Sean Ramaley

Sean Ramaley and Anna Marie Perretta-Rosepink stand outside the courthouse after a judge decided they must stand trial: Politicker Photo

Dauphin County President Judge Richard Lewis said Wednesday the prosecution showed enough evidence during this week's preliminary hearing to take their cases against "Bonusgate" defendants Sean Ramaley and Anna Marie Perretta-Rosepink to trial.

HARRISBURG -- Even after the former lawmaker waved his preliminary hearing, ex-House Minority Whip Mike Veon (D-Beaver County) and his Beaver Falls district office took center stage at Tuesday's "Bonusgate" hearing at a Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas in Dauphin County.

The former power broker's name was used early and often during the preliminary trial of two Beaver County politicos -- state Rep. Sean Ramaley (D-Beaver County) and Veon's district office director Anna Marie Perretta-Rosepink --  often by prosecutors who accussed his district office of being a haven for illegal taxpayer-funded campaigning.

Ramaley and Perretta-Rosepink, who sat stone-faced next to each during the nearly daylong trial, were the only two of the 12 charged House Democratic staffers and lawmakers who did not wave their preliminary hearing.

The hearing provided little information not present in the voluminous presentment unveiled by Attorney General Tom Corbett in July. It did, however, provide the faces behind many of the presentment's accusations and gave the defendants' attorneys a chance to cross-examine.  

HARRISBURG -- An aide to former House Minority Whip Mike Veon (D-Beaver County) testified Tuesday he was directed to campaign full-time for then state representative candidate Sean Ramaley while ostensibly assigned to Veon's district office for constituent services.

Stephen Webb, who worked in the House Democratic Research Office, was one of a parade of witnesses called by prosecutors during the preliminary hearing for State Rep. Sean Ramaley (D-Beaver County) and ex-Veon staffer Anna Marie Perretta-Rosepink, the only two of 12 charged in "Bonusgate" who didn't wave their hearing.

The focus of the afternoon's  testimony focused on Beaver County, where Ramaley, Perretta-Rosepink, and Veon are from. Webb's testimony, much of which was made public during the attorney general's presentment in July, in particular harped on what he said was his role as Ramaley's de-facto campaign manager before the candidate's general election face-off in November of 2004.

A staffer in former House Minority Whip Mike Veon's (D-Beavery County) district office testified Tuesday she dedicated large swaths of time to campaign work at the expense of her assigned constituent and legislative duties.

Melissa Lewis, a former legislative aide in Veon's Beaver Falls district office, alleged the widespread illegal activity while testifying in a Dauphin County Courthouse at the preliminary hearings of state Rep. Sean Ramaley (D-Beaver County) and Anna Marie Perretta-Rosepink. Ramaley and House aide Perretta-Rosepink were the only two defendants of the 12 charged in connection with Bonugate who didn't wave their preliminary hearing.

The state Democratic Party moved Saturday to change how it picks replacement candidates, nearly a month after Jason Petrella's selection in the 47th Senatorial District left some local and state officials outraged over a process they deemed unfair.

The Rules and Order of Business Business Committee, in conjunction with the state Executive Committee, voted Saturday to develop rules for selecting candidates if one picked by voters bows out of the campaign, according to rules committee co-chairman Jack Hanna.

The process in place now does not instruct the party how to make the selection if the 50-member Executive Committee, comprising party members across the state who make the final decision, receives different endorsements from county parties within the district. That flaw was exposed in early August after state Senate candidate Sean Ramaley had to step down from his campaign in the 47th Senatorial District following his indictment in "Bonusgate."

The ensuing scramble within the district, which includes parts of Beaver, Lawrence and Allegheny counties, led to two endorsed candidates, former Senate candidate Jason Petrella in Lawrence and Beaver County Commissioner Joe Spanik in Beaver. To further confuse matters, a third pick, former Gov. Bob Casey (D) Press Secretary Bob Grotevant, received the local union endorsement.

Jason Petrella's selection to ballot by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in the 47th Senatorial District on Wednesday has infuriated local Democratic and union leaders, who said the state party unilaterally made a decision while ignoring their recommendation.

The anger runs deep enough that the decision might even endanger the union's endorsement of the Democratic candidate.

As Dennis Bloom, president of Beaver-Lawrence County Central Labor Council, put it, "We gave them our two selections and kind of got slapped."

The two preferred selections Bloom referred to are Bob Grotevant, former spokesman for Gov. Bob Casey (D) who emerged as a last-minute candidate this week, and Beaver County Commissioner Joe Spanik, originally considered the favorite to replace Ramaley.

Two weeks ago the Senate Republican Committee convinced Bob Regola to step aside because polling showed him losing badly in his race and he was replaced by Kim Ward.  It appears Republicans are not the only ones who pick their candidates with polling information.

Today the Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee will be picking their candidate for PA-47 to replace Sean Ramaley.  Last week Lawrence County supported Jason Petrella and Beaver County has supported County Commissioner Joe Spanik.  With each candidate getting the support of one county the decision was sent to the State Democratic Executive Committee. 

Early word was the Executive Committee was going to strongly support Spanik who has long been active in the party.  Petrella seems to have an advantage though heading into the vote thanks to polling that shows him running stronger in a general election.  According to one source Democratic Senate Leader Bob Mellow is working the phones hard to make sure Petrella is the candidate because of his stronger polling numbers.  While both candidates polled ahead of Republican Elder Vogel, but according to a source Petrella was stronger.  We have had reports that Mellow has been joined by other Senators on the phone, but have yet been unable to confirm.

HARRISBURG -- State Rep. Sean Ramaley (D-Beaver County), despite being charged in July in connection with "Bonusgate," attended Tuesday morning's House State Government Committee meeting to debate bills that would reduce the General Assembly's size.

The lawmaker is entering his final months in office after being forced to drop out of his state Senate race because of the charges.

Ramaley has denied any wrongdoing.

After the Lawrence County Democratic Committee voted unanimously to support Jason Petrella to replace Sean Ramaley on the ballot as the senate candidate from SD-47, the Beaver County Committee threw a monkey wrench into the system.

Last night the Beaver County Democratic Committee met and overwhelmingly decided to support County Commissioner Joe Spanik over Petrella. 

With the two committees not agreeing on a candidate the decision now goes to the State Committee’s Executive Committee.  One western Executive Committee member told Inside Edge on background they believed Spanik had the inside track.  “Joe has been an active party member for years and has earned our support.  I fully believe and expect he will be the nominee after we vote.”

The state committee vote is planned for next Wednesday.  Until then both candidates will be burning up the phone lines dialing for support.

The Beaver County Democratic Committee executive board might decide Thursday night whether Jason Petrella will be its candidate in the 47th Senatorial District.

Chances look better for Petrella after unanimously receiving the support of the Lawrence County Democratic Committee executive board, according to The Beaver County Times. 

Petrella is trying to replace state Rep. Sean Ramaley (D-Beaver County), who was forced to step down from his campaign after being charged in July of misusing taxpayer money as part of "Bonusgate."

Although the county committee's by-laws prohibit challenges against endorsed candidates, which Petrella did when he faced Ramaley in the primary this spring, the county party chairman has indicated Petrella should run.