Kane loses her seventh spokesman, Casey takes the stand in Fattah’s trial and a look at Toomey’s Trump conundrum. Plus, last week’s Ups & Downs! Good morning politicos, here’s the Playbook!
5/27 Ups & Downs: Six-packs, emails and convicts. See who made this week’s list!
BREAKING: Kane Loses Yet Another Spokesman: Chuck Ardo just couldn’t take it anymore.
PA-2: Sen. Casey Takes the Stand Against Fattah: The Senator offered some brief testimony on Fattah’s attempts to help a lobbyist friend.
PA-Sen: Chuck Todd Analyzes Toomey’s Trump Conundrum (VIDEO): The Meet the Press host took a look at PA’s Senate contest.
PA-Sen: Toomey Cites Rendell in Attack Ad on McGinty (VIDEO): The former Governor is trying to retract his earlier praise of the Senator.
PA-BGT: Closing the Education Funding Gap: The state is set to adopt a new education funding formula to shrink the disparities between PA’s wealthiest and poorest schools.
Cook Political Report Keeps PA at “Leans Democratic”: Despite Trump’s surge, the prognosticator is keeping Pennsylvania in the blue column for now.
Sunday Show Preview: May 29, 2016: We take a look at the Sunday morning political talk shows that will air throughout the state.
Statewide
PA Watchdog: Pennsylvania set for school funding overhaul
WITF: Smart Talk: The recovery of rust belt cities; Roots
WITF: Losses, rising health care costs drive higher 2017 premium requests
WITF: Dauphin County says outside judge will handle Penn State case
Philadelphia
Inquirer: Hotline opens as more raids on immigrant families expected
Inquirer: Why few bills become law in Harrisburg
Inquirer: Kane aide cancels Porngate news conference
WHYY Newsworks: Pa. medical marijuana program expected to be up and running — by 2018
WHYY Newsworks: Aboard Camden landmark, 39 South Jerseyans become U.S. citizens
WHYY Newsworks: Dozens of Pa. school districts face tougher time borrowing after budget impasse
KYW: Local LBGT Law Enforcement Group Rejects Honor In Gay Community, Just Weeks Before Philly Pride Parade
KYW: Tumult Continues In Pa Attorney General’s Office
SEPA
Daily Local News: Phoenixville board OKs $87.3M budget, 1 percent tax hike
Daily Local News: West Goshen Receives PA Growing Greener Grant
Montgomery Media: East Falls Community Council supports Ridge Flats development proposal
Delco Times: Beer Wars: The fight over where you buy it in Pennsylvania
Bucks County Courier Times: Pennsylvania AG’s office: Report on emails isn’t ready yet
Pittsburgh
WTAE: Allegheny County gives district grant to fix roads where students died
City Paper: Is Uber’s search for driverless-car testers just
KDKA: Pittsburgh Observes Memorial Day With Annual Parade
Business Journal: Settlement in UPMC mold case
Post-Gazette: Resume of new Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent contains discrepancies but turning things around is his hallmark
Post-Gazette: Liberty Center up for sale for the 2nd time in 3 years
Tribune Review: Riverlife ramping up green projects in Pittsburgh
Tribune Review: State steps in to assist Penn Hills School District
Tribune Review: Pittsburgh police union leader: Another grievance possible over Beyoncé
Southwest
Observer-Reporter: Central Greene plans tax increase, budget cuts
Observer-Reporter: Cecil residents warn of costly fights with turnpike commission
Altoona Mirror: Firms sue to end tax, get refund
Altoona Mirror: Altoona Water Authority union objects to staff change
Tribune-Democrat: Workers find asbestos in basement of Westmont Hilltop High School
Tribune-Democrat: ‘It smells like something died in my shower’: Patton residents steamed over water woes
NEPA
Times Leader: Ned Evans tells W-B Area students he’ll propose different cuts, save programs
Times Leader: Saturday’s high temperature breaks 108-year-old record
Times Tribune: Carbondale residents sued by drug treatment center seek sanctions
Citizens Voice: Keystone landfill zoning fight over expansion plan heading to court
Wayne Independent: Cooperage gets solar panels
Standard Speaker: Shen authority hears complaint on permit denial
Pocono Record: Stroudsburg Mini-Thon helps raise over $80,350 for kids’ cancer research
South Central
Patriot News: Kathleen Kane to release preliminary findings from ‘Porngate’ inquiry
Patriot News: York County school superintendent suspended in wake of assault charge
Patriot News: Kathleen Kane’s spokesman plans to quit: ‘I could no longer in good conscience do the job’
Carlisle Sentinel: Pennsylvania AG’s office: Report on emails isn’t ready yet
Carlisle Sentinel: Beer: The fight over where you buy it in Pennsylvania
Lancaster Online: After criticism, commissioners OK new process for picking engineer
Lancaster Online: Pennsylvania bill would ease rules for nurse practitioners
Lehigh Valley
Morning Call: Kathleen Kane’s news conference on porn emails canceled
Morning Call: Buyer beware: New state law allows riskier investment options for local governments
Reading Eagle: Gov. Tom Wolf, Senate Democrats forging different plans for fighting opioid abuse
Express Times: Striking Verizon workers to return to work Wednesday
North by Northwest
Centre Daily Times: Penn State health professional looking to implement infectious disease plan in Centre Region
Centre Daily Times: As charters grow, public schools see sharp enrollment drop
Williamsport Sun Gazette: Draining the fund
Opinion
Patriot News: By allowing beer sales at gas stations, Pa. just cracked the can on a bunch of problems
Patriot News: Lobbyists spent nearly $2m on each legislator last year, report
Patriot News: Addressing pension reform is key in state’s long-term fiscal stability
Reading Eagle: Foolish Rendell remark another blow to civil discourse
Bucks Local News: Governor Wolf’s proposed 2016-17 budget aims to close Pennsylvania’s 160 brick-and-mortar charter schools
Post-Gazette: Efficient and fair: Let the Fish and Game commissions set their rates
Post-Gazette: How to spot Voldemorts: Freedom of foul speech is protected, too
Post-Gazette: Retirement blues: The great gap in Americans’ post-work lives
Inquirer: DUI ignition-lock law will save lives
Inquirer: Anxious wait in immigration case
Blogs
Keystone Crossroads: Views on ‘equity’ clash in new Pa. school funding formula
Keystone Crossroads: Dozens of Pa. school districts face tougher time borrowing after udget impasse
Keystone Crossroads: After police-involved shootings, DOJ teams with Chest cops to improvve community relations
