People Asking Really Hard Questions of Corbett on Live Chat Blog

[JPZenger]

http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/2010/04/live-chat-with-gubernatorial-candidate-tom-corbett-r.html#comments

The Morning Call is sponsoring a live chat blog with Tom Corbett. Some people know how to ask really hard questions. I'm curious if any get answered. Here's some examples:

"Does Mr. Corbett have any comment on the Tom Kimmett accusations of misuse of taxpayer funds by the AG's office?

The Kimmett matter is in litigation and it would be inappropriate for you to comment? You and your office supply comments to the media at the drop of a hat on the bonusgate hearings which are still in litigation...why the hypocrisy?

Why did deputy AG Tony Krastek in the initial Veon Preliminary Hearing argue that the evidence had met the relatively low legal standard for preliminary hearings, 'not whether a jury might convict or would convict', and that Veon's charges should proceed, but your office in the rape claims against the District Attorney of Bedford County, a political ally of yourself, your office argued exactly the opposite and said the standard was whether a jury might convict?

How will Mr. Corbett develop policy in light of the massive campaign donations he has accepted from unions, gas exploration companies, and trial lawyers? Can he remain free of bias or will he pay back these contributors at the expense of PA taxpayers?

Did Corbett on behalf of the OAG settle the Federal lawsuit filed against him and his office by Tom Kimmett to quiet Mr. Kimmett and agree to his transfer so discovery would not be done and prove the accuracy of his claims?

Yesterday in North Huntingdon, you said "There are some very powerful people out there who want to get even with me" because of your "bonusgate" investigation. Who are they?

I'd like to know what Tom Corbett and his campaign manager Brian Nutt were discussing with John Perzel in 2007, without any investigators or prosecutors present, and why subpoenas were issued to House Republicans three weeks later.

What was the purpose of the hundreds of phone calls Mr. Corbett's state-paid OAG staff made to and accepted from campaign workers on state phones during state time in the months leading up to his last election?

Might the OAG have been able to recover more evidence when it finally went after the House Republicans if Mr. Corbett hadn't given the caucus the go-ahead to replace its computers in the summer of '07? Does he now regret that decision?

Why did the OAG wait a full year after subpoenas were issued to House Republicans before holding hearings compelling them to comply?

Would like to know why Corbett didn't pursue criminal charges against former State Rep. Matt Wright who was recently found by the Ethics Commission to have violated the law nearly exactly the same way Veon and DeWeese and Perzel and Feese did?

Were agents of the Attorney General's Office frequently dispatched to intimidate Tom Corbett's critics, or was the case of John Galloway in February an isolated incident?

There have been reports of hundreds of phone calls being made between Corbett's campaign cell phones and his taxpayer funded phones at the Office of Attorney General. Corbett has said that his calls were for official state business. But, what were the calls between campaign staff and OAG staff about? What official business were people like Joe Murzyn, Marie Conley and Nan McLaughlin conducting? Especially Nan and Marie since they were never employees of the OAG?

I've had a chance to read the Orie presentment and it appears that there was a lot of political material on the Senate Republican Caucus' servers and system. Can Corbett tell us how his investigation missed this evidence given that he subpoenaed the Republican State Senate Caucus for this type of material? Does he believe the Senate Republicans weren't responsive to his subpoenas?
Posted By: Larry Zabisco | Apr 26, 2010 10:24:02 AM

Now that there have been a few weeks for the dust to settle, I'd like for Corbett to explain how he allowed a receptionist to turn away Jennifer Riojas, the Orie whistleblower. It seems strange that a receptionist would make the decision to refer a whistleblower to a local district attorney without checking with an investigator or a Deputy Attorney General. Or, does Corbett give his receptionists the power to make those decisions?"

[JPZenger]

1. Unfortunately

Unfortunately, Corbett didn't answer these questions, except the one about Orie.