Newspaper: Withhold pay from Bonusgate defendants

Everyone deserves their day in court and an indictment is not proof of guilt, but when it comes to people accused of mishandling taxpayer dollars, there should be another standard, according to the Reading Eagle.

In an editorial, the newspaper says "Public figures accused of crimes should be suspended and their pay put into escrow accounts until the charges are resolved."

Makes sense to me.

From the editorial, which also calls for House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese to step down:

No individual who is accused of violating the public trust should be permitted to continue in his or her job and get paid with public funds while charges are pending.

This law would not apply to Veon and the other former officials who no longer are feeding at the public trough unless they receive a state pension. Then the pension should be held in escrow until the charges are resolved.

At the same time, House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, a Greene County Democrat, under whose leadership these offenses reportedly occurred, has an obligation to the people of the commonwealth to at least step down from his leadership role until the charges are resolved.

DeWeese has not been charged, although the investigation continues, and he has claimed he knew nothing of what was taking place during his watch.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.