Senate GOP leaders give criminal investigators thousands of documents Author: Brad Bumsted Article Text: HARRISBURG In their

r most comprehensive statement to date on a state investigation into bonuses, Senate Republicans said today that they have turned over "tens of thousands of documents" to investigators, as well as e-mail, telephone and Internet records. The attorney general`s office has interviewed officials affiliated with the caucus, and former Senate Republican General Counsel Stephen MacNett twice voluntarily appeared before an investigating grand jury, Republicans said in the statement. Senate Republicans "have done everything possible to cooperate with the Attorney General`s office," said the statement from Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, and Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, RDelaware County. Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for Attorney General Linda Kelly, said he could not comment on any investigation. A law firm the caucus hired interviewed 55 current and former caucus employees and provided the information learned in those interviews to the attorney general. The Senate Republicans have paid $2.5 million for outside legal fees in the bonus investigation. No one has been subpoenaed, said Senate GOP spokesman Erik Arneson. The bonus scandal surfaced in 2007. Ten people with ties to the House Democratic Caucus have been convicted in a scheme to award $1.4 million in bonuses to staffers for campaign work. Two Democrats were acquitted. In a spin-off probe of House Republicans, five people have entered guilty pleas. Three Republicans are slated for trial later this month. The GOP scheme involved $10 million worth of computer equipment and programs intended for use on campaigns. Records showed bonuses given to legislative staffers in the 2005-2006 session totaled $3.6 million. House Democrats handed out $2.3 million; House Republicans, $919,000; Senate Republicans $366,000 and Senate Democrats, $41,000. The investigation was started by former attorney general and now Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican. Corbett`s critics claimed he would not investigate the Senate Republicans because they have historically been strong financial and political supporters.