DeWeese maintains innocence as jury receives corruption case
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HARRISBURG -- A Dauphin County jury will begin to consider the corruption case against Democratic state Rep. Bill DeWeese this morning, following a dramatic day of testimony from the defendant himself and both parties' closing remarks.
His attorney, William Costopoulos, summed up the charges that Mr. DeWeese directed legislative employees to do campaigning during state work hours as "cheap shots" from state prosecutors.
In his parting words to jurors, Mr. Costopoulous said the 61-year-old Waynesburg lawmaker perhaps trusted the staffers to whom he delegated too much. Mr. DeWeese left paperwork detailing how staffers managed their time to aides as he debated and traveled in his role as caucus leader, the attorney said.
"Even if [staffers'] leave slips weren't in order at all, [prosecutors] still have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he knew it and condoned it, and that's not consistent with the evidence you heard," Mr. Costopoulos said. "I don't know what more the guy could do."
A darker picture was painted by Deputy Attorney General Kenneth Brown, whose summation depicted the onetime House speaker using his powerful role to force his subordinates to do campaigning, intentionally stealing tax dollars and those employees' private time for his own political benefit.
"Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" asked Mr. Brown as he stood inches from the defendant's chair.
As jurors weigh those competing narratives, they'll have nearly three hours of testimony from Mr. DeWeese to measure against those arguments. The lawmaker, charged with six counts of theft, conflict of interest, and conspiracy, reiterated his claim of innocence Wednesday.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Mr. DeWeese said, as 40 or so onlookers, including his mother and girlfriend, watched. "I don't believe I needed any immunity and still feel that way."
First Published February 2, 2012 12:00 am
