More trouble in Fumo's circle

After winning sweeping convictions of Vince Fumo and a former Senate aide on Monday on fraud and obstruction charges, federal prosecutors may now be targeting other Fumo loyalists for indictment.

One longtime Fumo buddy who could soon be in the crosshairs of the feds is Mitchell Rubin, chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

Rubin, 57, is the husband of Ruth Arnao, an ex-Senate staffer and executive director of Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods. (A jury found that Fumo and Arnao defrauded the nonprofit of almost $1.5 million.)

After a post-trial hearing in federal court wrapped up yesterday, FBI agent Vicki Humphreys walked over to Rubin and handed him an envelope.

Rubin declined to comment about the contents of the envelope.

Arnao's attorney, Ed Jacobs Jr., told reporters that the envelope contained a "letter" but would not comment when asked if it was a target letter. (Fumo lawyer Dennis Cogan also saw the letter and likewise declined to comment about its contents.)

A target is someone the prosecutor or grand jury can link to a crime and who is likely to be indicted.

Jacobs was asked if he believed that the feds' investigation of others whose names came up during Fumo's corruption trial was continuing. "Based on the testimony we heard in this case," he said, "I wouldn't rule out a possibility the government intends to target several other people."

Jacobs did not name names and declined further comment.

Neither Humphreys nor Assistant U.S. Attorney Bob Zauzmer commented about the envelope given to Rubin or whether the federal investigation of uncharged conduct raised in the Fumo prosecution is continuing.

After Rubin looked at the letter, he showed it to defense attorneys and appeared to be visibly shaken.

Rubin left the courthouse with his wife and Fumo, and the three walked briskly past reporters to an SUV that was waiting in front of the courthouse.

During the Fumo trial, prosecutors said that Rubin was a "ghost worker" who did little or no official work for his lucrative Senate contract. (Rubin was not charged with any wrongdoing.)

He was paid $150,000 by the Senate between 1999 and 2004.

A Harrisburg lobbyist who testified for the defense at trial said that he viewed Rubin as a Fumo adviser, and often discussed legislative matters with Rubin at the Capitol and at cocktail parties.

Humphreys testified that the FBI subpoenaed Senate records and records from Rubin's company about written work he did for the Senate and that no records were ever turned over to the feds.

Two mail-fraud counts on which Fumo was convicted were for invoices of $2,350 in September 2002, and $2,300 in August 2003 in connection with Rubin's Senate contract.

Gov. Rendell said this week that he would review Rubin's Turnpike Commission post in light of the Fumo verdict regarding Rubin's contract.

Rubin, whose term is up next year, makes $28,000 a year as commission chariman. *