Scarnati on 'Bonusgate'
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
State Senator Joe Scarnati says he applauds the efforts of a colleague to have a special session on ethics and reform convened.
Senator Jeff Piccola of Dauphin County cited the charges against one current and one former legislator, and 10 other people, in the "Bonusgate" investigation as one reason the special session is long overdue. Petitions are currently being circulated through the Legislature in an effort to have the session convened.
Scarnati says the Bonusgate situation is "egregious. It just totally destroys confidence in our Legislature. I'm embarrassed as a legislator."
"I have done everything I can do in the last year and a half to try to restore some respect and trust in what we do in the senate – passing numerous reforms, and making sure we changed the way business is being done in Harrisburg," he said.
The Bonusgate allegations had just come to light when Scarnati was elected President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
"As a newly elected leader, I didn't know anything about the bonuses," he said. "I found out bonuses were paid, and immediately asked for complete disclosure in the Senate Republican Caucus."
After obtaining a list of to whom the bonuses were paid, and how much the people got, Scarnati released the information to the media.
One of the revelations was that, while working for former Senate President Pro Tem Robert Jubelirer, Drew Crompton received a $19,467 bonus even though he spent at least three months off the state payroll so he could work on the failed gubernatorial campaign of Lynn Swann.
Crompton currently works in Scarnati's Harrisburg office.
As for the ongoing investigation into all four caucuses, Scarnati says Senate Republicans have "complied with all requests by the attorney general. I have made sure that there is no obstruction of justice, that any documents the attorney general wants, we have. We put into a place a policy of document retention, whereas those that were indicted – they were destroying documents."
"This is an embarrassment," Scarnati said. "This is an embarrassment to the Commonwealth, to every legislator."
He added that under his leadership, everything has been fully transparent and fully open.
"In no way have I impeded, or will I impede, any investigation. As a matter of fact, I like to say I was the guy who said 'Here's the information, and here's what we're doing with it.' … We've been fully cooperative, and we're going to continue to do that," he said.
"I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, if you violated any of the laws – if you're a past legislator, a past staffer – that individual needs to come before the grand jury and ultimately pay the price for breaking the law," Scarnati said.
When asked if a caucus leader could not know a situation such as Bonusgate was going on under his nose, Scarnati said it's not his place to say whether House Majority Bill DeWeese knew anything about the bonuses but "there needs to be a full public venting of what took place."
"Nobody in the Legislature should be above the law," he said. "I think that's a matter of the grand jury and attorney general – at the end of the day it will be flushed out."
DeWeese has said he believes the grand jury presentments have vindicated him, and he plans to run for Speaker of the House in the next legislative session.
Scarnati said people can look at Bonusgate and say, ultimately, the legal system does work.
"People are going to jail," he said, "and that's what should happen."
WESB/WBRR News Director
State Senator Joe Scarnati says he applauds the efforts of a colleague to have a special session on ethics and reform convened.
Senator Jeff Piccola of Dauphin County cited the charges against one current and one former legislator, and 10 other people, in the "Bonusgate" investigation as one reason the special session is long overdue. Petitions are currently being circulated through the Legislature in an effort to have the session convened.
Scarnati says the Bonusgate situation is "egregious. It just totally destroys confidence in our Legislature. I'm embarrassed as a legislator."
"I have done everything I can do in the last year and a half to try to restore some respect and trust in what we do in the senate – passing numerous reforms, and making sure we changed the way business is being done in Harrisburg," he said.
The Bonusgate allegations had just come to light when Scarnati was elected President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
"As a newly elected leader, I didn't know anything about the bonuses," he said. "I found out bonuses were paid, and immediately asked for complete disclosure in the Senate Republican Caucus."
After obtaining a list of to whom the bonuses were paid, and how much the people got, Scarnati released the information to the media.
One of the revelations was that, while working for former Senate President Pro Tem Robert Jubelirer, Drew Crompton received a $19,467 bonus even though he spent at least three months off the state payroll so he could work on the failed gubernatorial campaign of Lynn Swann.
Crompton currently works in Scarnati's Harrisburg office.
As for the ongoing investigation into all four caucuses, Scarnati says Senate Republicans have "complied with all requests by the attorney general. I have made sure that there is no obstruction of justice, that any documents the attorney general wants, we have. We put into a place a policy of document retention, whereas those that were indicted – they were destroying documents."
"This is an embarrassment," Scarnati said. "This is an embarrassment to the Commonwealth, to every legislator."
He added that under his leadership, everything has been fully transparent and fully open.
"In no way have I impeded, or will I impede, any investigation. As a matter of fact, I like to say I was the guy who said 'Here's the information, and here's what we're doing with it.' … We've been fully cooperative, and we're going to continue to do that," he said.
"I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, if you violated any of the laws – if you're a past legislator, a past staffer – that individual needs to come before the grand jury and ultimately pay the price for breaking the law," Scarnati said.
When asked if a caucus leader could not know a situation such as Bonusgate was going on under his nose, Scarnati said it's not his place to say whether House Majority Bill DeWeese knew anything about the bonuses but "there needs to be a full public venting of what took place."
"Nobody in the Legislature should be above the law," he said. "I think that's a matter of the grand jury and attorney general – at the end of the day it will be flushed out."
DeWeese has said he believes the grand jury presentments have vindicated him, and he plans to run for Speaker of the House in the next legislative session.
Scarnati said people can look at Bonusgate and say, ultimately, the legal system does work.
"People are going to jail," he said, "and that's what should happen."
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