Tuesday, January 15, 2008

PA: DeWeese Remains Chief Democrat

PA state House Emails and Bonusgate:

When did PA House leader H. William DeWeese become aware of the existence of House e-mails, a damning string of e-mails indicating that taxpayer money was used to reward state employees for political work, according to Tue, Dec. 18, 2007 DeWeese: 7 aides ousted over e-mail Messages indicated that taxpayer money was used as a reward for political work by Angela Couloumbis and Amy Worden Philadelphia Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau...

Was DeWeese aware of the "bonus" emails before consideration of state Rep. Tim Mahoney's open records bill (House Bill 443 Printer No. 813) which why yes Gloria, was criticized by reform activist Tim Potts in September long before committee action took place?

State Wants Open Records
By: Jim McCaffrey, The Bulletin
09/10/2007

...Tim Potts, the executive director of Democracy Rising Pennsylvania, doesn't like any of the proposed bills. He believes they are too restrictive.
"We shouldn't be looking at any of the bills in the legislature now," he declared. "We should be looking at the Open Records law they have in Nebraska. We should be looking at how open, how convenient and how cheap it is to get the information you are looking for there.

"The Mahoney bill has at least two dozen pieces of information it wants to keep secret. The Nebraska law has only about a dozen."

http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=18800082&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6


In that bill - recall - who knows what legislative electronic communications were off-the-table from the get-go. Rep. DeWeese became a noted supporter of the bill, prior to its adoption by the House State Government Committee, with that committee's additional amendments.

DeWeese co-sponsoring open records bill

April 3 (2007) -- House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese is co-sponsoring legislation designed to provide more public access to government documents... The measure (H.B. 443) was introduced in February by freshman Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fayette... DeWeese’s name has been added as a co-sponsor to the legislation; however, his name will not appear on the official bill listing until the legislation is changed and a new printer’s number is issued.

http://www.pahouse.com/PR/050040307.asp


Tony Phyrillas asks
What did Bill DeWeese know and when did he know it? Monday, December 31, 2007

http://tonyphyrillas.blogspot.com/2007/12/what-did-bill-deweese-know-and-when-did.html


We know this and so will you after reading our post. Rep. DeWeese knew of the bonus emails back in March 2007, and in April and throughout the remainder of the year, he supported, knowingly, the legislation which was originally presented by Rep. Tim Mahoney HB 443.

We questioned and highlighted the original (Mahoney) bill's exemptions, which included the email exemptions, in our post October 16, 2007 Citizen Discontent Open Records Exemptions.

Only the next day, in a Kori Walters report, were the legislative emails mentioned as among exclusions. It was like nobody was really paying attention to what was in the bill, as long as some kind of reform regarding open records was adopted.

Up pops the Kori Walters report the next day's newspaper.

Proposal exempts correspondence from public review By Kori Walter, For the Herald-Standard
10/17/2007 Updated 10/17/2007 12:16:00 AM EDT

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18924529&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6


We note the chronology of what occurred, and what didn't, back then. Wednesday, October 17, 2007
PA Rep. Tim Mahoney Unavailable to Explain Public Records Exemptions


A Tribune Review article notes an array of food for thought in

Shhh! More state secrets By Brad Bumsted
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review published Sunday, November 11, 2007 notes



Rep. Babette Josephs, chairwoman of the House State Government Committee, last month offered an amendment to remove what the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association calls a "blanket exemption" for lawmakers' e-mail in House Bill 443. The Philadelphia Democrat's amendment was defeated 127-69 with seven members excused


Did Rep. DeWeese vote against Josephs then, to secure the bill's "blanket exemption" for legislative emails?

We don't agree that the House ruined the open-records legislation during the process of review and amendments in the State Government Committee. It was already in tatters in several areas.


House ruins open-records legislation
Published: November 12. 2007 6:00AM
Making matters worse was the vote taken on an amendment by Rep. Babette Josephs, a Philadelphia Democrat, to make e-mails a matter of public record.

Only 69 representatives voted for her amendment, including just two from the Erie region's legislative delegation: John Evans, of Washington Township, R-5th Dist.; and Michelle Brooks, of Crawford County, R-17th Dist.

The rest voted no: Patrick Harkins, of Erie, D-1st Dist.; John Hornaman, of Millcreek, D-3rd Dist.; Brad Roae, of Crawford County, R-6th Dist.; Flo Fabrizio, of Erie, D-2nd Dist.; and Curt Sonney, of Harborcreek Township, R-4th Dist.

