Corbett's AG protecting Paterno & Paterno's son Scott, GOP consultant.

[Divernan]

Comment following Pennlive article linked in OP:
http://www.pennlive.com /

Once again, Tom Corbett lets the people at the top off the hook. Only this time, the world is watching.

"Paterno wasn't charged, but if Sandusky is guilty he would be guilty," writes Mike Wise of the Washington Post. "Joe Pa knew, if the charges are true. They all knew. And they never told police."

"The chief question is this: If Curley, Schultz and Spanier believed it was no longer appropriate to allow Sandusky to bring children onto the Penn State campus – an act that suggests some concern over his behavior – how could they possibly believe his actions didn’t warrant a full police investigation?" Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports asks.

Inquirer columnist Bob Ford: Joe Paterno is done.

The Post-Gazette's Gene Collier: It's truly staggering that these professional academics -- including Paterno -- when faced with an allegation so serious and so sanctimoniously mishandled by the Catholic church almost simultaneously, somehow knew only the wrong thing to do.

Around the country, everyone wants to know: if Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President Gary Schultz are charged for failure to report a crime, why aren't Paterno and Spanier?

Welcome to Pennsylvania, and Tom Corbett's Office of Attorney General.

Paterno and Spanier aren't charged for the same reason Speaker Sam Smith wasn't charged in "Computergate." The same reason LeRoy S. Zimmerman wasn't charged in the Hershey Trust scandals. The list goes on.

The reason is that Tom Corbett's OAG simply doesn't charge the truly powerful and influential. (Until and unless he absolutely has to in order to protect his political career)

Joe Paterno, millionaire, friend of George H.W. Bush and father of Republican congressional candidate Scott Paterno - does anyone really think Corbett's OAG in a million years was going to charge that guy?

No, Corbett's OAG only charges public figures who are already unpopular, whose guilt the public already is predisposed to believe.

While the sports pundocracy sees heinous crimes in Paterno's and Spanier's failure to act upon their mere knowledge of a crime, no one seems bothered by Smith actual participation in crimes.

Smith signed the checks that paid for illegal software contracts, sat in on meetings about their use, was included on emails about the progress of the illegal scheme.

The case against Jerry Sandusky makes it clear that Paterno and Spanier knew about Sandusky's crimes and never reported them, and an outraged public demands to know why they're not arrested. The Computergate and case reveal far more culpability from Smit, but no one even notices, much less cares.
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[Divernan]

1. Heeeeeeere's Scott!

Scott Paterno is a Republican strategist and government affairs consultant specializing in issue-based strategic advocacy. Scott serves as senior opinion columnist for RocktheCapital.com, writing a twice-weekly column that appears on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He is also currently pursuing a master's degree in political science at Villanova University.

Over the past decade, Scott has worked as a big firm lawyer, deputy general counsel to the Pennsylvania Senate, a lobbyist and a communications specialist. In 2004, Scott was the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district, eventually losing to six-term incumbent Tim Holden after winning a six-way primary. He currently serves as the vice chairman of the Sustainable Energy Fund, a non-profit investment fund that seeks to expand sustainable energy development and deployment.

[blue neen]

2. Tom Corbett is not interested in protecting children from pedophiles.

King Marcellus Midas is only interested in protecting Big Oil and Big Gas companies.

Children, and the rest of us, be damned.

[badhair77]

3. Scott Paterno is a snake in the grass.

I don't think he ever expected the local outrage when he ran for Congress. It looked as though he thought he'd just sail into office on his name.

As a PSU alum I think Paterno and Spanier should go.

Don't get me started on Zimmerman and the Hershey Trust scandal. The whole of Harrisburg is becoming a snake pit.



Btw, there's an online petition to fire Spanier.

from the Alma mater:

"May no act of ours bring shame" - every Penn Stater knows these words

[JPZenger]

4. I read it differently

I read the situation very differently. When Corbett was AG, he never went after the powerful, unless they were Democrats (or a couple token Republicans from Philadelphia who are already out of political favor.)

It was only when a woman took over the AG's office that the prosecution of top Penn State officials happened. It was the new AG who was willing to take on this ole' boys network. It hopefully is a sign of good things to come (at least until a new AG takes office in Jan. 2013).

[NashVegas]

5. Why Are They Saying No One Told the Police?

Someone obviously did ... until we know otherwise, I'm withholding judgment on the uncharged.

