Kane in Cuffs

Kathleen Kane's fall from grace is now complete. Once a rising star touted as Pennsylvania's next US Senator or governor, she was clapped in handcuffs yesterday after being sentenced to 10-23 months of county jail time for leaking grand jury materials. She pleaded with the judge for a sentence that would allow her to remain with her two sons, but the judge told her she put herself in that situation.

Kane's stay in jail was short-lived because she posted bail. But when she got back to her black Land Rover, there was a $28 parking ticket attached to the windshield.

Not a good day for her.

Not a good day for Democratic AG candidate Josh Shapiro, either. In a debate on the same day that Kane was sentenced, republican AG candidate slammed Shapiro as  "Kathleen Kane in a suit,"notingthat Shapiro has even less experience in a courtroom than Kane did.

Rafferty, himself a former prosecutor, is right. Shapiro was also slammed because he obviously is using the AG's office as a stepping stone at a time when that demoralized office needs a prosecutor.

That's why I voted for Rafferty.

Is Hillary Taking Pa. For Granted? Or Has She Written State Off?

From 538

When she was at Liberty High School a few years ago, running against Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton reminded local Democrats that Lehigh Valley Congressman Paul McHale had voted to impeach her husband. Not very reassuring to anyone hoping that Hillary will have the Lehigh Valley's back.They voted for her anyway, but i would nor be so sure this time

538, a website that focuses on opinion polls, is concerned that Hillary Clinton is just a little too sure of winning Pennsylvania this Fall. She has undeniable lead in the polls and has set aside $137 million for television. But she's reserved no air time in the Keystone State, which is gone from Democrat to "toss up," according to NPR. Given the perception that many Pennsylvania Democrats are corrupt, from Chaka Fattah to Kathleen Kane to Fed Ed, this omission will hurt unless quickly remedied.

From 538:

"Many Democrats take Pennsylvania for granted because it hasn’t voted Republican in a presidential election since 1988. But in 2012, its margin for President Obama was just 5.4 percentage points, equal to his margin in Colorado and less than his margins in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada — all states included in early pro-Clinton ad reservations this year. Moreover, unlike those four states, Pennsylvania has trended toward Republicans over time, thanks to its older, whiter and more working-class electorate."

*          *          *

"So far this year, 73,543 Democratic registrants have switched to the GOP. The switchers mostly live in heavily white, working-class counties, and most did so in advance of the April 26 primary, presumably to vote for Trump. Trump took 57 percent statewide, but he took 70 percent in Fayette County (Uniontown) and 77 percent in Luzerne County (Wilkes-Barre) — locales that recorded two of the highest rates of party switching."

Political corruption among Pa. Democrats should reach a crescendo toward the end of the summer, when Attorney general Kathleen Kane goes to trial. In the meantime, federal investigations and guilty pleas have painted Democratic elected officials in a very poor light. Democrats are certainly going to lose the Attorney general's seat, and could lose every row office, especially with an inept Governor who needlessly dragged out a budget fight that he ultimately lost.

It could be that Hillary is not taking Pa. for granted. Remember, this is the state derided by then candidate Barack Obama for clinging to guns and religion.

She may have written the state off.

Pa. Making Serious Bid as Most Corrupt State

Late last year, the Center For Public Integrity gave Pennsylvania an "F" in the integrity department, noting a "lack of legislative or executive accountability and the absence of effective ethics entities, as well as weak laws and lackluster oversight of lobbying, political finance, and elections."

Obama and Fattah

I know you can't go lower than an "F", but the first five months of this year show that Pennsylvania is off to a promising start at overdue recognition as the most corrupt state in the Union. Move over, Michigan! Here's what's going on right now.

US Congressman Chaka Fattah - On trial for racketeering. US Senator Bob Casey testifies he was pressured to get ambassadorship for lobbyist who provided cash and gifts to Fattah. This trial should last at least eight weeks, and the Dem Convention in Philly should make for some interesting stories. (Source: Inky)

Attorney General Kathleen Kane. - Trial on obstruction and Pa. Docket Sheets).