They have some explaining to do...

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071112/OPINION01/711120335


While the former editorial doesn't note leader H. William DeWeese's vote on the Josephs amendment, the Tribune-Review does.

Here is how your House members voted on the Josephs amendment. A "yes" vote would have made lawmakers' e-mail available (if approved finally). A "no" vote scuttled her amendment and maintained the status quo:


DeWeese voted no on the Josephs amendment.

Meanwhile, it's very telling that even Rep. Tim Mahoney voted for the Josephs amendment as did Deberah Kula and Peter Daly, all in part, Fayette representatives, like DeWeese. So that trio, unlike Rep. DeWeese, wanted to amend HB 443 to void the "blanket exemptions" for legislative emails.

The state House has voted preliminarily to keep members' e-mail secret. A final vote on the House bill -- ironically called "open-records reform" -- is expected this week.


As that House committee action would've been back in November 2007, how did Rep. Bill DeWeese vote at a later date in the House, as the HB 443 presented there would have retained the exemption for those legislative emails?

Now it becomes imperative to question: Just when did DeWeese gain the knowledge of taxpayer-funded bonus-emails?

What happened to the bonus-emails and when did an investigation begin?

Attorney General Tom Corbett ... began his investigation in January... (2007)

Scandals on Parade
Posted by papundits on November 27, 2007

http://papundits.wordpress.com/2007/11/27/scandals-on-parade/


Patriot News editorial board interviews DeWeese, but what do they get?

In an interview with The Patriot-News, DeWeese maintained that the bonus-related e-mails marked the first indication he had that bonuses might have been paid for campaign work. The e-mails were discovered last month in response to a subpoena from Corbett's investigators.

DeWeese contended he acted immediately in seeking the resignations of his chief of staff, Mike Manzo, and six other top staffers. "I don't believe I did anything wrong," DeWeese told The Patriot-News.


They didn't get much cause we still don't know from DeWeese when he became aware of the emails himself, and thus is it true he acted immediately to seek resignations..., and more importantly, was Rep. DeWeese aware of the bonus-emails before supporting Rep. Tim Mahoney's open records bill which contained dozens of exemptions, and HB 443 which excluded legislative emails in the open records bill touted by newspaper editorials as the be all to end all? (Until the PA Newspaper Association pulled its support from HB 443 in October.)

so when was the exact day you became aware of the "taxpayer-funded" "bonus-related" emails, Rep. DeWeese?

The Philadelphia Inquirer, makes an inquiry.

Posted Tues. Dec. 18, 2007
Messages indicated that taxpayer money was used as a reward for political work.
By Angela Couloumbis and Amy Worden
Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG - House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese acknowledged yesterday that he forced seven Democratic aides from their jobs after learning about a damning string of e-mails indicating that taxpayer money was used to reward state employees for political work.

The e-mails, written by at least four of the seven staffers who were either fired or asked to resign, were revealed Sunday by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They are at the heart of an investigation by Attorney General Tom Corbett's office focused on whether legislative employees used government time and resources to benefit political campaigns, which is illegal...

In his most expansive comments to date, DeWeese (D., Greene), appearing before The Inquirer’s editorial board, said he did not know about the e-mails until earlier this year


So earlier this year is when, (prior to December 2007) exactly?

Connect the dots. Earlier this year means prior to Monday, December 17, 2007, when DeWeese was interviewed - including questions about what is now being called "bonus-gate" - by the Inquirer editorial board, right.

Prior to October 15, 2007? On that date, a handful of state legislators were hosted at a Pass Open Records organization Press Conference wherein a smattering of questions were asked. Rep. Timothy Mahoney made a few public comments about his legislation, House Bill 443, but nobody asked anything about exemptions for what Tim Potts (in September) blasts as "The Mahoney bill has at least two dozen pieces of information it wants to keep secret. The Nebraska law has only about a dozen.".

Press conference sponsored by passopenrecords.org, held Monday October 15, 2007 at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg, PA


Was DeWeese aware of bonus-gate emails prior to October 16 perhaps, when Rep. Timothy Mahoney's bill was available online?

Prior to March 16, 2007?

House Bill 443 PN 813 That was when the bill was officially submitted in the routine legislative process to the House State Government Committee.


