Dem Party Boss Joe Long Makes Third Statewide Grand Jury Appearance

For over a year, a statewide grand jury has been probing the deceptive campaign tactics of political consultant Tom "Scissorhands" Severson, who was hired by local Democrats in 2007 for a smear campaign against Northampton County Council members Peg Ferraro and Ron Angle. Senior Deputy Attorney General E. Marc Costanzo, has already charged Severson himself with 55 counts of what The Express Times calls "fraud and deception," as a result of his attempts to hide his identity in filed campaign finance reports. But during a preliminary hearing in this matter, it became apparent that Costanzo is suspicious about Long Dems who helped Severson in what amounts to a conspiracy to keep the public in the dark.

Council members Charles Dertinger and Lamont McClure have already been summoned twice to appear before this grand jury, with the most recent trip having occurred in October. At a debate in Wind Gap, Dertinger refused to say what he was doing there.

I've since learned that Dem Boss Joe Long made his third appearance before that grand jury on Monday. Apparently, Long has given differing explanations about just what was going on, and some of his accounts have been rebutted by other witnesses.

Well over a year ago, County Exec John Stoffa's requested that Long step down, condemning the party boss' "ill-advised use of a political consultant now under investigation by the state Attorney General's office."

Perhaps other prominent Democrats should ask Long to leave too, while there's still a Democratic party left in Northampton County.