Kane has very own mug shot

perjury charges scheduled in Montgomery County on August 8, 2016. She has filed motion to quash based on selective and vindictive prosecution. She will be crashing an burning just as the presidential race heats up.  (Source

Former State Treasurer Rob McCord - After his guilty plea to extortion, Judge John E. Jones III has scheduled a status conference on 10/12/16 in Harrisburg. His taped phone calls will drive the nails into Democratic coffins just in time for the election(Source: PACER)

Former Democratic political consultant Michael Fleck - After a guilty plea to bribery scheme in Reading and Allentown, his sentencing is scheduled for 7/25/16 in Philadelphia before Judge Juan R. Sánchez, 10 AM (Source: PACER)

Former Allentown Controller Mary Ellen Koval - After guilty plea to bribery scheme, sentencing scheduled for 7/26/16 in Philadelphia before Judge Juan R. Sánchez, 10 AM. (Source: PACER)

Fed Ed

Former Allentown Finance Director Garrett Strathearn - After guilty plea to bid rigging, sentencing scheduled for 7/27/16 in Philadelphia before Judge Juan R. Sánchez, 10 AM (Source: PACER)

Former Allentown Assistant Solicitor Dale Wiles - After guilty plea to bid rigging, sentencing scheduled for 9/8/16 in Philadelphia before Judge Juan R. Sánchez, 9 AM. (Source: PACER)

Allentown and reading pay-to-play entrepreneur Ramzi Haddad - Sentencing scheduled for 7/28/16 in Philadelphia before Judge Juan R. Sánchez, 10 AM. (Source: PACER)

Allentown and Reading Pay-to-Play Engineer Matthew McTish - Sentencing scheduled for 8/2/16 in Philadelphia before Judge Juan R. Sánchez, 2 PM. (Source: PACER)

Former Reading City Council President Francis Acosta - Sentenced by Judge Juan R. Sánchez to two years in prison over $1,800 bribe. (Source: Reading Eagle)

Former Mayoral Assistant Eron Lloyd - After guilty plea to bribery, sentencing scheduled for 9/8/16 in Philadelphia before Judge Juan R. Sánchez, 2 PM.(Source: PACER)

Look! A Republcan!

Former Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer - Unindicted, but featured prominently in federal charging documents as Public Official No. 1 (Source: PACER)

Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski. - Unindicted, but featured prominently in federal charging documents as Public Official No. 3 (Source: PACER)

Nazareth Mayor Carl Strye - Charges with skimming $8,000 from the Vigilance Hose, he is scheduled for arraignment on 6/23/16. (Source: Pa Docket Sheets)

Ex Seven Fields Mayor Edward Bayne- sentenced to seven years in federal prison after child porn conviction (Source: WKBN27)

Former Rendell Chief of Staff John Estey- Pre-sentence conference with Judge John E. Jones III on 8/29/16 in Harrisburg. (Source: PACER)

Darth Voter

State Senator Larry Farnese - Charged with diverting campaign funds, he has an Initial Appearance on 6/10/16 in Philadelphia. (Source: PACER)

Former Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed. - Bound over to face 144 charges of political corruption.

Former Philly Traffic Court Judge Michael J Sullivan. - Gets ten months for tax fraud. (Source: Inky)

Philadelphia State Rep.Vanessa Brown - Though she admitted her guilt to political corruption in Grand Jury Testimony concerning an undercover sting of State Reps in Philly, she is now claiming charges racially motivated and entrapment. (Source: Inky) Five other elected officials, including State Representatives and a traffic court judge, pleaded guilty or "no contest" last year.Brown's trial is currentyl scheduled for 7/18/16. (Source: Pa Docket Sheets)

Former Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Joseph O'Neill - pleads guilty to lying to FBI about case-fixing for Democratic fundraiser. (Source: Intelligencer)

Berks County Magisterial District Judge Timothy Dougherty. - Charged with stealing $113,000 from court, fire department. (Source: Intelligencer) The Court of Judicial Discipline has entered an interim suspension in the only action that has been filed against a judge this year. ... So far.

Former Supreme Court Justice Michael Eakin fined $50,000 by Court of Judicial Discipline despite resignation over lewd emails. (Source: Morning Call)

State Rep. Michael "Darth Voter" Schlossberg admits ghost voting in critical budget vote. (Source: NBC10).

Allentown School Director Ce-Ce Gerlach accepts scholarship funded in part by NIZ developer City Center, then votes in a closed session against pursuing an appeal on the the tax exempt status of the NIZ arena, thus accomplishing a violation of both the Sunshine Act and Ethics Act simultaneously. (Source: Gerlach's Facebook Page, Morning Call)

Pennsylvania Infected By Culture of Corruption

Two years ago, at a booth inside the Nazareth Diner, I had a meeting with a source who was upset over Attorney General Kathleen Kane's handling of a Grand Jury investigation into pay-to-play at the Pa. Turnpike Commission. Eight people, including a former State Senator and the ex-CEO of the Turnpike Commission had been charged, and Kane piously condemned these men for lining their pockets, but when the dust had finally settled, no one went to jail. They got slaps on the wrist. One of the participant was local engineer Matt McTish, but I ultimately decided against writing about it. Obviously, I made a mistake. I overlooked a culture of corruption that extends far beyond Allentown and Reading, and appears to have infected the entire state.

