It's not looking good for the truth in the House Democrats' salary bonus case. Last week, rather than issue a perfunctory "We will be vindicated in court," spokesmen and lawyers for Pennsylvania's House Democratic Caucus clammed up before reporters who wanted to know why the lawmakers are trying to quash subpoenas for seven staffers to appear before an investigating state grand jury.

Geez. Where in the eighth-grade civics book does it say public servants should feel they don't have to answer the public's questions?

The issue arose when House Democratic leaders paid out $1.9 million in bonuses to staff in 2006, a legislative election year. Not only was the extra pay much larger than that handed out in 2005, but the Post-Gazette reported that four-fifths of the 100 staff members who received the biggest bonuses -- $5,700 to $28,000 -- either donated money to or worked on the political campaigns of Democratic leader Bill DeWeese, his later-ousted No. 2 Mike Veon or the House Democratic Campaign Committee. Using public dollars for political work is illegal.

At the outset, Mr. DeWeese asked recipients in a letter to keep the bonuses quiet. When the press got wind of it, a House spokesman said the extra pay, provided by taxpayer dollars, was "an internal personnel matter." Uh-huh.

Now the same crowd, after House records were seized by state Attorney General Tom Corbett and subpoenas were issued to House staff, is trying to stonewall the investigation. Mr. DeWeese's silence is beyond deafening -- it's damning.

State employees have an obligation to speak to the grand jury. State legislators should get either out of their way or out of office.