STATEMENT (12.15.09): This afternoon’s indictments by Attorney General Corbett provide yet another important look at the ugly underside of State Capitol politics. Using the generous power and prestige of elective office to raise money and discredit political opponents are practices that have been standard operating procedure for far too many Republican and Democratic leaders since my election to the State House in 1992. It’s my hope that these revelations will be the beginning of the end of abusive power politics in Harrisburg.

By all counts, the Attorney General’s work is half way there. The investigation into the political operations of all four caucuses has produced a multi-month parade of indictments and public scorn on alleged State House offenders. We await word on the investigation of the State Senate’s legendary, and well reported, political operation, and hope the process can be completed before the political season begins in earnest this January. For this investigation to inspire public confidence and encourage a new culture of ethical and moral behavior by officeholders, a complete, thorough investigation into legislative corruption is essential.

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