2 Political Junkies: Jack Kelly’s Back!
2 Political Junkies: A Trump/Gingrich Ticket? Really?
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2 Responses
There is a HUGE story in PA that no one is really covering. It involves Kane, Seth Williams, Frank Fina and a lawyer. Where to begin … …
Frank Fina. We know that he sent racist e-mail from his Gov’t computer. We know that he is behind the vicious smear campaign against AG Kane. We know he sent e-mails making light of statutory rape. And e-mails suggesting women on the workforce need to perform oral sex on their male bosses to advance their careers.
Not only has Seth Williams refused to fire the racist Fina, But Seth Williams is letting Frank Fina run the Philadelphia DA’s Office.
How else can the hiring of the new 2nd-in-command Kathy Martin be explained?
Martin has a shady background (representing rapists, drug dealers and murderers). She was a part time prosecutor for a cup of coffee in rural PA somewhere. And then – all of a sudden – she is 2nd in Command in a big city D.A.’s Office (Philadelphia)!!!
Weird huh?
Kathy Martin’s title is “Chief of Staff” and “General Counsel.” She has ZERO general counsel experience and just about no prosecutorial experience. Did she interview with the Hiring Committee? Did she get vetted by HR folks? How did she walk off the street into a six-figure salary with the City?
Hmmmmmm …… Let’s see …..
When Kathleen Kane won the AG race, but before she took office, then Deputy AG Frank Fina finalized his “unjust” plea deal with Tyron Ali – the con-man cooperator in the sting case. Bruce Beemer, the 1st Asst at the OAG who testified AGAINST AG Kane, called Fina’s plea deal “unjust.” Frank Fina dropped all of the over 2,000 criminal charges that were pending against Tyron Ali. Fina also let Ali keep the $430K he stole from a non-profit set up to help children. That was taxpayer $$$.
Why’d Fina let Tyron Ali keep the money?
Well — con-man Tyron Ali is represented by Bob Levant. Fina negotiated that sweet deal, in the 11th hour (right before Kane was set to take over) with attorney Bob Levant.
And now Fina is suing the AG’s Office for more taxpayer money. And guess who one of his attorneys is? Yep — Bob Levant.
Rumor has it that Bob Levant has also helped Seth Williams with the FBI’s criminal investigation into Williams.
A ways back, Seth Williams hired Frank Fina. It appears they met as they worked together to subvert the rights of innocent people accused of crimes they did not commit. Whether Seth Williams knew of Fina’s “e-mail “issues” when he hired Fina we may never know. But Williams certainly knows now. And the Superior Court just called Fina’s conduct in the Penn State case “highly improper.” Fina lied to a Judge. Williams certainly knows that too.
“Chief of Staff/General Counsel” at the DA’s Office is a high paying job. Six figures. Seth Williams hired Kathy Martin – the shady defense attorney – off the street into that job. She has zero general counsel experience and hardly any prosecutorial experience.
But – guess who Kathy Martin is married to? You guessed it — Bob Levant!!
Now – Seth Williams’ “Chief of Staff” – Kathy Martin – is in the Press, speaking on behalf of the Philadelphia DA’s Office, defending and praising her husband’s racist client – Frank Fina.
Huge coincidence, huh?? I think not. It’s no wonder that Williams refuses to fire Fina. They are in bed together. Levant and Martin are on that stinky mattress too.
Is it OK that Kathy Martin, a high-paid City employee, has a financial interest in smearing the AG and propping up her husband’s racist client – Frank Fina?
Is it OK that Williams and Martin demoted a hard-working female Deputy who suggested that the DA’s Office not employ racist, sexist prosecutors?
Is it OK that Seth Williams has a financial interest in keeping Fina around?
Did they really think they would get away with this nonsense?
Just look at who is running Seth Williams’ PAC. His name is Mike Barley. And he is a Corbett guy – just like Frank Fina is a Corbett guy. Google “On the Rocks – Seth Williams” and read the article. You will see Seth Williams’ motive here — $$$ and political survival. He has no friends and no money. Fina & The Corbett Pervs are his only hope!!
When do they release the granny porn that Fina liked to watch?