Within hours of a kickoff news conference yesterday on Independence Mall, the proposal drew two more endorsements - an enthusiastic embrace from the Democratic candidate for governor, Dan Onorato, and more tentative support from his Republican opponent, state Attorney General Tom Corbett, whose spokesman said that he likes the idea but wants a closer look at the details.
As described by Schroder, the commission would be a permanent investigative agency, staffed by law-enforcement personnel, to take over the current duties of the state Ethics Commission with expanded powers "to root out and prevent public corruption at all levels of government."
It would have no authority to prosecute public officials. Those decisions would rest with county prosecutors, the state attorney general and U. S. attorneys in the state's western, eastern and middle districts.
But the new commission would have power to issue subpoenas, share investigative information with other law-enforcement agencies and use grants of immunity to compel testimony from reluctant witnesses, Schroder said.
"They will have the full investigative powers as other law enforcement agencies have right now," Schroder said, " . . . but much greater ability to delve into public corruption and do this on a full-time basis."
He estimated the cost of the new agency at $4 million a year - roughly double the current expenses of the Ethics Commission - but suggested that corruption is costing taxpayers much more.
