Feuding Dems will let judge help decide who owns legal papers
Share with others:
HARRISBURG -- Two groups of feuding House Democrats will let a retired Dauphin County judge try to resolve a dispute over attorney records related to the so-called Bonusgate investigation.
Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, the new House Democratic leader, has filed a suit against attorney Bill Chadwick, who was hired by the previous Democratic leader, Rep. Bill DeWeese of Waynesburg, to counsel House Democratic members and staffers in Attorney General Tom Corbett's probe of whether taxpayer-funded bonuses were illegally paid for campaign work done in 2006.
Mr. Eachus, who took over as House Democratic leader in December, contends the Chadwick records are the property of the Democratic caucus and wants them turned over. But Mr. Chadwick said some of the files are protected by his attorney-client privilege with Mr. DeWeese and is refusing to hand them over.
Dauphin County Common Pleas Judge Lawrence Clark last week suggested that G. Thomas Miller, a retired judge, might serve as a "special master'' to try to settle the case. Both groups of Democrats agreed today to submit their differences to Judge Miller, said Brett Marcy, an Eachus spokesman. If either side dislikes Judge's Miller's ruling, it can be appealed, however.
First Published March 18, 2009 3:46 pm
