Corbett Investigation A Huge Conflict While Campaigning

By GERLACH FOR PA

EXTON (Pa) — Jim Gerlach, the only declared Republican candidate for governor, said on Wednesday that Pennsylvanians deserve to know whether Attorney General Tom Corbett is more interested in pursuing justice or advancing his political career.

“The Attorney General’s continuing investigation of political corruption in the Legislature while, at the same time, seeking the political support of GOP legislators, party leaders and key contributors is a clear and obvious conflict of interest,” Gerlach said. “His failure to understand and acknowledge that conflict, and immediately eliminate it is very disturbing. I think Attorney General Corbett should immediately rectify this inherent conflict by either suspending his gubernatorial campaign or immediately resigning his position as Attorney General. Otherwise, most Pennsylvanians will view his current “having it both ways” strategy as more of the same old, Harrisburg political culture that the people of this state desperately want reformed.”

People throughout Pennsylvania are starting to realize that Corbett’s attempt to mix prosecuting and politicking just does not work.

Republican State Sen. John Eichelberger of Altoona recently called Corbett’s investigation “a joke”, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Eichelberger also said people may start questioning the validity of the investigation because Corbett is eyeing the governor’s job in the midst of a probe that has cost taxpayers at least $8 million.

The Courier-Express in DuBois wrote on Tuesday that Corbett should drop his unannounced bid for governor. The paper astutely pointed out that Corbett “owes it to taxpayers who have paid his salary to stay with the investigation until it concludes, or until his term ends.”

As the public pressure builds, Corbett is struggling to make his public statements as Attorney General match up with his day-to-day political activity.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Corbett has repeatedly told the press he is “investigating Democrats and Republicans in the state House and Senate.”

However, just before collecting checks from contributors at a $150 per-plate fundraiser Monday night in Williamsport, Corbett told the Sun-Gazette newspaper that he “never promised to pursue members of his own party.”

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