We still don't know whether DeWeese supported Mahoney's open records proposal because that proposal could've excluded some legislative emails, and/or didn't apply to past records. That's what we're pursuing.

Only later, when Mahoney's bad bill was made even worse with the House State Government Committee amendments did the same group that created passopenrecords.org, PA Newspaper Association, pull its support specifically from House Bill 443.

Pa Newspaper Publishers Retract Support


Just take a look at the Association's reasons for retracting its former support of Mahoney's House Bill 443.

Only after the PA Newspaper Publishers' Association pulled its support from the Mahoney House Bill 443, did the pass open records site (created by the PA Newspaper Association) even mention Mahoney's bill in a negative way.

Previously, it was all rah-rah-rah over there.

So the question arises: when were these "taxpayer-funded"-bonus-gate emails floating around?

We found the answer, and now so have you.

E-mail messages exchanged by top aides in the Democratic caucus starting in 2004 make clear that taxpayer-funded bonuses were given to legislative employees for their work on election campaigns.”


2004. The year is prior to when freshman state legislator Tim Mahoney was elected to office. His year was 2006.

E-mails show how Dems tied staffers' bonuses to campaign work
Sunday, December 16, 2007 By Dennis B. Roddy and Tracie Mauriello, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG -- E-mail messages exchanged by top aides in the Democratic caucus starting in 2004 make clear that taxpayer-funded bonuses were given to legislative employees for their work on election campaigns.

The messages, obtained by the Post-Gazette, are a key component in an investigation by Attorney General Tom Corbett into the bonuses and whether they constituted an illegal use of state money for political work...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07350/842079-85.stm


Cough. Cough.

E-mails show how Dems tied staffers' bonuses to campaign work Sunday, December 16, 2007
By Dennis B. Roddy and Tracie Mauriello, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


...Most of the e-mails and spreadsheets were first uncovered by House Majority Leader H. William DeWeese, of Waynesburg, who had delegated much of the day-to-day operation of the caucus to Mr. Veon. Mr. DeWeese, after accumulating information from state computers, provided thousands of e-mail exchanges, which are now at the core of the state attorney general's case.

None of the materials obtained by the Post-Gazette suggests that Mr. DeWeese was aware of the scheme. Mr. Veon did not respond to a message seeking comment.

After initially being told by staff that the bonuses were routine seniority and holiday awards, Mr. DeWeese said he discovered that the bonuses amounted to $1.9 million. He then ordered an internal inquiry, calling in William Chadwick, a former prosecutor, in March, prior to the announcement of a criminal probe by the attorney general.


Mr. Chadwick's in-house probe resulted in the accumulation of tens of thousands of e-mails that had been automatically archived but which most employees thought had been deleted long ago.

In all, 31,000 archived e-mails thought to have been deleted were later recovered.

The inquiry also found that virtually every e-mail regarding pay bonuses sent on the caucus computer system in 2006 had been erased, as had all record of Mr. Veon's e-mails. What investigators later uncovered were e-mails from 2004 and 2005 that included an outline of the scheme that suggested it had been ongoing for several years...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07350/842079-85.stm


How about March 2007?

Was Mr. DeWeese aware of what - the bonus-gate emails, Gloria, the bonus-gate emails - in March 2007? We're not focused on the scheme of the bonuses right now.

Not just yet.

E-mails show how Dems tied staffers' bonuses to campaign work
Sunday, December 16, 2007 By Dennis B. Roddy and Tracie Mauriello, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Most of the emails and spreadsheets were first uncovered by House Majority Leader H. William DeWeese...


DeWeese ordered an internal inquiry, calling in William Chadwick, a former prosecutor, in March, prior to the announcement of a criminal probe by the attorney general.


We wonder whether any of the newspaper editorial boards asked H. William DeWeese:

Did you support Rep. Tim Mahoney's open records bill (House Bill 443) back before March 2007, or prior to March 13, 2007, when it was submitted to the House State Government Committee?

Coincidentally March 2007 was the same month you admit you ordered an internal inquiry of bonuses, reportedly, according to E-mails show how Dems tied staffers' bonuses to campaign work Sunday, December 16, 2007 By Dennis B. Roddy and Tracie Mauriello, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

According to that Post Gazette report the emails and spreadsheets were first uncovered by H. William DeWeese reportedly back when DeWeese then ordered the internal inquiry in March, 2007.

Did DeWeese support state Rep. Timothy Mahoney's open records bill after March 2007?

