Prosecutors: DeWeese a 'common thief'

HARRISBURG – He is nothing more than a common thief, prosecutors argued.

He is a man framed by corrupt underlings, his defense attorney countered.

Those were the two versions presented of Rep. Bill DeWeese, the onetime Democratic leader from Western Pennsylvania, at the start of his trial Monday morning in a Dauphin County courtroom just blocks away from the Capitol.

DeWeese is charged with conspiracy and other crimes in the political corruption case stemming from the state Attorney General's Bonusgate investigation. Prosecutors allege that as the onetime Democratic House leader, DeWeese directed and condoned political activity by state employees who were on the taxpayer dime and time.

"What the evidence will show is that this defendant was a common thief with uncommon access to other people's time, other people's money and other people's efforts," said Senior Deputy Attorney General Ken Brown in his opening statement to the jury. "We are talking about public monies that were taken by this defendant and used for his own campaign work and for his own personal amusement."

DeWeese's attorney, William Costopoulos, countered that the Democratic lawmaker was wrongly being held up as the guilty party by others who were facing serious criminal charges and who would say anything and blame anyone to stay out of jail.

Among those witnesses Costopoulos singled out: Mike Manzo, DeWeese's former chief of staff, who was charged in the original Bonusgate case and who pleaded guilty in return for his testimony.

Costopoulos said DeWeese is not disputing that campaign work occurred during legislative hours – it did. But he argued that the Democrat, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, always urged his legislative staff to take appropriate leave when they performed campaign work, whether that be vacation or sick time.

"They are going to trash him," Costopoulos told the jury, pointing to the prosecution team. "Thief. Politician."

But he said the truth is that DeWeese wanted only one thing, and that was to be the best Democratic leader in Pennsylvania history.

"And they are even going to make fun of him for that," Costopoulos said.

DeWeese's trial is expected to last two weeks. Aside from Manzo, another key prosecution witness is onetime DeWeese aide Kevin Sidella, who prosecutors contend was hired by DeWeese onto legislative staff to do nothing but political work.

DeWeese was charged in late 2009 along with Democratic State Rep. Steve Stetler of York County and onetime DeWeese aide Sharon Rodavich. Stetler will be tried later this year, while Rodavich last week entered a guilty plea.