Mike Manzo

The shocking accusations from his former chief of staff that Bill DeWeese knew about illegal bonuses paid to caucus staffers for working on campaigns ignited a palpable buzz in the Capitol that could be felt from lobbyist scurrying in the rotunda to TV cameras focusing on the majority leader's office.

But the most pertinent question this fall isn't how Michael Manzo's "Bonusgate" testimony will affect Harrisburg.

Rather, it is: How will Manzo's accusation affect DeWeese's home district in Greene County, where he faces an already difficult re-election challenge against Republican Greg Hopkins?

It won't, according to DeWeese, who has denied any involvement in "Bonusgate." The majority leader told PolitickerPA.com in an interview that Manzo, who's also been indicted in connection "Bonusgate," already lost credibility with residents in the 50th Legislative District when his affair with Angela Bertugli, a local beauty queen, was made public in the attorney general's presentment.

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After yesterday's allegations by Mike Manzo that Majority Leader Bill DeWeese know about the illegal Bonusgate payments I decided to ask a few Republicans and Democrats about what they thought of the situation. Most specifically, why would Manzo lie?

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With his leadership position and career on the line, Bill DeWeese came out swinging today. Below are a copy of his comments this afternoon.

Mike Manzo's speculation that I knew about his criminal acts is absolutely false and there is no evidence to support his opinion. In fact, the grand jury described in detail the steps that those now charged took to keep their scheme secret.

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House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County) fires back at his accuser in front of a fleet of reporters: Politicker Photo

Embattled House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese fired back at a former aide's accusation that he knew about illegal bonuses paid to House Democratic staffers, calling the accuser a "desperate, disgruntled former employee."

Michael Manzo, DeWeese's former chief of staff, made the explosive testimony Wednesday morning at a Dauphin County courthouse.

DeWeese started his prepared remarks, which he made just outside the state House after emerging from the chamber, by saying he would normally not comment on a court case.

"But because of the seriousness of the situation, let me say this: Mike Manzo's speculation that I knew about his criminal acts is absolutely false and there is no evidence to support his opinion," DeWeese said. "In fact, the grand jury described in detail the steps that those now charged took to keep their scheme secret."

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House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County) will hold a press conference after the House ends session Wednesday, his spokesman confirmed.

DeWeese's former chief of staff Michael Manzo implicated his boss early Wendesday with "Bonusgate" when he said he "believes" his boss knew about the caucus scheme to distribute taxpayer-funded bonuses to state employees in return for campaign work. 

DeWeese, who faces a stiff challenge this fall against Republican Greg Hopkins in the 50th Legislative District, has denied any involvment in the scandal. 

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Every day 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.

Much of the 'Bonusgate' buzz, including a front page of The Philadelphia Daily News, has centered on Attorney General Tom Corbett's allegations that Mike Manzo, former chief of staff to the House majority leader, created a non-working job for a woman he was intermittently sleeping with. 

Page 68 of the presentment says in the summer of 2004, 21-year-old Angela Bertugli, then an intern with her local state representative, met Manzo in a bar. After a few drinks, Manzo asked her to go to his car, where they had a "sexual liaison," the presentment alleges.

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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.

Opposition research was such a major effort within the House Democratic Caucus that much of an entire legislative office was dedicated to it, Attorney General Tom Corbett alleges in his presentment.

In early 2005, Eric Webb, newly appointed director of Office of Member Services, sent a memo to Minority Whip Mike Veon (D-Beaver County) and former Bill DeWeese chief of staff Mike Manzo detailing his plan to centralize all opposition research in his new office, according to page 50 of the presentment.

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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.

Attorney General Tom Corbett's presentment singles out The Patriot-News as igniting the investigation on Jan. 27 when it disclosed the House Democratic Caucus bonus program, although its reports did not directly link it to campaign work.

The paper's reports did not please caucus members, the presentments claims.

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Former House Minority Whip Mike Veon (D-Beaver County) is led to his arraignment in handcuffs.: Politicker Photo

HARRISBURG -- Eleven of the House Democratic Caucus members implicated Thursday in "Bonusgate" arrived Friday morning at Magisterial District Judge Joseph Solomon's office across the street from the Susquehanna River.

They were in handcuffs.

That was perhaps the most surprising aspect, and certainly most jarring visual, of an otherwise typical series of arraignments, at least as typical as it gets the day after Attorney General Tom Corbett revealed one of the biggest scandals in Pennsylvania political history.

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HARRISBURG -- Political analysts said that in the wake of Thursday's charges in "Bonusgate" western Pennsylvania Democrats, including House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County) might have to worry about their jobs in November.

The rest of the caucus? Not so much.

The impact of the first-round of indictments will not be enough to reverse the state's leftward trend, pundits contacted by PolitickerPA.com agreed, because most liberal lawmakers still don't have a connection with the scandal.

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