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HARRISBURG -- A statewide grand jury has accused former House speaker H. William DeWeese, D-Greene, in a wide-ranging investigation into the use of state employees and resources in political campaigns.
Also accused in today's presentments are Revenue Secretary Stephen Stetler, who resigned his cabinet post this morning, and Sharon Rodavich, an aide in Mr. DeWeese's district office in Waynesburg.
Mr. DeWeese is charged with one count of conflict of interest, four counts of theft and one count of criminal conspiracy
The charges do not implicate Mr. DeWeese, 59, of Waynesburg, in the payment of taxpayer funded bonuses to state employees who were used in campaigns in 2004 and 2006 -- the scandal that triggered a three-year probe by Attorney General Tom Corbett.
This summer, one former DeWeese staff member, Kevin Sidella, testified before the grand jury under a grant of immunity. Investigators believed Mr. Sidella was kept on the state payroll in Mr. DeWeese's Capitol office where his primary job consisted of making fundraising calls and organizing Mr. DeWeese's reelection campaigns.
PDFThe grand jury said that both Mr. Sidella and Michael Manzo, Mr. DeWeese's former chief of staff who is facing charges in the bonus investigation, testified that Mr. Sidella did little legislative work and that "it was always clear from the interview on, that Sidella's primary function was to be DeWeese's campaign fundraiser."
The grand jury's findings now mean that two former House speakers are under pending charges. Last month, the grand jury accused former Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, of misusing more than $10 million in state monies to purchase databases he used in Republican House contests.
Mr. DeWeese was absent from the floor today as the House was gaveled into session.
The trio charged today were the only state officials or employees accused by the grand jury, though the document included extensive interviews with members of the DeWeese staff as well as the House Democratic Campaign Committee.
Ms. Rodavich is accused of working virtually full time on political chores while on the state payroll and the presentment includes the account of a former DeWeese district staff employee who said she was transferred to an outlying office after raising questions about the use of state time for campaigns.
Ms. Rodavich, 53, of Carmichaels, faces one count of conflict of interest, four counts of theft and one count of criminal conspiracy.
Mr. Stetler, 60, of York, is charged with one count of conflict of interest, four counts of theft one count criminal conspiracy.
He resigned this morning after informing the governor's staff that he is being charged in connection with an ongoing criminal probe into corruption in the state legislature. A senior official in Gov. Ed Rendell's administration confirmed Mr. Stetler's resignation, which took place at 9 a.m.
Among allegations against Mr. Stetler is that, while in the House, he assigned a staff member to work on a mayoral race in his hometown of York.
Mr. Rendell, during a morning press conference on the state budget, said he was saddened by Mr. Stetler's departure from the cabinet but cautioned against drawing conclusions as to his former revenue secretary's guilt or innocence. He pointed to the recent acquittal of one of the early Bonusgate defendants, former state Rep. Sean Ramaley, D-Beaver.
"You cannot have a high-ranking public official function with a cloud like that over his head," Mr. Rendell said of Mr. Stetler.
Mr. Rendell said that the recent spate of prosecutions of high-profile politicians from former State Sen. Vincent Fumo, D-Philadelphia, to former House Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, has been dispiriting.
"As a human being, I feel sad, because many of these people were my friends," Mr. Rendell said.
The presentment comes three weeks after word surfaced that three top Democrats, including two members of the House leadership, had received letters inviting them to appear before the jury. Such letters have traditionally preceded the filing of charges.
One of the leaders who received a letter from the grand jury, House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, this morning was cornered outside an elevator by reporters and asked about his status.
"I have no comment on this investigation," he said. "I have been consistent about that."
House Speaker Keith McCall took the same position.
"There's no comment until we know what's going on ourselves," he said.
Should any caucus leaders be required to step down from their leadership posts, caucus rules dictate that House Democrats must gather within two weeks to elect successors.
With the gambling expansion bill pending, one senior legislative staffer suggested that, should two members of the House leadership face charges, the legislature might not go into session today.
House members are in the Capitol today for a session with one key piece of legislation -- a bill to legalize table games at Pennsylvania casinos -- unresolved. On Monday night they passed a bill authorizing state subsidies to a number of so-called "non-preferred" institutions, including five state-related universities, six months after the state passed its budget deadline.
With a possible shakeup pending in the House leadership should any leaders be charged, the assembly could be thrown into chaos. Caucus rules require leaders to step down from their positions if they are criminally charged.
Mr. DeWeese did not attend today's legislative session. In a scene fraught with irony, it was Mr. Eachus, as majority leader, who submitted a request to the House to excuse "the gentleman from Greene County" from attendance. Mr. Eachus, exuding confidence, attended the session.
Mr. Corbett,a Republican, is seeking his party's nomination for governor next spring.
Tracie Mauriello contributed to this report.
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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