The circular firing squad known as the House Democratic caucus is hard at work again in Harrisburg.
The latest episode involves a wasteful legal spat between Rep. Bill DeWeese (D., Greene) and Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D., Luzerne), the man who replaced DeWeese. Lately it's hard to believe they're on the same team.
These top-ranking Democrats are due in court again today to try to resolve an embarrassing dispute over legal files in the so-called "Bonusgate" investigation. DeWeese has resisted turning over some of the files to his new boss, prompting Eachus to sue to gain access to the documents.
Taxpayers, of course, are the losers in this pathetic feud.
Bonusgate came to light in 2007, when legislators of both parties admitted they had paid staffers about $3.7 million in bonuses with tax money. House Democrats accounted for more than half of the total.
Attorney General Tom Corbett launched a painfully slow investigation, which so far has resulted in charges against 12 current and former House Democratic officials. They're charged in an alleged scheme to pay staffers with tax money for campaign work, which is illegal.
Corbett's probe is plodding into its second year; meanwhile the complex case of financier Bernard Madoff, who stole about $65 billion, took only three months to prosecute. Republican Corbett says more charges are coming. He obviously hopes to use the drawn-out probe as a springboard into the governor's office in 2010.
DeWeese, while leader of the House Democrats in 2007, hired attorney William G. Chadwick of Washington to respond to the scandal by running ethics training for House Democrats, complying with subpoenas, and working with grand jury witnesses. It was expensive damage control at taxpayers' expense. Chadwick and his firm have been paid about $1.3 million since March 2007.
House Democrats replaced DeWeese with Eachus in January. And Eachus wants access to all of Chadwick's legal files. But Chadwick resisted, saying DeWeese is asserting attorney-client privilege. So, even though House Democrats paid for this legal work with tax dollars, they have been denied access to the full file, thanks to DeWeese. It's ludicrous.
DeWeese has cooperated with Corbett and has not been charged. He said he didn't know staffers were being paid bonuses for campaign work. Yet an e-mail from 2004 surfaced this week in which a Democratic aide wrote to DeWeese, "I can't thank you enough for the bonus for campaigning." DeWeese replied, "UR welcome."
A spokesman said DeWeese doesn't remember the message.
The waste to taxpayers in this case continues to rise. The legislature's legal fees have already outstripped the total staff bonuses that prompted the probe.
As of last month, the House and Senate had spent $5.8 million on lawyers and other expenses to defend themselves in Bonusgate. House Democrats spent $2.6 million; House Republicans, $1.8 million; Senate GOP, $1.4 million; and Senate Democrats, $5,000.
At a time when more Pennsylvanians are out of work, this costly sideshow is the last thing taxpayers need. It's an ugly reflection on a legislature with screwed-up priorities.