Third-party candidates weren’t the only targets of Bonusgate-funded research.  The PG reported today (7/20/2008) that CleanSweep candidates and some Republican candidates were put under a taxpayer-funded microscope.  Here’s the link followed by a few choice excerpts:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08202/898222-178.stm

PACleanSweep – “Many of those targeted in the project were sponsored by PACleanSweep, a group formed to oust lawmakers who had voted for an unpopular legislative pay raise.”

Swann and Scranton – “The grand jury also said that Mr. Manzo directed Nora Sabo, an employee in Mr. Webb's office, to conduct opposition research on prospective Republican gubernatorial candidates Lynn Swann and William Scranton III.”

LexisNexis Accounts and Travel Expenses – “Employees were asked to use LexisNexis, an online search service that makes use of thousands of databases. The state had several LexisNexis accounts that a grand jury later said were used for opposition research.”

“… taxpayer-funded LexisNexis accounts were routinely used to perform research and in which state employees would sometimes travel to county courthouses to check records on opponents and bill the trips to the state.”

Imagine how government-funded elections would work with this crowd.  Bonusgate would work on the front end to deter candidates, while public funding of elections would work to subsidize and encourage others. Sounds like a great angle for a LTE in your local paper where you can add an additional perspective on Bonusgate. 

Mark

Mik,

What fries me is that all this was going on while the Pa ballot access coalition was appealing to the state government committee and the legislature for more equitable ballot access laws.  All the while, these people were working feverishly at taxpayer expense to deny us access to the ballot.

David Jahn

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

When former Rep. Jeff Haybay was going to trial not long ago for using his staff to help his campaign, his father said to the press that his son did the same thing that all the others did, and I think his dad was more right than not. This is going the next step to use the public employees to destroy the opposition. I think Mark hit it on the head when he said the incumbent party was the most important thing.

Let's face reality, the elected officials in the General Assembly have other interests to represent besides the citizens. There is $60 billion at stake, so you know the interests are bigger than a bunch of average Joes and their families. Those legislators have important business to attend to, and they can't let things like reasonable laws, respect for the citizens, or any sense of decency get in the way.

Mik Robertson

And here's something from the Pgh PG....
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08254/910794-454.stm

House Democrats sued to halt using public funds for 'Bonusgate' defense
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG -- Activist Gene Stilp is asking Commonwealth Court to stop House Democrats from using more than $1 million in public funds to defend themselves from "Bonusgate" charges filed by Attorney General Tom Corbett.

So far, House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese has spent at least $1.4 million in taxpayers' money to defend members of his caucus against charges filed by Mr. Corbett in July, Mr. Stilp claimed in a lawsuit filed yesterday.

He said he had asked state Treasurer Robin Wiessmann to cease paying the House Democrats' legal bills, which Democrats insist are justified. But the treasurer has taken no action on his request, Mr. Stilp said, so he has gone to Commonwealth Court.

That's some benefit plan!  Steal from the taxpayers, rob ballot access from third parties and then use public money in your defense.

What a Commonwealth!

Mark