Let's back up a second and look at that Turnpike investigation. Consultants and contractors looking for work showered gifts on turnpike officials, including trips to Florida, golf outings, use of a Las Vegas condo and gist certificates. McTish admitted that he gave a $4,000 travel voucher to the Turnpike Commission CEO. Though he had "no reasonable explanation," he knew it wasn't "the right thing to do."

The turnpike commission investigation was finished by an Attorney General with ties to Ed Rendell. She even employs his former spokesperson. She didn't start it, and it was beginning to point in directions she did not want to go. So she cut sweetheart deals and ended the case before some of her supporters were dimed.

McTish not only got a free pass, but his firm continued to be awarded contracts by the state. He continued doing the wrong thing. His lawyer tried to paint him as a victim, but the facts reveal him as a willing participant in bribery who already had dodged one prosecution.

An example of this is his $5,000 contribution to AG Candidate Josh Shapiro a few months after his firm received a $1 million construction inspection services contract in Montgomery County. Why Shapiro accepted money from someone who admitted to bribery is a question that Republican nominee John Rafferty might want to ask.

Maybe McTish was buying insurance from another political hack. Whatever his motive, his luck has run out. The feds, unlike political prosecutors, don't play that game.

In recent days, they've been awful busy. On Friday, Governor Rendell's former Chief of Staff, John Estey, pleaded guilty to stealing $13,000 of $20,000 in sting money provided to him by the FBI. He donated the remaining $7,000 to then State Rep. Josh Shapiro ($2,500), State Rep. Dwight Evans ($1,000), State Sen. Vincent Hughes ($2,000), State Sen. Larry Farnese ($1,000) and State Sen. John Yudichak ($500). All either are or were Philadelphia politicians with deep ties to Ed Rendell and Dem party boss Marcel Groen.

One of these donees, Larry Farnese, has been indicted, too. On Tuesday, he was charged with misusing campaign funds in a vote-buying scheme to get himself elected to a ward leader position in Philly. The feds are obviously trying to roll him to name other people who have participated in a pay-to-play culture that was so apparent in the turnpike investigation that Kane ignored.

Evans is now running for the U.S. Congress, having beaten Chakah Fattah in the primary. Fattah is currently on trial for political corruption.

And Josh Shapiro, believe it or not, is the Democratic nominee for Attorney General.

He is connected to Estey and McTish and is an active participant in the pay-to-play culture that has gravitated out of Philly and extended its tentacles into Allentown and Reading.  But don't worry. He has an "integrity agenda."

Feds are doing their best to eradicate the rampant bribery and extortion going on between vendors like McTish and public officials like Pawlowski..This is a statewide problem, not just a local nightmare.

Getting closer to home, feds are reportedly looking at vacation stays by Fed Ed and his family at the Florida Keys home of Richard Somach, a partner in the Norris, McLaughlin law firm known as "Law Firm #4."

Jennifer Mann reportedly also spent time at Somach's Florida Keys home when she was a State Representative.

Neither Fed Ed nor Mann disclosed these vacations on their Statements of Financial Interests.

Also, in the first real sign of his involvement in this mess, NIZ developer J.B. Reilly also made his summer home in New Jersey available to Fed Ed. .

Instead of integrity agendas and other such bullshit, Pennsylvania needs to take a much harder line on campaign finances than it has ever done. But its legislative branch is a big part of the problem.

Updated 10:00 am: Does this culture of corruption include the rest of the Lehigh Valley? In Nazareth, we have a mayor charged with $8,000 in felony theft, and he and his Council think it's perfectly OK for him to stay in office. Bethlehem politicians are largely funded by CRIZ developers. In Easton, where its Mayor has used at least two false names to manipulate public opinion at lehifh Valley Live, we watch as the City forefeits $500,000 in billboard rent in a settlement with entrepreneur Abe Atiyeh. Only one Council member, Pete Melan, recuses himself. Decimated newspapers miss most of these stories, or purposely avoid writing about them for fear of losing access.

The McTish- Mann connection: - McTish was using former State Rep. and NIZ Queen Jennifer Mann as a "consultant" until the end of 2015, when he realized he as going tets-up. He also contributed $5,000 to Mann's dishonestly named "For the People" PAC. She also raked in $2,000 from Ramzi Haddad, who pleaded guilty to bribery.  she paid approximately that amount for lunches between January and March, and charged it to "For the People."

