Last week saw Bill DeWeese lose key support from a major force in the Democratic caucus as Josh Shapiro (D-Montgomery), Deputy Speaker of the House, called on DeWeese to step down. Also last week came a new Quinnipiac University poll showing 53 percent of voters believing DeWeese should resign his leadership post because of bonusgate.

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The entire issue regarding bonuses paid to legislative staffers for illegal campaign work during the years 2004, 2005 & 2006 took on a new and explosive twist yesterday.  During a mid-afternoon press conference in Harrisburg Attorney General Tom Corbett announced major criminal charges against a current and a former state lawmaker and 10 others as part of an ongoing grand jury probe into bonuses paid to employees of the legislature and the possibility that state resources were used in political campaigns.

Corbett announced criminal charges for the following during the hour long press conference: former Rep. Mike Veon (D-Beaver), current Rep. Sean Ramaley, D-Beaver and Allegheny counties; Mike Manzo, the former chief of staff to House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene; and former caucus director of staffing and administration, Scott Brubaker; Rachel Manzo, an aide to House Democratic Majority Policy Chairman Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne; Jennifer Brubaker, director of the Democrats’ legislative research office, Brett Cott, a former administrative director to former Beaver County Democratic House member Mike Veon; and Jeff Foreman, who was Veon’s former chief of staff and works for House Majority Whip Keith McCall, D-Carbon. (more…)