More charges expected in Pa. 'Bonusgate'

HARRISBURG - More charges are expected in the ongoing Bonusgate investigation that has shaken Harrisburg's political community - just not before the end of the year.

That is what Attorney General Tom Corbett, fresh off the high of his successful reelection bid, told reporters yesterday in a wide-ranging postelection news conference.

"What I know right now, I would believe there are going to be charges," Corbett said.

But pressed to give a timeline, he added that he did not believe such charges would be brought before the end of the year.

"What happens is you get to a point and all of a sudden there is another nugget of information," said Corbett. ". . . There are so many rabbit trails that you have to go down. Some have something at the end and some have nothing at the end, but you have to explore them."

At the heart of the Bonusgate investigation is whether top lawmakers and their staff used state money and resources to benefit political campaigns.

In July, Corbett charged 12 former and current House Democratic legislators and staffers, accusing them of participating in a massive conspiracy to award taxpayer-funded bonuses to legislative staff who did campaign work.

Since that time, two of the 12 defendants have acknowledged in open court that they are cooperating with Corbett's office. Among them: Mike Manzo, former chief of staff to House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese.

DeWeese (D., Greene) has not been charged in the case and has said repeatedly that he did not know of the alleged illegal activity in his caucus.

On Oct. 8, Manzo testified in a Dauphin County court during a preliminary hearing on the case that DeWeese not only knew about, but approved of, the bonuses. The following week, Manzo spent several hours testifying before the grand jury in Harrisburg.

Asked yesterday whether his office was investigating Manzo's statements, Corbett said: "We are following up anything any witness tells us."

Corbett said that he was briefed on the progress of the investigation every day by his prosecutors and that "I would say at least once a week I get a surprise."

He said 10 agents and six prosecutors were devoted to the case almost full time.

Corbett said he expected the grand jury to issue a report at some point recommending sweeping changes to ensure the legislature does not mix government and politics.

But speaking generally about statements that witnesses in the investigation make, Corbett said, "Not only do we have to follow them up, but we have to corroborate them, maybe three, four, five, six different ways."

The attorney general also reiterated that his office was not just investigating House Democrats, but also examining the legislature's other three caucuses.

The reason his office turned its attention to the House Democratic caucus first, Corbett said, was because it awarded $1.8 million in bonuses - more than the other three caucuses combined.

"That's like blood in the water," he said.

Corbett announced in September that he would not file fresh charges before the election, insisting that there was too much work to get done before then. Yesterday, he tried to disabuse the belief by some that he had put the case on hold.

"This investigation never stopped," he said. ". . . It moved forward with great speed."