Remember, the Mahoney bill included "two dozen pieces of information it wants to keep secret," according to Tim Potts, and didn't apply to past records.

April 3 -- House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese is co-sponsoring legislation designed to provide more public access to government documents.

It’s time that we revisit Pennsylvania’s open records law so that the public has easier access to state information. Part of my job as the House majority leader is to garner bipartisan support for legislation that our chamber chooses to move forward. To that end, I already have asked senior members of the House Democratic Caucus and senior staffers in my office to work with Representative Mahoney on refining his proposal,” said DeWeese, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington.

The measure (H.B. 443) was introduced in February by freshman Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fayette.

http://www.pahouse.com/PR/050040307.asp



(Uniontown) Herald-Standard, April 5 DeWeese signs onto open records bill By Alison Hawkes

More than a month after its introduction, House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese has signed onto an open records bill that would give the public expanded powers to view state government spending. DeWeese, of Greene County, announced his support late (April 3) for the open records legislation developed by neighboring Rep. Tim Mahoney, a Fayette County Democrat.

http://www.headlinesanddeadlines.org/2007/April_05_07/open_records.htm


Raise your hand if you believe any newspaper editorial board has after December 2007 and up to the date of this post, after he's admitted "bonus" emails and spreadsheets were uncovered by him around March or before March 2007, asked Rep. H. William DeWeese:

You knew of bonus-emails back in at least March 2007 as a (December 2007) Post-Gazette report indicates.

All during the preceding months, March to December 2007, DeWeese is travelling around the state at taxpayer expense to meet with editors who have round-table discussions with him and Mahoney, and not once is it mentioned or noted that the HB 443 contains "blanket exemption" for legislative emails?

No wonder there's a delay tactic. Do we keep the exemption for legislative emails in or do we take the exemption for legislative emails out, cause the ice is about to hit the fan. Somebody's gonna find out about the investigation into what, Gloria, legislative emails regarding bonuses.

Pa. House delays final vote on open records bill Tuesday, December 11, 2007

http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2007/12/11/state_news/s_news368.txt


DeWeese supported the bill in April, 2007, and did not support the House State Committee amendment presented in November 2007 by no less than Committee Chair Babette Josephs which would have voided the "blanket exemption" for the legislative emails.
Who knows what went on over there in Harrisburg during December as we attempt to find out whether the protective clause exempting legislative emails was ever again attempted to be removed from House Bill 443 in any later action by any House member.

...the Dems' latest attempt at passing an open-records bill crashed and burned...

http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/2007/12/the-light-is-de.html


House tweaks open records bill
By The Associated Press
Tuesday, December 11, 2007

HARRISBURG -- The fits-and-starts process of overhauling Pennsylvania's open records law took a step forward Monday as the House of Representatives made a host of mostly minor revisions to a version previously approved by the state Senate.
The main amendment, a measure sponsored by Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Uniontown, would provide greater access to records of the Legislature but prevent disclosure of birth dates and phone numbers in public records.

In a procedural move, Mahoney's amendment was split into two. The bulk of it passed unanimously and the other portion, which delayed full implementation until 2009, was approved 109-93.

The votes yesterday were in preparation for a final vote in the House, which could come as soon as today. A House-Senate conference committee may be necessary to negotiate a compromise version before the measure can gain final approval by each body and be sent to Gov. Ed Rendell...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_542153.html


Exactly what happened to Mahoney's bill, amendment, and does the blanket exemption for legislative emails remain in any of the House offerings?

So what happened in the House-Senate conference committee which would've negotiated a compromise version before... well you know... before the public discovers they've been hoodwinked all along with a piece of legislation that excluded legislative emails from open records, unlike other states open records right to know laws.

PA House passes open records bill in final vote
December 12th, 2007 by Cindy Snyder

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bill that would overhaul the state’s open records law.

But legislative leaders say a final bill won’t be sent to Gov. Ed Rendell until at least January.

The Senate’s Republican leader says his chamber needs time to evaluate 19 amendments that the House attached to the bill Monday.

http://www.keystonepolitics.com/story/aroundcapitol/statehouse/pa-house-passes-open-records-bill-final-vote


Overhaul. Don't you just love it. What's in it? Blanket Exemptions for legislative emails?

While DeWeese claims to support open records, which open records does he support now that the bonus-gate emails are out of the legislative closet, so to speak, and more questions about what he knew when, arise?

