PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE: The undercover lobbyist, wearing a secret camera and microphone, met with the lawmakers mostly in their district offices in Philadelphia, in the Capitol and in swanky restaurants in Harrisburg and Philly.
The informant for the Attorney General’s Office, Tyron Ali, a native of Trinidad, was smooth talking and savvy. He owned a day care center in Philly. Investigators busted him for fraud, first estimated to total nearly a half-million dollars but eventually determined to be less than $100,000. Prosecutors had leverage on him to force his cooperation.
But for all the lawmakers knew, Ali was representing wealthy interests with lots of money to throw around — interests representing those who wanted liquor store privatization, banks and companies seeking collection contracts. The fictitious companies Ali represented had cash to push legislation, he claimed… (more)
