HARRISBURG — Former top House Democratic staffer Michael Manzo testified Tuesday that the aborted legislative pay raise of 2005 was a key factor in boosting the cost of a secret taxpayer-funded bonus program to help incumbents win re-election.
And despite losing his re-election bid in November 2006, in large part because he supported the pay hike, former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon continued to approve staff bonuses for campaign work before leaving office, Manzo said.
Manzo, who pleaded guilty to charges in the bonus scandal, was the prosecution’s first witness in the criminal trial of Veon and three former aides.
Manzo, ex-chief of staff for former House Minority Leader Bill DeWeese, said Veon approved bonuses from 2004 to 2006. Manzo said he is convinced DeWeese knew about the program, though he testified he never “explicitly” discussed it with DeWeese.
“Mike (Veon) set the amounts for his staff. It was my suggestion for everybody else,” Manzo said.
The 16 percent to 54 percent pay hike lawmakers approved in the middle of the night in July 2005 sparked taxpayer outrage. By November, legislators repealed the raise, and Veon cast the lone dissenting vote among legislators in both chambers.
Retirements led to open seats, and “there were a lot more members in very tough races because of the pay raise vote,” Manzo said.
“We needed more bodies” to campaign, he said.
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