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Capitolwire: Bonusgate AG Corbett took over $1 million from groups,donors close to GOP legislative leaders

By Peter L. DeCourseyBureau Chief CapitolwireHARRISBURG (Oct. 16) – Republican committees, officials and fund-raisers, close to the GOP legislativeleaders who gave out $1.2 million in staff bonuses, gave Attorney General Tom Corbett more than half of the $3 million he used to win his 2004 election.The appearance that those donations, and his need for a similar warchest for his re-election campaignnext year, led a potential Democratic opponent to ask Corbett to step aside and appoint a special counselfor the "Bonusgate" probe.On Tuesday, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli led with a call for Attorney GeneralTom Corbett to appoint a special prosecutor in the investigation of legislative staff bonuses.That same day, both of Morganelli's major Democratic rivals to oppose Corbett next year agreed.Morganelli said published reports indicated that Corbett was targeting House Democrats but not House or Senate Republicans in his probe. The investigation includes delving into whether taxpayer-fundedbonuses were paid to staffers who did campaign work, which would violate the state ethics law.Morganelli also noted that two Republican senators who awarded bonuses to staffers combined tocontribute $35,000 to Corbett in 2004.The Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2004, Jim Eisenhower, who is considering another campaign next year, said there are other contributions that should make Corbett appoint an independentprosecutor.Corbett's $3 million campaign in 2004 was fueled by $972,000 from Republican State Commitee,according to state campaign finance records compiled by the state elections board. The GOP statecommittee is closely tied to legislative GOP leaders, who have exercised great influence over thecommittee in the last decade.Eisenhower also noted Corbett received additional major contributions from the statewide GOPcommittee's top fund-raiser, Republican National Committeeman Bob Asher, who has close relationshipswith past and present GOP legislative leaders who awarded bonuses.Asher and his family and PAC provided $213,000 to Corbett's 2004 campaign. Asher and his PACcontributed $642,000 to Republican State Committee that year, an amount that was more than two-thirdsof the contributions the GOP state committee made to Corbett. In 2006, when Corbett and PresidentGeorge W. Bush were not running, Asher and his PAC's state committee contributions dropped off sharply, to about $90,000.Other GOP committees, elected state lawmakers and PACs closely tied to legislative leaders contributedmore than $400,000 more to Corbett's campaign, providing about half the funding for the campaign.Corbett’s press spokesmen, Nils Frederiksen and Kevin Harley, did not respond to three e-mails and twocalls requesting comment.

House Republican spokesman Steve Miskin defended Corbett, telling reporters he would respond toMorganelli’s statement.Miskin said that Morganelli’s charges “speak more about himself and his own morals and ethics than itdoes about Tom Corbett.” Miskin cited public praise for Corbett’s fairness from Gov. Ed Rendell and fromstate House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene, who approved many of the controversial HouseDemocratic $1.9 million in 2006 bonuses.Miskin omitted that Rendell praised Corbett in the context of saying that he hoped press reports thatCorbett was targeting only Democrats were mistaken, and he hoped Corbett would be fair in this as hehas been in the past.Miskin said that proved that “Gov. Rendell, Rep. DeWeese and we agree that Tom Corbett has donenothing but prove his independent record as a prosecutor.”Miskin said no one knows what Corbett is investigating or whom he has interviewed, although Miskinacknowledged that he knows of no one who has been subpoenaed except House Democrats andstaffers.“As a prosecutor, and someone who for years has dreamed of being attorney general, you would think Mr.Morganelli would understand the rules of a grand jury and its secrecy," Miskin said.Miskin also said Corbett’s prosecution of former Rep. Jeff Habay, R-Allegheny, proved Corbett did notallow partisan considerations to sway his legal decisions.While Morganelli raised the issue first, his two potential Democratic rivals to unseat Corbett agreed.Former federal prosecutor Chris Casey, brother of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., wrote in an e-mail:“Based upon what is on the public record, I agree that a special prosecutor is warranted in this case. Aswe learned from Alberto Gonzales' tenure as U.S. Attorney General, it is important that the public hasconfidence that politics plays no role in prosecutions. Prosecutors should avoid even the appearance of impropriety.”Eisenhower wrote that once Corbett began to investigate staff bonuses awarded by former five- and six-figure contributors, "He [Corbett] should have recognized the issue.”Morganelli wrote that Corbett had the power and duty to appoint a special prosecutor: “The appointmentof an independent, special prosecutor will guarantee objectivity and fairness to the investigation of legislative bonuses and is the right thing to do. … Unfortunately, the handling of this matter to date by theAttorney General of Pennsylvania raises serious questions and concerns that the investigation beingpursued is partisan and political.”Morganelli cited a Feb. 11 story by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in which a Corbett spokesman “said thatthe Attorney General was reviewing the staff bonus extravaganza 'produced by State House Democrats.'"“Despite the fact that the initial evidence strongly suggested abuse by both Republican and Democraticcaucuses, the focus of the initial statements made by the Office of Attorney [General] squarely was uponHouse Democrats.“Despite the fact that top bonus recipients for the two (2) year period of 2005-2006 included, for example,a top aide to Senator [Robert C.] Jubelirer who received $41,405.00; Press Secretary for Senator Jubelirer - $36,278.00; Senate Parliamentarian and Chief Clerk each getting $35,126.00 in bonuses;[Senate] GOP legal counsel - $32,801.00; an aid to former GOP [Senate] leader $33,427.00; legal