Thursday, December 13, 2007
Open-records reform is half the battle by Tony Phyrillas

This should have been a no-brainer, but when the Pennsylvania Legislature gets involved, a lot of people check their brains at the door.

Nobody is happy about the open-records revisions passed by the Pennsylvania House on Wednesday. The bill still has to clear a House-Senate conference committee before it reaches the governor's desk for a signature, but it falls into the category of "better than nothing," which as I've said before should be the official motto of Pennsylvania.

We have the worst open-records law in the county so any improvement is "better than nothing." But is this the best we can do? Why are Pennsylvania taxpayers paying for the most expensive state legislature in the country when all it can come up is watered-down version of an open-records law?

The Senate won't take a final vote on the bill until January, but one thing to keep in mind is that the proposal before the Legislature addresses only access to records produced by government officials...

http://tonyphyrillas.blogspot.com/2007/12/open-records-reform-is-half-battle.html


DeWeese to push for open records By KORI WALTER Bucks County Courier Times

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-01062008-1466506.html


Another delay?


December 12, 2007

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9) commented after the House amended Senate Bill 1 on Monday:

"The House adopted 19 separate amendments to Senate Bill 1. Under House rules, the earliest that the bill can be sent to the Senate is late Tuesday night. The Senate approved this legislation, 48 to 1, on November 28. It is unfortunate that the leadership of the House of Representatives chose to delay substantive action for 12 days.

"The public and the Senate need to fully understand the impact of the many House amendments. We will begin studying them immediately.

"Strengthening Pennsylvania's Open Records Law remains my top legislative priority. As such, the Senate will act on Senate Bill 1 as soon as we return in January."

http://www.senatorpileggi.com/press-2007/1207/121107.htm


The question stands. What was in the DeWeese-supported House version of open records that DeWeese wanted to remain even after an attempt was made to remove the section in the House State Government Committee?

"blanket exemption" for lawmakers' e-mail in House Bill 443

What is at the center of the recently (December) exposed bonus-gate? Emails and spreadsheets first uncovered by H. William DeWeese (March).

Note: An open-records bill that retains the "blanket exemption for lawmakers e-mails" has not yet been codified into law. Keep watching, though, as Rep. DeWeese remains PA's Chief Democrat...

More

Status and opposition PA open records

January 11, 2008

General Assembly Set to Reconvene January 14; PSATS Opposes House-Passed Open Records Bill

Still Time For Changes — Contact Your Senator
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is set to re-convene on January 14 and Open Records is a priority issue for further deliberation in the Senate.

http://www.psats.org/news_open_records.html

SB 1 RE: Right-To-Know Law (by Sen. Dominic Pileggi, et al)

http://www.landscapearchitects.org/legislation.html


Vermont Report

5. Exempt Legislative E-Mail from Disclosure
The General Assembly could enact a disclosure exemption for legislative correspondence with constituents in order to protect the privacy interests of constituents and prevent disclosure of personal information included in such e-mail. At least six states possess similar exemptions. This exemption could be criticized as limiting the transparency and accountability of the General Assembly.

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/reports/05PublicRecords/Public_records_study_report.pdf


DeWeese emerges from meeting as chief
By Brad Bumsted
STATE CAPITOL REPORTER
Thursday, January 10, 2008

HARRISBURG -- Rank-and-file House Democrats aired concerns over a grand jury investigation into legislative staff bonuses behind closed doors Wednesday, but agreed to keep Majority Leader Bill DeWeese as their chief.
"There was a lot of venting," said Rep. Nick Kotik of McKees Rocks, who has criticized House leaders for the alleged scheme to award bonuses for campaign work. "The consensus of the caucus seems to be (DeWeese) is going to stay."

Concern among lawmakers, especially those from Allegheny County, appeared to be twofold: The House has failed to move ahead with important issues such as health care and property tax reductions, and that lack of action could cause Democrats to lose control of the chamber this year.

But, said Rep. Tim Mahoney of Uniontown, "I think (DeWeese) has a firm grip on the leadership position."

DeWeese, of Greene County, said after the meeting that he felt the session was a vote of confidence in his leadership.
The private retreat at a Camp Hill hotel allowed members to discuss alternative-energy proposals. Lawmakers said a property tax bill is expected to be brought forth for consideration next week. The plan would cut property taxes by shifting to a half-cent sales tax, and boost the state income tax from 3.07 percent to 3.29 percent.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/search/s_546764.html


State House Democrats keep DeWeese as leader
Thursday, January 10, 2008
By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG -- State Rep. Bill DeWeese of Waynesburg will remain as head of the 102 House Democrats, despite some questions about his leadership ability, a bonus investigation hanging over the House and a lack of progress in moving Gov. Ed Rendell's political agenda forward.

