WE CONNECT DOTS: Two more members of the powerful Orie family(R) were convicted of political corruption last week in Allegheny County Court. The convictions prove that Gov. Tom Corbett(R) could not shield all of his friends.
Not that the Governor didn’t try.
Three Orie sisters(R) stand convicted of “using state-paid office workers for campaign purposes while . . .” on the state clock and clumsily trying to cover their actions from the efforts of two grand juries.
The end of the story begins when an intern in former State Sen. Jane Orie’s(R) office wanted to explain her improper campaign involvement to the Attorney General’s (R) department.
Possibly the young woman was impressed with Corbett’s “crusade to end political corruption” in the state House of Representatives (R & D). On his way to winning Governor, Attorney General Corbett had smitten a bunch of representatives, former representatives and staffers. These included the top two ranking House Democrats and ex-Speaker of the House, a Republican.
General Corbett (R) prosecuted these people for using state-paid office workers for campaign purposes while . . . well, you get the picture.
The intern was spurned at the Attorney-General’s (R) office. History does not record what excuse was provided.
Corbett denies he treated the PA Senate as “untouchable.” The governor’s hand-picked successor was Linda Kelly (R). She said she was not going to run for a full-term and, not surprising, terminated all political inquisitions.
The intern found her way to the office of the Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. (D). This led to convening of one grand jury that indicted former State Sen. Jane Orie, 49. Also the former Senate Majority Whip, she was convicted last year. Sen. Orie resigned from office and is in prison.
That proceeding inspired a second grand jury and the convictions last week of Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, 56 (R) and mother of six, and another sister and former staffer, Janine Orie, 58 (R).
Jane Orie was the third state senator to be jailed for corruption in recent years. Vincent Fumo (D) and Robert Mellow (D), both from eastern PA, were prosecuted by the Feds.
An incident reported during the 2006 state senate elections again caused General Corbett to turn his Republican “blind” eye. President pro tempore of the PA State Senate, Robert C. Jubelirer (R), was running for re-election in south-central PA against Blair County Commissioner John Eichelberger(R).
In the primary Eichelberger beat Jubelirer by nearly 3,000 votes despite a third candidate pulling 20 percent of the vote. Jubelirer was an architect of the infamous 2005 legislative pay and pension hike.
Eichelberger reportedly complained to General Corbett that a Jubelirer staffer had campaigned for his boss on taxpayers’ time. The complaint never saw daylight. Jubelirer now enjoys a state pension of $90,000 annually.
A close ally of Corbett, Jubelirer angles for another position to scratch the Governor’s back. He is campaigning for a seat on the 32-member Penn State Board of Trustees.
If successful, Jubelirer can assist in developing a positive spin on Corbett’s role in the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The episode which also harmed the reputation of the late Joe Paterno is certain to be an obstacle to Corbett’s re-election in 2014.
Some Penn State alumni and football fans believe Corbett “slow-walked” the investigation of convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky to not interfere with his gubernatorial campaign.
Now former Governor Dick Thornburgh (R) has authored a report defending Paterno’s role. This journal is intended to deflect a damning exposure by former FBI Director Louis Freeh (?). Freeh was one of the less impressive appointments by President Clinton (D). He charged PSU $6 million for his flawed report.
Thornburgh was one of the first prosecutors to ascend to higher office through selective prosecutions of political enemies.
The last time a sitting Supreme Court Justice was convicted of a crime was 1994. Justice Rolf Larsen(D) was charged by then-Attorney General Ernie Preate (R) of obtaining prescription drugs through an office assistant to cover-up a mental health problem. Larson was later impeached by the House.
In 1995, facing the prospect of a federal racketeering indictment, Preate pled guilty to mail fraud involving a $20,000.00 campaign contribution. He served a year in Federal prison.
Enough connected dots for one column.
