Oh, how the mighty have fallen.It seems like only yesterday that campaign maven Tom "Scissorhands" Severson was convicted of criminal harassment and misdemeanor disorderly conduct during a Pen Argyl funeral mass, in which he bizarrely launched into several profanity-laced tirades against Northampton County Council member Ron Angle. Now, the other shoe is ready to drop.
Severson will be indicted by a statewide grand jury on Thursday. According to two anonymous sources who have asked to remain anonymous, he will be charged with election law violations as a result of several anonymous mailers he circulated to smear Brain Monahan in a Northampton County magistrate's race nearly two years ago. Immediately after that campaign, the Joe Long Democrats hired Severson to launch a series of sleaze mailers and anonymous robo calls against Ron Angle and Peg Ferraro, who were running for Northampton County Council. Angle and Ferraro were easily elected and Northampton County Democrats still owe Severson $6,586.45.
No matter how you slice it, this indictment should be an embarrassment to the Joe Long Democrats.
Two years ago, Brian Monahan, a Republican lawyer, was in a three-way battle for magistrate with designer Cindy Greene, another Republican, and Easton councilman Dan Corpora, a Democrat.
About a week before the election, the bombs started dropping, not from the sky, but from mailboxes. In three massive and anonymous mailings, Monahan was unfairly and maliciously tarnished as an unethical lawyer who obstructs justice. He was falsely accused of preventing "the prosecution of a heinous double murder."
These unsigned mailers violate The Elections Code.
* A person who pays for a direct mailing designed to influence an election must "clearly and conspicuously" identify himself. The author can be anonymous, but the person who pays must disclose.
* Any person who spends more than $100 to advocate the defeat of a clearly identified candidate, is subject to the same reporting requirements as any candidate or committee.
* Any person making an independent expenditure of $500 or more after the final pre-election report, must report that expenditure within 24 hours.
* Violating these laws is a misdemeanor that can get you two years in Northampton County's overcrowded slammer, and District Attorney John Morganelli or Attorney General Tom Corbett has full authority to prosecute.
These smear tactics affected the candidates. In fact, after the race was over, Greene filed her own expense report late. "Why file anything? A lot of people don't even want to vote anymore. I can guarantee you I don't get any special privileges. I am going to pay a late fee, but some people are above the law."
This prosecution should prove to Cindy and everyone else that no one, not even Scissorhands Severson, is above the law.
19 comments:
It's about time! This is too long coming. If our DA Morganelli hadn't been so busy lying and protecting Severson maybe we wouldn't have had to endure Severson's illegal and despicable tactics for years.
Beenie, weren't you the one who forged your client's name to a document ending a lawsuit you represented him in for $33.45 ? Didn't you lose your permission to be a lawyer because of this ? How come you weren't prosecuted ? Did it have something to do with the fact that your Dad was a Da and personal friends with the DA at the time ?
Aren't Grand Jury proceeding supposed to be secret ? If Severson isn't being indicted until Thursday, doesn't this constitue a leak from the grand jury ? Is there a specific statute on this ?
7:54 - will you please tell us what your post has to do with the topic at hand?
Grand juries do meet secretly, but the witnesses who appear cannot be muzzled. Neither can a blogger or news reporter who happens to discover what is going on. The First Amendment allows me to tell readers about what goes on in a grand jury.
Anon 8:49, It's an attempt to divert attention away from the real issues by the Joe Long Dems.
what are the chances that severson drags joe long down with him?
As far as I'm concerned, he already has. This is who the Joe Long Dems hired to go after Angle and ferraro. They did so knowing full well about Severson bc most of them have been victims at one time or another. They danced with the devil.
The party really needs to rid itself of the autocrats who decide from on high who we must support.
Very surprised anyone would use Severson at this point. Is it confirmed Narlesky and Tashner are using him?
I can confirm that Narlesky is using Severson and will check into Taschner.
Bernie, personally, I hope that Joe Long remains the Democratic County Chair for a very LONG time (very bad pun intended)!
well, I think you knew what I meant: is Joe Long going to be charged with election law violations.
frankly, I don't care what you think about long (though I agree with your assessment). I was asking about the possibility of legal charges in connection with Long.
You really have to question the judgment of a judge candidate who would choose a consultant known for his sleaze strategies.
So far as I know, the only person being charged w/ election law violations at this time is Severson, but he knows where all the bodies are buried.
Is that why Ann is only using $8000 of her $20000, to pay the debt owed to Severenson?
I got a polling call last night from one of Severson's company's pseudonyms (Horizon) about the judge race. Any chance the indictment will derail the evil, anonymous phone calls that will be made this weekend that inevitably follow whenever Severson's candidate is behind? Or will one of his minions follow standard PMI strategy?
I'm sure the calls will continue but can't help but think ethey will be even less effective than they were the last time.
Commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete anonymous personal attacks.
Then you should delete your entire blog
The truth hurts even more than those anonymous personal attacks, doesn't it?
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