House Democrats met for several hours at a suburban Harrisburg hotel yesterday to discuss how to proceed on substantive issues -- health care, energy, open records, property tax relief -- as well as to air concerns about Mr. DeWeese's leadership style.

After the session broke up about 5:30 p.m., most of the Democrats bolted out of the closed-door caucus at the Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill without talking to reporters, except to say that Mr. DeWeese would remain as their leader. Mr. DeWeese remained in the room, which reporters weren't allowed to enter, and was unavailable for comment.

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08010/848064-178.stm


Bonus storm distracts state Democrats
by BY CHARLES THOMPSON and JAN MURPHY, Of The Patriot-News
Sunday December 23, 2007, 4:00 AM
Even with lawmakers out of the Capitol for the holiday recess, "Bonusgate" continues to draw unwanted attention for state House Democrats.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported last week that e-mail transcripts show ties between the bonuses to staffers and the amount of campaign or political work they did.

House Majority Leader H. William DeWeese spent much of the week meeting with the editorial boards of state newspapers and defending his actions in the probe of bonuses to House Democratic staffers. DeWeese, D-Greene, insisted that he had no knowledge of any bonus program that offered rewards to staffers based on their work on political campaigns.

DeWeese said he has the backing of his caucus, but his supporters and opponents agreed the bonus probe was a distraction for the House Democrats this fall and said they must do a better job in the new year...

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2007/12/bonus_storm_consumes_state_dem.html


Following Philadelphia Inquirer article and link was posted to Keystone Politics

DeWeese: 7 aides ousted over bonusgate e-mail
December 18th, 2007 by RobHop

House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese acknowledged yesterday that he forced seven Democratic aides from their jobs after learning about a damning string of e-mails indicating that taxpayer money was used to reward state employees for political work.

The e-mails, written by at least four of the seven staffers who were either fired or asked to resign, were revealed Sunday by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They are at the heart of an investigation by Attorney General Tom Corbett’s office focused on whether legislative employees used government time and resources to benefit political campaigns, which is illegal.

No one has been charged in the case. But the e-mails paint a scathing picture of Harrisburg politics, one in which top House Democratic aides tapped public funds as a way to thank underlings for political work.

In his most expansive comments to date, DeWeese (D., Greene), appearing before The Inquirer’s editorial board, said he did not know about the e-mails until earlier this year, nor did he know the extent of the bonuses awarded: $1.9 million to House Democratic employees last year alone.

Asked later whether the e-mails spurred him to force the resignation of the seven staffers, DeWeese said: “When I viewed the election data, I found that [their] employment was not tenable.”

http://www.keystonepolitics.com/story/aroundcapitol/deweese-7-aides-ousted-over-bonusgate-email


Lawmakers hope to pass open records law next year
By TIFFANY WRIGHT
Daily American Staff Writer
Saturday, December 15, 2007 9:43 PM EST

Lawmakers are hoping a new open records law will be pushed through the Legislature after the holiday break, making Pennsylvania documents more easily accessible to the public.

The earliest a final decision could be reached is January, when the Legislature reconvenes.

In the past week, the state House of Representatives passed the legislation with revisions. The bill was approved by the Senate in November. The amended bill that the House passed would prevent birth dates and phone numbers in public records from being released.

Deborah Musselman, a lobbyist and the director of governmental affairs for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, said the association disagrees with some of the changes the House suggested.

http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2007/12/15/news/news648.txt


Philadelphia Inquirer
Tue, Dec. 18, 2007
DeWeese: 7 aides ousted over e-mail

Messages indicated that taxpayer money was used as a reward for political work.
By Angela Couloumbis and Amy Worden
Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau


http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20071218_DeWeese__7_aides_ousted_over_e-mail.html


Posted: December 12, 2007, 12:53pm Eastern Standard Time by RobHop
PA House passes open records bill in final vote

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bill that would overhaul the state’s open records law.

But legislative leaders say a final bill won’t be sent to Gov. Ed Rendell until at least January.