[markpkessinger]

7. Here's the Grand Jury Report...

The current charges came about as a result of Sandusky's involvement with a student at a nearby high school (Central Mountain, in Clinton County) in 2009. That student told his parents, who immediately contacted school officials, who in turn immediately called the police. This prompted an investigation by PA's attorney general, who then convened a grand jury. It was the AG's investigation ithat uncovered the incident from 2002 that Joe Paterno, his graduate assistant and university officials all neglected to report to the police. Sandusky went on to abuse at least seven other boys after that.

The sad thing is, had Paterno, et al. acted in 2002 with the same dispatch that the Central Mountain School District officials acted in 2009, a serial abuser would have been stopped in his tracks.

Whatever the legal issues may be, the moral failure of all involved is unmistakable.

Here's the link to the Grand Jury report: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/11/06/sports/ncaafootball/20111106-pennstate-document.html

Read it for yourself.

[blue neen]

8. Sickening. Jerry Sandusky has been getting away with victimizing children for at least 20 years.

It is so hard to believe that none of these other coaches knew.

Football is not more important that children's safety.

This Grand Jury report made me cry...the University actually should have acted long before 2002.

[NashVegas]

9. If No One Reported It To Police in 2002

How did the AG find out about that incident?

I'm not questioning the moral bankruptcy of anyone who didn't report this to police or cooperate at a time when it would have counted, just wanting to wait for police / AG statements to clear up who did and who didn't.

[JPZenger]

10. 1995, 1997, 2002. 2009 incidents. 2011 Arrest. Still out on bail

The first incident that was allegedly known by some Penn State staff was around 1995. The Co. DA and U Police were called once, I believe after the 1997 incident, but they didn't do anything even though there was plenty of reason to be very suspicious. The 2002 incident was the most serious, and the police were never called. In 2009 a mother of a victim went to her son's high school to report abuse by Sandusky. The mother said the high school administration tried to talk her out of reporting the incident. She then went to her County Children and Youth agency and THEY were the only ones who called the police. I don't know if the County DAs did much at that time - there were at least 2 counties involved.

It would appear that Corbett may have sat on the case as Attorney General through 2009 and 2010. He was too busy with fundraisers, I guess. The new AG came into office in January 2011 and started more active prosecutions with a grand jury. Sandusky wasn't arrested until 2 years after the police were called for the 2009 crime. He is STILL out on bail. Someone just threw cinderblocks through the window of his house, so at least he probably not sleeping very soundly.

I heard a commentater on the radio say that MSNBC reported that Sandusky was still recruiting high school students for Penn State up until recently, however, I haven't confirmed that.

Meanwhile, while the grand jury investigation was well underway and everyone was being interogated, Penn State went ahead and named their new $8 million CHILD CARE CENTER after the Vice President who was allegedly most responsible for not doing anything to stop Sandusky.

[I Have A Dream]

6. I went to Penn State, and I am absolutely appalled by this.

:cry:  I don't give a damn about the university; those poor children.  :cry:

[LynneSin]

11. I'm starting to question Tom Corbett's involvement and investigation

The man had a serious scandal going on at Penn State when he was first notified back in 2009. When Corbett announced running for President in late2009/early 2010 - did he keep the case or turn it over to someone else to complete the investigation.

I watched the news and I got the impression that the case was put on the backburner while Corbett ran for Govenor which means Sandusky could have molested more children during that time period until he was busted.

It also means that the Board of Trustees were aware of the problems with Sandusky since the PA Governor automatically becomes a member of the PSU Board of Trustees. My impression was that Paterno was fired so the BoT could state that when they were aware of the issue they cleaned out the house.

But one member of the BoT was aware of the issues with Sandusky - that was Governor Tom Corbett.

It seems to me the governor was part of the cover-up.

[livetohike]

12. My thoughts too

I wonder if he knew anything about the 1998 case (that Gricar refused to prosecute). Corbett was AG (temporary) in 1997. Also, how long was Corbett on the Board of Trustees? I smell lots of corruption here. I hope it brings him down.

[JPZenger]

13. Governor is officially member of board of Trustees

Yes, Corbett should have made sure there was a real investigation when the Sandusky case was officially turned over to him in March 2009. Instead, it languished until January 2011 when the new AG and new State Police Commissioner came into office. The existence of an investigation was mentioned in newspaper articles around March 2011.

The Governor is officially on the board of trustees for Penn State. However, for the last 12 years according to Corbett, the Governor never showed up. That is customary with many boards - the Governor is officially a member but they send a staffer in their place.

The goal of the Penn State staff coverup, I believe, was to keep the board of trustees from finding out.

[durablend]

14. One "bright side" in all of this

Even the Republicans (voters) are starting to realize what an idiot they elected as governor and are turning on him.

Too bad they couldn't have figured that out before it was too late....