Six-week Bonusgate trial coming to a close
Share with others:
HARRISBURG -- Closing arguments are expected today and Friday in the criminal trial of former state Rep. Mike Veon and three former aides.
Fifty-two witnesses testified during the six-week trial, including two sitting lawmakers, one former lawmaker and dozens of House Democratic staffers.
Those called by the prosecution described a powerful campaign operation run out of legislative offices in Harrisburg and Beaver Falls using state employees, public computers and millions of tax dollars.
Witnesses called by the defense, though, said virtually all the campaign work they saw was performed after regular working hours and outside state offices.
None of the defendants testified.
After court Wednesday, defense attorneys said the prosecution made such a poor case that there was no need for their clients to take the stand.
William Fetterhoff, attorney for Stephen Keefer, said "there was no substantial evidence for him to rebut. ... The evidence against him was very, very slim."
Mr. Keefer is former director of information technology for the House Democratic caucus.
Along with Mr. Veon and former legislative aides Brett Cott and Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink, he is charged with theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest. The four are accused of scheming to use taxpayer dollars to run political campaigns.
At the core of the case are allegations that they distributed taxpayer-funded bonuses to staffers as rewards for campaign work.
The defense agrees that there had been such a scheme, but they say their clients had no part in it.
Mrs. Perretta-Rosepink managed Mr. Veon's district office in Beaver Falls, where Capitol staffers testified they were sent to work on campaigns. But her attorney, Michael Palermo, says she had no authority to send anyone anywhere. It was Mr. Veon's Capitol chief of staff, Jeff Foreman, who sent them, Mr. Palermo said.
"They knew when they left the Capitol where they were going. They were going to campaign. They didn't need Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink to tell them to campaign," he said after court Wednesday.
Mr. Foreman also was charged in the case and entered a guilty plea as part of an agreement to cooperate with prosecutors.
First Published March 11, 2010 12:00 am
