In light of the grand jury revelations of political work conducted with taxpayers' money, the candidates and reform advocates want a federal investigation into the ballot challenges, which they now think were the result of the criminal conspiracy that has come to be known as Bonusgate.
Harrisburg activist Gene Stilp filed a petition with the U.S. attorney here yesterday, asking him to look into whether any of those charged in the state investigation were also involved in federal elections while they were supposed to be working on state business as legislators and legislative aides.
"Everybody who runs for office should have a fair election that isn't subverted by alleged criminal activity," said Stilp.
House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D., Greene), who led the effort to oppose Nader, said yesterday through a spokesman that "those matters are for the U.S. attorney and courts to decide."
Martin Carlson, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, acknowledged that he had received Stilp's correspondence, but said it was the policy of his office "to decline to make any comment whatsoever regarding whether any matters are the subject of pending investigation."
The grand jury report, released by Attorney General Tom Corbett last week, alleges that former House Minority Whip Michael Veon of Beaver County ran a statewide political operation out of his Capitol and district offices involving hundreds of legislative workers on the House Democrats' payroll.
One of the House Democrats' most visible targets was Nader, who in 2004 was seeking to challenge Democrat John Kerry as well as President Bush. As many as 50 Pennsylvania House staff members worked on a challenge to Nader's ballot petition, and more than half received state-funded bonuses, in part for their "Nader efforts," according to the report.
