Prosecutor says powerful Pa. lawmaker used other people's money (Fumo)

[Nambe]

Source: By MARYCLAIRE DALE | Associated Press Writer

An influential state senator motivated by "greed, power and a profound sense of entitlement" used $3.5 million of "other people's money" to live a lavish lifestyle and pursue his political agenda, a federal prosecutor said to begin the lawmaker's corruption trial Wednesday.

Sen. Vincent Fumo was obsessed with money and collected expensive power tools the way some people collect stamps or coins, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pease told jurors in an 80-minute opening statement.

The 65-year-old Democrat is accused of using $3.5 million in funds from the Senate, a maritime museum and a nonprofit to fund an extravagant lifestyle and a potent political machine. He has pleaded not guilty to 139 counts of fraud and obstruction.

Senate staffers cleaned Fumo's home, did his shopping, oversaw construction at his Philadelphia mansion, drove his children to school and even drove 60 miles round trip to have his clothes laundered, Pease said. Other Senate staffers spied on his ex-wife and girlfriends and conducted partisan political activities on state time, he said. ...

Read more: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-pennsylvania-corruption-trial,0,7664804.story

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[The Backlash Cometh]

1. What a jerk.

[kestrel91316]

2. Send this disgraceful SOB off to prison and throw away the key.

And make him reregister as a Republican, because we don't tolerate this crap in the Democratic Party.

[musette_sf]

3. wtf with the derby?

just give this douche a monocle too.

[jody]

4. In my experience corrupt politicians are in both parties. They should all be serving max sentences.

[torbird]

5. Run this MF'er out of town!

We don't need this kind of scum in the Democratic Party. Period.

[HeraldSquare212]

6. It's about time. Philly still is, as Mencken said, corrupt and content.

[jlacivita]

7. As a philadelphia resident I can tell you this trial is very partisan

Sen. Fumo has being pushing Democratic principle's in PA since 1978.

While i don't know the details of what he may have done, I do know that this case is being pushed by state Republicans as a way to destroy a powerful Democrat, and there's even suggestion that this is something Bush himself is behind, in order to weaken Democrats in PA.

I guess my two points are 1) that "article" is just the prosecution's partisan opening statement, so don't assume its all true and 2) Fumo has done a ton for PA, so I think we should give him a little more benefit of the doubt than i've seen in this thread.

[Demit]

11. If you are a Philadelphia resident, you would know what he has done.

Yes, he's a Democrat, but he sees himself as some kind of godfather. That's not the way elected officials should act. Plus, he's made sure to feather his own nest first. This has been an open secret for a long time. You can for sure assume it is all true. It's time for him and his like to go.

[hfojvt]

8. that guy has been in the State Senate for 30 years

Claims that he works 24/7 as a Senator and thus cannot distinguish between his private life and his public life and thus cleaning his house is legal since he works there.

I know a County commissioner who made the same claim about his job, but here in Kansas, being a legislator is a part-time job. In "Locked in the Cabinet" labor Secretary Robert Reich described a typical day starting at 6 in the morning with a breakfast meeting and ending at 9 at night with a dinner meeting. Perhaps he put his commute in there too. I cannot find the book now to quote it.

I found this "defense" to be particularly rich.
"Cogan countered that it was permissible for the nonprofits to give Fumo token noncash compensation, such as the use of the maritime museum's yacht or, in the case of Citizens' Alliance, "some consumer goods.""

So $100,000 worth of tools is just "token" compensation. :wtf:

[Winterblues]

9. Give him his day in court but if found guilty I certainly won't defend him..

No more than I would if he were a Republican..

[ladywnch]

10. why did he have to be a Democrat! get ready, here comes the 'elitist' meme again.