PA: Rep. Bill DeWeese Receives Corbett Interview Request

OK. So what will Pennsylvania state Rep. Bill DeWeese be asked during the secret interview? Would we even think one of a few current insiders, formerly among the outsiders, who've sought truth no matter Democrat or Republican (alleged) (corrupted) culprit, would have a little naggling bit of conscience and uh find out? And spread the confidentiality under a fake name?

Net the Truth Online

Prosecutors have offered former House Speaker Bill DeWeese, one of Pennsylvania's most influential Democrats, a chance to testify before the so-called Bonusgate grand jury, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

http://www.wopular.com/deweese-invited-talk-bonusgate-grand-jury-4

Only in our fictional minds.

Way back, we posed a series of questions and analyzed the happenings, take a look at our review and wonder what exactly will Rep. DeWeese be asked now?

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/search?q=deweese+bonusgate+emails

Net the Truth Online

House leadership invited to testify to grand jury
Friday, December 04, 2009
By Dennis B. Roddy and Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
HARRISBURG -- A statewide grand jury has invited the state House majority leader, the man he displaced in that job and the state secretary of revenue to appear before the panel, a move that has presaged charges against others who received such letters in an ongoing corruption probe.

The letters went to State Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, the House majority leader; State Rep. H. William DeWeese, D-Greene, who served as majority leader until Mr. Eachus succeeded him in a caucus shakeup; and Revenue Secretary Stephen Stetler, a former eight-term Democratic House member from York.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09338/1018310-454.stm#ixzz0ZIUEFlFw

EyeOpener

EACHUS, DEWEESE, STETLER ASKED TO TESTIFY IN ‘BONUSGATE’ PROBE

According to an article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette a statewide grand jury has invited the state House majority leader, the man he displaced in that job and the state secretary of revenue to appear before the panel, a move that has presaged charges against others who received such letters in an ongoing corruption probe. The letters went to State Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, the House majority leader; State Rep. H. William DeWeese, D-Greene, who served as majority leader until Mr. Eachus succeeded him in a caucus shakeup;

http://blog.lobbytracpa.com/2009/12/07/eye-opener-december-7-2009/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FyiByPls+%28FYI+by+PLS%29

Legislative corruption inquiry turns to DeWeese
By Brad Bumsted and Mike Wereschagin
TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, December 10, 2009

HARRISBURG -- Investigators from the state Attorney General's Office interviewed House Majority Whip Bill DeWeese this week as the office continues its probe into corruption in the General Assembly.

DeWeese, D-Greene County, recently received a letter inviting him to appear before a grand jury in the corruption investigation. He appeared voluntarily for the interview, but has not yet been before the grand jury, his attorney, Walter Cohen, said Wednesday.

"Bill DeWeese has met this week with Attorney General (Tom) Corbett's investigative team and he will continue to cooperate with them as he has for the past 34 months," Cohen wrote in an e-mail.

"That (grand jury appearance) is still a possibility, but that is something we're not going to talk about," Cohen said in an interview Tuesday. Grand jury proceedings are secret.

Kevin Harley, a spokesman for Corbett, declined comment. DeWeese's spokesman, Tom Andrews, referred all questions to Cohen.

In a wide-ranging investigation, Corbett, a Republican candidate for governor, is investigating the use of taxpayer resources for campaigns, as well as obstruction of justice. He has charged 22 people with ties to the House Democratic and Republican caucuses.

The first trial, for former state Rep. Sean Ramaley, a Beaver County Democrat, could go to a jury as early as today.

The Tribune-Review and other newspapers reported last week that House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne County, and Secretary of Revenue Stephen Stetler, a former lawmaker who chaired the House Democratic Campaign Committee, received letters to appear before the grand jury.

They have not responded to requests for interviews. Gov. Ed Rendell has said he expects that Stetler would testify before the grand jury.

Legal experts say the letters can be a precursor to facing criminal charges, though that is not always the case. They are a signal that a phase of the investigation is nearing an end.

Corbett began investigating the Legislature in February 2007, prompted by reports that House staffers who worked on political campaigns the previous year received millions of dollars in bonuses.

The investigation has since evolved into a much broader probe of public resources allegedly used for political work. Ten Republicans, including former Speaker John Perzel of Philadelphia, were charged in November with theft, conflict of interest and conspiracy. Corbett said they used millions in tax money for computer programs and equipment for campaigns. Perzel denies any wrongdoing.

Shortly after the probe began, DeWeese, then the majority leader, hired Chadwick Associates, led by former state Inspector General William Chadwick. On Nov. 13, 2007, DeWeese dismissed seven House Democratic staff members. DeWeese said then the dismissals were about trust and accountability. He turned over thousands of e-mails to investigators.

Corbett later charged five of those aides -- DeWeese chief of staff Mike Manzo, staff director Scott Brubaker, political analyst Brett Cott, personnel director Earl Mosely and information technologies director Steve Keefer -- in the bonus scandal.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_657057.html