Allegations from 'Bonusgate:' Foreman called 'grim reaper'

Every morning this week, PolitickerPA.com will publish an allegation from the "Bonusgate" presentment released Thursday by Attorney General Tom Corbett. Although the indictments have received intense scrutiny, many interesting stories within the voluminous presentment have still gone unreported.

PolitickerPA.com reminds readers these are still only allegations, and each person implicated is still innocent until proven guilty.

According to Attorney General Tom Corbett's report, House Democratic Caucus leaders at times demanded state workers campaign for lawmakers.

Especially when Mike Veon's former Chief of Staff Jeff Foreman walked up to their desk.

On page 32 of the presentment, the attorney general alleges former caucus employees said Foreman "would not take no for an answer" when he went from desk to desk asking them to campaign.

"One former employee described how she dreaded Foreman's approach, envisioning him as the 'grim reaper,' moving from desk to desk and spreading sorrow by asking employees to give up portions of their lives," it said. "She described one incident when Foreman asked another employee to volunteer in October, and that employee then cried because she knew that she would have to miss trick-or-treat with her young son in order to comply with Foreman's 'volunteer' request."

The presentment describes on page 33 another incident with Foreman in which it alleges he demanded Stephen Webb, newly promoted project manager in the Legislative Research Office, take comp and vacation time to campaign for Veon in 2006.

When Webb responded he had to postpone campaigning until he had enough comp and vacation time, the presentment alleges Foreman responded: "Steve, you're a smart guy. You're there all the time. I'm sure if you go back through your records, you will be able to find some comp time and submit that and make up those couple days."

The attorney general's office says Webb complied and spent 45 days campaigning for Veon in 2006.