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Laura Vecsey's Blog

Laura Vecsey's Blog

Middle Ground

Orie indictment could raise questions about Corbett’s probe

Inside the case against state Senator Jane Orie, who was indicted Wednesday by the Allegheny County District Attorney, there rests a few paragraphs of interest to anyone interested in Attorney General Tom Corbett’s Bonusgate probe.

Like the Bonusgate defendants, some of whom have been convicted and await sentencing, Orie is charged with allegedly using legislative staff, equipment and offices for campaign efforts not only for herself, but also her sister, Joan Orie Melvin, the new state Supreme Court justice.

On page 28 of the presentment, there’s a summary of testimony from an Orie staffer named Joe Smith, who details his work for Orie in 2006.

Smith explained that since he was proficient with computers, he had to back up several files that were campaign-related and kept on the senate computers that were located in Orie’s district office. Smith describes these files as “fat cat” lists, “fundraising” lists and “donor” lists. In addition,  Smith testified that he helped create the “O” drive on the senate system which gave limited access to date only to Orie, (staffer) Pavlot and Smith, within which were stored political files.”

Earlier on, the presentment charges that “up until late spring of 2009, some of the very campaign and political records of Orie’s were maintained on computer hard drives that were part of the state computer system; they were identified by Orie’s staffers as ‘O’ and ‘S’ drives. Testimony further reveals that in the late spring or early summer of 2009, Orie directed that these political files  … be transferred to a thumb drive and the non-legislative data that was previously being maintained on the senate’s system was them removed from the drives that up until that time were on the state’ s computer system.”

In other words: If the Bonusgate probe did what the Attorney General’s office said—that is, probed all four caucuses of the state legislature—how come Senate Republican computers were allegedly still storing campaign files?

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April 8, 2010 at 7:00 am

--Laura Vecsey

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comments [16] | post a comment

  1. Lee Levan

    Apr 8th, 2010

    Methinks that the smell of manure is rising not only from newly fertilized farmers’ fields — unless Corbett’s office is located in a corn field. Seems to me that, while pretending to be cleaning up Harrisburg, Corbett is creating a political and partisan stink of his own.

  2. Red Pin Pete

    Apr 8th, 2010

    The next question is why did Corbett turn Jennifer Rioja away when she brought this to the Attorney General’s office?

  3. Independent Bucks Voter

    Apr 8th, 2010

    The PA GOP is a shameless RINO machine – all the way from Corbett to Jim Cawley to Mike Fitzpatrick. For people wanting change from politics as usual in the GOP, do not vote for Corbett, Cawley or Fitzpatrick. I left the GOP and became an independent because of guys like these. This primary is the Republican Party’s last chance to get a conservative like me back – and I know that I am not the only one who feels this way.

  4. Peter Asher

    Apr 8th, 2010

    I think Corbett’s Bonusgate investigation probed all 4 caucuses in Harrisburg. I don’t think he searched computers in the individual Senators offices or their district offices where these files were apparently stored.

  5. Nelly Bly

    Apr 8th, 2010

    So, Asher, what does “probed” mean if he didn’t look at any computer files and he didn’t interview any staffers?

  6. jimmy

    Apr 8th, 2010

    I wonder how many Corbett petitions were circulated by Orie’s taxpayer paid staff.
    I would bet the same pattern exisits in the Delaware County petition scandal in the Lentz/Meehan race.
    The denfense seems to be everybody does it rather than I did not happen or I thought it was legal.
    The mafia snarking is low rent and seems to validate guilt of the accused

  7. Reality

    Apr 8th, 2010

    The presentment makes it clear that official email was used, so if Corbett was looking at that, he had to see it.
    But since Corbett endorsed Orie Melvin, I bet he simply turned a blind eye. As he does to most GOP problems.

  8. BB

    Apr 8th, 2010

    Now is there any question why Tom Corbett should drop out of the governor’s race ASAP? I mean come on, was he really going to step on the feet of his western Pa. GOP backers? No way. This current AG is so partisan there’s no way he should be running for gov. of this state. It’s an absolute travesty of his office that he didn’t look into all the details and instead was handled by a county DA. And now for the attorney for the accused state senator (her brother none-the-less) to use the term “Mafia Hit,” does he really think we are that stupid? We need a fresh start in Pa. politics, a much needed constitutional convention and quickly.

  9. PA Taxpayer

    Apr 8th, 2010

    Impeach Corbett

  10. Peter Asher

    Apr 8th, 2010

    All I’m saying is that the Bonusgate investigation focused on the caucus offices and staff, not the individual Senate offices and certainly not the district offices. There are 50 Senators and 203 Reps in PA. There are thousands of computers in these district offices. There is no way that the AG’s office could have examined every hard drive in every district office. It’s unfair to blame Corbett for this.