24/7 Wall Street Rates Pa. as 41st Worst State in the Nation

It's hard to believe that none states are worse off than Pennsylvania, but that's what 24/7 Wall Street concludes in its latest round-up of the best-run states in the nation. North Dakota is rated the best-run state, while New Mexico is at the bottom of the barrel. Here's the Keystone State assessment:

41. Pennsylvania
Debt per capita: $3,677 (20th highest)
Credit rating (S and P/Moody’s): AA-/Aa3
Unemployment rate: 5.1% (24th highest)
Median household income: $53,234 (22nd highest)
Poverty rate: 13.6% (20th lowest)

Pennsylvania is currently in the middle of a budget stalemate, as Democratic Governor Tom Wolf is in political gridlock with the state’s Republican legislature to reach an agreement on an annual budget. State officials missed the budget deadline, and over the four months of the proceedings, the budgetless state spent more than $27 billion — a considerable proportion of annual funds typically available to the state. Such spending in the state is unsustainable. Pennsylvania was one of seven states last fiscal year reporting no rainy day funds whatsoever. For Moody’s, these budget difficulties display poor fiscal management. The rating agency downgraded Pennsylvania’s credit rating this year to Aa3, one of the lowest of any state.

Four LV Legislators Will Skip Pa Society Gala

Yesterday, I pointed to the hypocrisy of state legislators and the Governor attending an upper crust gala with the Pa Society at Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria when they have demonstrated a complete inability to adopt a state budget. I contacted all members of the Lehigh Valley delegation. I've heard nothing from the senators, although I'm unsure my email to Senator Maria Scavello went through. I did hear from several state representatives, all of whom told me they will pass on the high society, especially if there's no budget.

State Rep. Steve Samuelson: "I will not attend. In fact, I have never attended the Pennsylvania Society.

1.       - We have work to do in Harrisburg.

2.       - Also, why isn’t this event held in Pennsylvania each year?

3.       - And since February 2015, the Waldorf Astoria – the site of the “Pennsylvania Society” – the has been owned by a Chinese insurance company ...

So, why would anyone who seeks to promote Pennsylvania’s economic prospects travel to New York City and boost the Chinese economy?

State Rep. Pete Schweyer: "Very simply, I will not be attending the PA Society Gala. I cannot in good conscience attend such an event in the absence of a budget. Of course I think we should be here Monday, November 30th as well; alas we aren’t scheduled for session at this point."

State Rep. Bob Freeman: "I will not be attending the PA Society Gala."

State Rep. Justin Simmons: "I will not be attending PA Society if the budget is not passed by then (highly doubt it will be)."

Several state reps have failed to respond, but my emails were bouncing, so don't hold a failure to rely against them.

Who Won Wolf-Corbett Debate?

Because I was at a Upper Mount Bethel Township Supervisors' meeting with Ron Angle and Mark "the bastard" Thatcher, I missed last night's gubernatorial debate between Democrat Tom Wolf and Republican Tom Corbett. Who came across better?

According to Democratic State Rep. Peter Daley, front-runner Wolf was "terrible." But Chris Borick, who is paid by newspapers to furnish polls, huffs that little things like debates have only a "modest impact" on elections.

I guess little things like seeing how candidates interact with each other, and how their ideas hold up, is meaningless to the poll man.

They will debate again on October 1 and October 8.

AAJ: Only Two Pa Senators Post Expenses

Above Average Jane has scoured the web pages of all 50 Pennsylvania State Senators, and reports that only two of them - Sen. Rob Teplitz (D-15) and Sen. Lloyd Smucker (R-13) - bother to list their expenses. And these are the folks who are gonna' ban gifts.

I-78 Makes Reader's Digest List of America's 7 Worst Roads

From Reader's Digest: The Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-78 and I-80 in Pennsylvania - “Vehicles have gotten wider and bigger since these roads were built, and they’re still very narrow. They’ve also got a lot of hills and curves, and people are always crossing over into the other lane when they go around a curve. Plus, their on-ramps are very short, and there’s not enough time for people to get up to highway speed. So you end up with lots of people running into the back of slow-moving vehicles as they’re getting off a ramp … It seems like they’ve been under construction forever. We like to say they have two seasons in Pennsylvania: winter and construction.” - Trucker Frank Silio, Miami

Palmyra July 4 Fireworks Gone Awry

How Well Do You Know Pennsylvania?

Larry Kisslinger sent me this link.