26 at the
355:2008-01-03 at the
16:(Redirected from
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492:"Brad Bumstead,
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29:Attorney General
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176:Brett O. Feese
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599:. Scribd.com
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254:Common Pleas
250:North Dakota
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167:Computergate
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94:Bill DeWeese
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996:14 December
33:Tom Corbett
31:Republican
1165:Categories
1018:August 19,
965:25 October
918:25 October
912:Boston.com
878:25 October
840:2008-07-13
775:2008-02-14
728:2008-01-11
689:2010-12-13
664:2017-05-09
628:2007-11-16
603:2017-05-09
582:2017-05-09
542:2008-01-10
506:2008-01-11
422:2009-08-25
397:2010-02-28
312:References
301:Mike Manzo
153:Lynn Swann
286:Mike Veon
245:Mike Veon
129:Sam Smith
18:Bonusgate
1150:Archived
1132:Archived
1079:Archived
935:Archived
798:Archived
637:cite web
353:Archived
265:See also
462:May 25,
458:. Metro
202:⁄
1020:2011
998:2022
967:2014
920:2014
880:2014
643:link
464:2020
242:Whip
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