The election isn't until Nov. 4, 2008, but the political career of Pennsylvania House Democratic Majority Leader Bill DeWeese may have come to an end on Oct. 9, 2008.The answer to the question, "What did Bill DeWeese know and when did he know it?" has been answered in a courtroom.
Michael Manzo, DeWeese's former chief of staff, one of 12 Democrats facing criminal charges in the Bonusgate investigation, testified in court today that DeWeese knew about the diversion of tax dollars to pay state workers doing political work on behalf of the Democratic Caucus.
DeWeese is not one of the 12 facing charges and has repeatedly denied knowing that millions of dollars in taxpayer funds were being used for political purposes.
It strains credulity to believe that DeWeese's chief of staff and his right-hand-man, former state Rep. Mike Veon, hatched the scheme to steal the 2006 House elections without DeWeese knowing about it.
DeWeese's opponent on Nov. 4 is reform candidate Greg Hopkins.
Several prominent Democrats in the House have already called for DeWeese to resign. Today's court testimony won't make it any easier for DeWeese to hang on to power.
The "Bonusgate" scheme involved paying legislative staffers state funds for working on political campaigns.
In addition to helping the Democrats regain control of the state House for the first time in 12 years, the staffers also worked on state time to have Ralph Nader knocked off the Pennsylvania ballot in 2004. That may have helped John Kerry win Pennsylvania.
Read more at PolitickerPA.com
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