  11. BB

    Apr 8th, 2010

    Mr. Asher, you have got to be kidding, right? It is the AG’s responsibility to investigate all tips brought to his office. He declined to do so in this case, so the office intern went to the county DA instead. Again, would Corbett step on western Pa. GOP toes? No way in a year he was running for governor. He should drop his bid for the gov. seat immediately. It’s the right thing to do. Staying in the race is an insult to every taxpayer in the Commonwealth.

  12. Molly Maguire

    Apr 9th, 2010

    The DA who brought down the Orie sisters (as they deserved) is Italian isn’t he? Zappala? And you have the Orie sisters brother trying to slander him making comments about gambling connections and implying “mafia” connections? Sounds racist to me.

    Also, Justice Melvin is obviously ethically compromised now. Those who are compromised should recognize that they’re doing damage to the justice system and to the citizens of the Commonwealth by remaining in office. If she cares about honor or class or good form she should resign. I guess she’ll wait ’til she gets indicted too and then she still won’t resign , they’ll have to drag her kicking and screaming off the bench. Familiar pattern with Republicans when they are disgraced, they go into complete denial and cling desperately to power until they are forcibly removed, they refuse to consider doing what is right and appropriate and what would help them save face–see Gov. Mark Sanford, Michael Steele, etc.

    What’s really sad is we got stuck with Orie-Melvin on the Court after the ’09 judicial campaigns because they pulled out all the stops questioning poor Jack Panella’s ethics and unfortunately for the voters they swallowed what they were fed and got hoodwinked, with the result that we ending up getting stuck with this hot mess.

  13. jimmy

    Apr 9th, 2010

    I do also remember the “furry sex” arrest in May of her aid for allegedly soliciting a 15 year old over the internet.
    Is this rampant corruption or looney bin stuff

  14. Fireater

    Apr 12th, 2010

    And what did Corbett ever do with the dude in Orie’s office that was allegedly using his state computer to sexualy solicit minors to dress up in furry costumes. He was arrested in May of 2009.
    This is getting really slimey

  15. Time fo Change in Pa

    May 12th, 2010

    Here are the lowlights from Berlin’s ad at Pounce.org, which has disappeared from the furry-connection site (but which is still available as of this writing in Google’s cache:

    My name is Alan T. Panda. Yes, Alan The Panda. Not the most original name but it suits me. I’m not a complicated person. I’m 40 years old and live in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, just about 30 minutes south of Pennsylvania’s capital, Harrisburg.

    I’m a Daddyfur and Caretaker and I am looking for a babyfur to be my mate and companion in a long-term committed relationship. I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about where I am in life and what I’m looking for. I’ve come to realize that I need someone in my life to take care of and nurture and love so I thought I would post this ad and see where it leads. …

    I’m a Daddyfur/Caretaker who likes to wear diapers at times and use them for their intended purposes

    I occasionally like to be babied

    I’ve got a good job where I am well respected and I have been employed for over 17 years

    I have a Bachelors Degree in Sacred Music

    I have a deep personal faith in God which I sometimes question and which I rarely discuss …

    I am a hopeless romantic and very affectionate, freely giving hugs, scritches, cuddles and kisses

    I have a strange and quirky sense of humor …

    I’m told I’m a nice, sweet and caring Panda ^_^

    Now, what I am looking for.

    A babyfur

    Someone who is between the ages of 20 and 25 (we can talk about edging that either direction)

    Someone who has completed or is in the process of finishing their college degree or technical training

    Someone who can drive and has their own car. It’s amazing to me how many furs don’t even know how to drive. …

    Someone who likes to wear diapers and use them for their intended purposes

    Someone who is an independent adult but can let go of that and enjoy being babied (changed, dressed, bathed, snuggled, given a bottle, etc)

    Someone who doesn’t want to be a baby 24/7. I can’t be on duty every minute of every day and frankly, that would get annoying and I would begin to resent it fairly quickly.

    Someone who can call me Daddy when they’re being little …

    Someone who can also take care of me from time to time. I also have a little side that I like to indulge at times. It would be wonderful to have someone who can also treat me well. …

    And now for something of the *ahem* other parts of what I’m looking for.

    I can be a naughty and kinky panda. I have a number of fetishes I like to explore.

    Sex needs to be a serious part of the relationship

    I am sometimes dominant and sometimes submissive so I need someone who will let me treat them at times as daddy’s subby little bitch and other times being their subby little bitch

    Sometimes babyfur play will lead to sex but not every time. …

    I hope to hear from you all! Please feel free to contact me on my YIM at alan_panda_bear, on my AIM at alanpandabear or through email at alan_panda_bear@????.???

    *hugs and nuzzles*

    ~ Alan T. Panda

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