Pa. grand jury investigating GOP use of database

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Philly Inquirer

PHILADELPHIA - A grand jury is investigating whether Pennsylvania House Republican leaders illegally used a taxpayer-funded database as a campaign tool to better focus their messages to voters.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday that the state attorney general's office is investigating the use of the database. It's part of the office's probe into whether legislative employees were improperly paid from state coffers for campaign work.

Former Republican leader John Perzel says no one in his office used the database.

Twelve House Democratic legislators and staffers were charged in July with conspiring to award taxpayer-funded bonuses to legislative staffers who did campaign work.

The grand jury probe has since widened to include the House Republican caucus. No Republican has been charged.

NOTE: Short article from Philly Inquirer seen in its entirety here

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20081116_ap_pagrandjuryinvestigatinggopuseofdatabase.html

[creeksneakers2]

1. Members of the legislature have always used state resources

for their campaigns.

The Attorney General singled out house Democrats first. We'll see if the rest of the caucuses are treated the same way.

[Robbien]

2. This is not solely about using state resources

This is about the GOP using state resources, then arranging taxpayer money to give bonuses to the state employees who served the GOP campaign.

Corruption on top of corruption on top of corruption. GOPers don't hid their corruption, they steal taxpayer money to award people who helped them steal taxpayer resources.

[JimDandy]

3. Why don't they state the name of the database?

For all we know it could be PA's voter registration database.