Rick Taylor

State Rep. Rick Taylor: Campaign photoState Rep. Rick Taylor (D-Ambler) this afternoon joined a growing chorus calling for Majorlity Leader Bill DeWeese's resignation, saying the embattled lawmaker had "become a lighting rod for controversy."

His call came only moments after state Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-Abington) became the most high-profile Democrat so far to call for DeWeese's ouster.

DeWeese has been under fierce criticism since the House Democratic Caucus became embroiled in indictments from the infamous "Bonusgate" scandal.

"Unfortunately this scandal has cast a cloud over our efforts to reform Harrisburg and the accomplishments we have already achieved," Taylor said in a statement.

Republicans had hardly begun criticizing him for his possible, if indirect, connection to the infamous "Bonusgate" scandal when state Rep. Rick Taylor (D-Ambler) settled on a way to try and silence the critics: through legislation.

Taylor said Tuesday that he would introduce legislation to permanently ban bonuses to legislative staffers, a move that may not make him as popular with his employees as with voters.

"Like every other taxpayer in Pennsylvania, I was shocked, outraged and deeply saddened after reviewing the initial findings of the attorney general's investigation into the awarding of bonuses in the state legislature," Taylor said in a statement. "Now, more than ever, it is clear that to achieve true reform in Harrisburg we must create a transparent and open government while eliminating those practices which are most susceptible to abuse.

"The arbitrary awarding of financial bonuses is, sadly and unmistakably, one such practice," he added.

Taylor faces a reelection fight against Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Todd Stephens in the 151st Legislative District.

In some of the first political fallout from the "Bonusgate" scandal, Republicans are calling on state Rep. Rick Taylor (D-Ambler) to disclose who all of his campaign workers were in 2006.

The request comes in the wake of numerous charges brought by state Attorney General Tom Corbett, in which legislative staffers of House Democrats are accused of doing political work on the taxpayers' dime.

Taylor is running against Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Todd Stephens in the 151st House District. As Republicans note, Taylor's 2006 campaign is mentioned in the charges, though the incumbent himself is not implicated in wrongdoing. One of the indicted House staffers, Rachel Manzo, is cited in the charges for doing work on Taylor's campaign in 2006, and another employee, Beth Marietta, testified that she worked on Taylor's campaign as was paid by the House, not by Taylor or the party chamber's Democratic Campaign Committee.

"Rick Taylor needs to account for Rachel Manzo and Beth Marietta's time," Montgomery County Republican Committee Chairman Robert Kerns said in a statement. "He also needs to account for any other taxpayer money spent on his campaign in 2006."

Kerns also called for Taylor to reimburse taxpayers $15,185 for a bonus given to Manzo.

Taylor campaign manager Danny Friedman told The Intelligencer that Taylor was outraged by the actions that led to Corbett's charges, but that there were no taxpayer employees on the campaign staff.

"If convicted, these rogue operatives should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, including full restitution by those convicted to the taxpayers of Pennsylvania," he said. "Unfortunately, the Republican attack machine is now on the move ... (Taylor) has made certain that there are no state employees on his campaign staff."

Democrats in Montgomery County are raising Hatch Act questions about a Republican candidate for the state House, saying his role as an assistant district attorney involving in a federally-funded taskforce prohibits him from running in a partisan election.

The candidate at issue is Todd Stephens, the Assistant District Attorney for Montgomery County who is currently running against state Rep. Rick Taylor (D-Ambler) in the 151st Legislative District. While Stephens' campaign denies any Hatch Act issues are remotely at play, the Montgomery County Democratic Committee has asked the federal Office of Special Counsel to offer its opinion on the matter.

Democrats are seizing on Stephens' role with the county's Sex Crimes Unit, through which he works with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The task force itself is federally funded, and provisions of the Hatch Act prohibit municipal employees whose jobs or activities are federally funded from running in partisan elections.

In a statement, Montgomery Democratic Committee Chair Marcel Groen called on Stephens to either cease his election bid or step down from prosecutorial post.

"Mr. Stephens is ignoring the law as he campaigns for himself and at the same time administers a program supported by federal funds," Groen said.

Whether the Democrats' interpretation of the law is applicable is a matter of fierce debate. County officials say no federal funding comes directly to Stephens' office, and while District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman could not be reached by PolitickerPA.com late last week, she told The Intelligencer that the Democrats were "just plain wrong."

Stephens spokesman Jason Ercole called the move "a political gimmick."

"I think it's a joke that the Democrats and Rep. Taylor would attack a career prosecutor who's putting the safety of kids at the top of his priorities," he said.