Tom Corbett’s gubernatorial campaign Monday named Kevin Harley as its communications director after serving in the same role for the attorney general’s office the last five and a half years.

Harley had been Corbett’s chief spokesman on all of the attorney general’s high-profile initiatives, including the public corruption probe known as “Bonusgate” and his lawsuit against the recently approved federal health care bill. He previously served as Corbett’s spokesman during his 2004 campaign for the state’s chief prosecutor job and as press secretary for Mike Fisher’s gubernatorial bid in 2002.

Campaign Manager Brian Nutt and press secretary Kirsten Page had handled the bulk of the campaign’s press relations until now.

The move could spark criticism among Corbett’s detractors, who will likely say Harley’s shuffling between government and political duties represents the same kind blurring between the two roles that attorney general has used to indict 25 people connected or part of the House Republican and Democratic caucuses the last three years. In addition to Harley, Nutt has also moved from a government-paid position in the attorney general’s office to a role on his campaign.

But the spokesman’s new job also means that he can’t be accused of drawing a paycheck from taxpayers while doing political work for Corbett. “Bonusgate” has focued in large part, although not exclusively, on millions of dollars of public money misappropriated for political purposes in each House caucus.

Update: A spokesman for Dan Onorato declined to comment on this story.

Tags: Tom Corbett for governor

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