State to take over inquiry into Meehan petitions

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office said yesterday that it would take over an investigation into possible forgeries on nominating petitions submitted for Republican congressional candidate Patrick Meehan.

Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green turned the case over to the state, citing a conflict of interest, said Kevin Harley, a spokesman for Attorney General Tom Corbett. Green would not discuss the conflict specifically, said Assistant District Attorney Erica Parham. Harley said the state agreed that Green had a conflict, but would not elaborate.

This month, Meehan, a former U.S. attorney, asked Green's office to review 20 pages of nominating petitions, saying his campaign had found at least four questionable signatures.

Green donated $1,000 to Meehan's campaign in September, according to campaign finance records.

Campaign officials for the likely Democratic nominee for the open seat in the Seventh District, State Rep. Bryan Lentz of Delaware County, said yesterday that Corbett, a Republican candidate for governor, shares political connections with Meehan and should not investigate him. Meehan contributed $2,000 to Corbett's run for attorney general in 2008, campaign finance records show.

"Given the fact that Pat Meehan has both endorsed Tom Corbett and contributed to his campaign, we have significant questions about whether the Attorney General's Office is the appropriate law enforcement agency to continue the probe," said Lentz campaign manager Vincent Rongione.

Harley said the office would not investigate Meehan, but rather those who circulated or were involved with the petitions in question.

Pete Peterson, a spokesman for the Meehan campaign, said the matter was referred to Green because it was under his jurisdiction. The decision to refer the matter to Corbett was his prerogative, Peterson said.

A challenge to Meehan's nominating petitions is pending in Commonwealth Court, filed on behalf of four registered Republican voters in Delaware County and based on the investigation of the Lentz campaign. It cites fraudulent signatures and other irregularities and improprieties by petition circulators in arguing that Meehan should be barred from the ballot.