counsel to Mr. Jubelirer - $30,767.00 and press aide to Senator [David J. "Chip"] Brightbill - $22,480.00,there appears to date to be no focus or concern on Senate Republicans.“Records show that during the 2005-2006 session, House Democrats awarded $2.3 million of the $3.6million legislators doled out to staff in bonuses, with Senate Democrats in last place, awarding $76,000 inbonuses during that time period.House Republicans awarded the second most bonuses over those two years, $918,000, and SenateRepublicans finished third, with about $362,000 in staff bonuses.Morganelli wrote: “Despite the obvious evidence that if abuse occurred, it occurred across the board by allof the legislative caucuses both Republican and Democrat, the tenor of the investigation being conductedby the attorney general has the appearance of partisanship.”House and Senate Republicans have said none of their members or staff were subpoenaed for the bonusinvestigation, as have Senate Democrats. House Democratic staffers have been subpoenaed.“There are some who now believe that this investigation has, in part, an objective to undermine theDemocrats' slim majority in the Pennsylvania House," Morganelli wrote. "I am not ready to impugnimproper motives to Mr. Corbett. But there does exist potential personal, financial and political conflicts of interest for the attorney general to further pursue this investigation."Specifically, Attorney General Corbett will be up for re-election in 2008 seeking political and financialsupport from many of the Republican caucus members as he has done in the past. His campaignexpense report for the previous campaign is replete with instances of money transferred from theRepublican House Caucus members who should also be the focus of this investigation.”Morganelli noted that two of the defeated Senate Republican leaders who awarded the bonusesMorganelli likened to those given out by House Democrats, Brightbill and Jubelirer, were major contributors when Corbett won the attorney general’s office in 2004.The campaign committee of Brightbill, the former Senate majority leader, gave Corbett’s campaign$25,000 that year. Former Senate President Pro Tem Jubelirer’s campaign gave Corbett’s campaign$10,000.Morganelli and Eisenhower said that was just part of the GOP campaign waterfall Corbett used to getelected in 2004 and will rely upon again in 2008.Asher, his PAC, Republican State Committee and other GOP-tied PACs and donors closely tied tolegislative leaders gave Corbett more than half of the $3 million he raised for his 2004 election, campaignrecords show.For a story which discusses the 2004 primary election, the Asher-Corbett relationship, and how thatelection created a feud that is affecting a major election this year, and may affect Corbett’s re-electionnext year,CLICK HERE. In addition to his donations to Corbett, Asher and his PAC are major donors to Republican legislativecandidates. In 2006, he and his PAC gave $285,000 to GOP legislative candidates and committees.Nearly half that sum, $127,000, went to the House Republican Campaign Committee, then controlled byHouse Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia.

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