The Senate’s Republican leader says his chamber needs time to evaluate 19 amendments that the House...

http://www.keystonepolitics.com/story/aroundcapitol/statehouse/pa-house-passes-open-records-bill-final-vote


Shhh! More state secrets
By Brad Bumsted
STATE CAPITOL REPORTER
Sunday, November 11, 2007

HARRISBURG
You've got mail!

But odds are it will not be from your state legislator.

The state House has voted preliminarily to keep members' e-mail secret. A final vote on the House bill -- ironically called "open-records reform" -- is expected this week.

Rep. Babette Josephs, chairwoman of the House State Government Committee, last month offered an amendment to remove what the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association calls a "blanket exemption" for lawmakers' e-mail in House Bill 443. The Philadelphia Democrat's amendment was defeated 127-69 with seven members excused.
An official of the National Conference of State Legislatures, testifying before a special House panel earlier this year, said 33 states consider e-mail to be a matter of public record.

Pennsylvania legislators says they oppose release of their e-mail because confidential communications from constituents might be revealed to the public. They talk about this almost as if they are lawyers protecting the rights of their clients to privacy or priests upholding the sanctity of confession.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/bumsted/s_537390.html


November 28, 2007 action in Senate on Dominick Pileggi's bill

48-1 in the Senate sending the legislation sponsored by Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi over to the state House.

And that's where things could get interesting.

http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/2007/11/so-transparent.html
See our previous Net the Truth Online posts

Wednesday, October 17, 2007
PA Rep. Tim Mahoney Unavailable to Explain Public Records Exemptions

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/pa-rep-tim-mahoney-unavailable-to.html

Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Citizen Discontent Open Records Exemptions

excerpt

All government records shall be open, sounds great, getting all warm and fuzzy... but read on, unless EXCLUDED...

That's right, unless excluded, and take a look and really see what is excluded...

The Mahoney bill presents over 25 such exemptions.

Take a look at the long-laundry-list of exemptions in Rep. Mahoney's open records bill. Section 302 Access Generally (a) Enumerated Exemptions

Pay particular attention, folks. Enumerated Exemptions.

(24) Electronic mail...

provided that the electronic mail does not contain the discussion of the spending of public money or the duties and powers of the office, officeholder, or agency.


http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/citizen-discontent-open-records.html


And more

Tuesday, April 03, 2007
PA Capitol: DeWeese Co-Sponsor Freshman Open Records Bill

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/04/pa-capitol-deweese-co-sponsor-freshman.html

Pass Given to Mahoney on Bad Bill?

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/pass-given-to-mahoney-on-bad-bill.html

PA Newspaper Publishers Retract Support for Open Records (Corruption Protection Act)

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/pa-newspaper-publishers-retract-support.html

Newspaper suppresses House Bill Corruption Protection Act

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/newspaper-suppresses-house-bill.html

Mahoney Open Records Bill Called Corruption Protection Act

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/mahoney-open-records-bill-called.html

PA Rep. Tim Mahoney Unavailable to Explain Public Records Exemptions

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/pa-rep-tim-mahoney-unavailable-to.html

Citizen Discontent Open Records Exemptions

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/citizen-discontent-open-records.html

Open Records for PA Exempted General Assembly

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/06/open-records-for-pa-exempted-general.html

Search our site for results

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/search?q=open+records+mahoney

Find our posts linked elsewhere

January 2, 2008
Pennsylvania Open Records Scam of New Year?

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2008/01/pennsylvania-open-records-scam-of-new.html

Meanwhile yesterday, the House State Government Committee voted 27-0 for its own version of an open records law, House Bill 2072, proposed by Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fayette. It's similar to the Senate bill, but has at least one major ...

source: Net the Truth Online

http://www.opencongress.org/people/blogs/412197_tim_mahoney


According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester.

House, Senate advance versions of open records law
Thursday, November 29, 2007
By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

His bill is based on what is done in New York state, which has been ranked among the top three states in the United States by the University of Florida's Citizen Access Project, which monitors public access laws, he said.

The bill exempts e-mails and letters between legislators and constituents from release.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07333/837647-85.stm


PA Capitol Digest

They would also look at taking another run at open records legislation after their proposed language is giving sufficient airing, although House Democratic Leadership said they would be starting with an entire new bill meaning it would take at least three days for it to clear the House..

http://www.pacapitoldigest.com/newsletter/docs/2/11-23-2007_678112.pdf


Updated material March 1, 2008

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