By Dick Miller
WE.CONNECT.DOTS: Almost a month has passed since General Kathleen Kane and Col. Frank Noonan jointly announced indictments involving corruption at the PA Turnpike. Kane, a Democrat, is the newly elected Attorney-General. Noonan is Republican Governor Tom Corbett’s state police commissioner. The indictments include former Turnpike officials during a time when the roadway operations were controlled by a Democrat administration.
The indicted ex-officials were accused of accepting gratuities from those doing business with the state. The benefactors shelled out for tickets to NFL playoff games and Penguins’ events, air fares, hotel accommodations and . . .
Wait! That is not the correct list!
Those goodies are on a list submitted by Gov. Corbett to the state Ethics Board. In addition to the above, Corbett and his wife admitted to receiving gifts valued over $15,000 from a Philadelphia law firm that represents the oil and gas industry.
Corbett has not been indicted. Corbett is not under investigation. He denies any “quid pro quo” in the receipt of these gifts.
An 85-page investigative grand jury report cited one Turnpike individual who was personally enriched by the “pay-to-play” culture. He accepted over $6,000 in gift certificates.
Oops! Scratch that also. Former Turnpike commissioner Bill Lincoln was granted immunity.
Two turnpike executives stand indicted for accepting meals, tickets to events and other gifts similar to what Corbett admitted receiving from his “friends.”
Corbett prepares for a run at a second term as Governor next year. The indicted former turnpike officials fear imprisonment. How these circumstances differ is attributed to the major political parties contrast in their manipulation of corruption scandals.
Former GOP State Senator Jane Orie was indicted for using taxpayer-paid employees for campaign purposes. The Republican controlled State Senate passed a resolution of support. Various GOP officials made statements praising Orie.
A former intern bearing witness to Orie’s crimes was turned away from Corbett’s attorney-general office.
Republicans in Pennsylvania have been winning the battle of corruption since the days before Richard Thornburgh became governor. He wrote the book on manipulating grand juries into indicting Democrat leaders. Corbett is penning a sequel.
Both parties lusted after no-bid contract work at the Turnpike since the road opened around 1940. For the first four decades the business was split 50-50 no matter which Party controlled the governor’s office.
That changed when Thornburgh became governor in 1979. Jay Waldman, his chief of staff, demanded all the business at the Turnpike. The 60-40 split began with the administration of Democrat governor Bob Casey in 1987 and apparently continued to January, 2011.
Presently all the business is handed out by Corbett appointees. Some companies continue to get business because they contribute to both parties.
Corbett’s grand jury manipulation to create the Turnpike scandal tops his “Bonusgate” operation. In “Bonusgate,” Corbett focused on a Democrat House of Representatives for enough indictments to get elected governor. Republicans he indicted during that probe were deemed not relevant to GOP fortunes.
This was during his one and one-half four-year terms as Attorney General, 2005-2010. He had two additional years where he controlled AG activities through his hand-picked successor, Linda Kelly. She completed his second term.
Corbett began the Turnpike probe in 2009.
Republicans needed to escape prosecution. Democrats took control of the Turnpike in 2003 and the statute of limitations on most political corruption charges is eight years, according to Kane. Corbett needed the grand jury to hear no scandal about Republicans until 2010.
This meant Republicans were safe by the time Kathleen Kane, a Democrat, took over as Attorney-General in January of this year.
When Kane walked into office not three months ago, the Turnpike indictments were all wrapped up, ready for delivery.
Noonan was present for the Turnpike indictments press conference and also for the victory lap for conviction of Jerry Sandusky for child molestation in the PSU scandal.
During the six years Corbett was AG, Gov. Ed Rendell’s police commissioner was left out of such ceremonies.
What about the Democrats? They seem to hunker down, hoping to avoid any stain from the corruption scandal. Yielding high ground to the Republicans helps those, as individuals, get re-elected.
What’s more important than that?
