Different article - Kane quashed subpoenas in casino investigation - link

[mn78psu83]

This quote will get some play:


Through an aide, Kane declined to comment
Wednesday. To do so "would be a violation of grand jury secrecy rules,"
her top aide, Bruce Beemer, said in a statement.


If bad things happen in threes, what's next?

 

[Victor E. Bell]

I sense a cryptic Frank Sheeran post in the offing....

You can't make this stuff up. Louie's company gives Kane $25 grand, the only donation ever made to any pol from his company since 2009. She gives it back, won't comment as to why, deferring to the campaign. Then the campaign treasurer ignores calls. I'd be curious how this story was sourced. Somebody from the gaming board or involved in the grand jury investigation. Could be the same person. It's interesting that you have to go way down into the article before they remind people that Conaboy was a member of the PA Gaming Control Board. I was about to start breathing into a paper bag if they omitted it.

 

[mn78psu83]

Re: I sense a cryptic Frank Sheeran post in the offing....

I sense a cryptic Frank Sheeran post in the offing....

I almost wrote calling Frank Sheeran, but he's probably out sizing up his next "paint job."

 

[lionlurker]

Sheesh. She really is in a heap a' trouble, boy.

She has no chance of surviving this.

 

[nitnyheel]

Re: I sense a cryptic Frank Sheeran post in the offing....

Philly Inquirer always seems to have "sources" in these political fights.

 

[mn78psu83]

Re: I sense a cryptic Frank Sheeran post in the offing....

I don't doubt her hands are dirty and, considering her power base and its history, it isn't surprising. Still, the Inquirer is intent on bringing her down.

 

[Raffycorn]

As I said in the other thread by mistake, this appears (if accurate) to be a decision made by Kane and Kane alone. It will be difficult for folks to slot this new scandal into the neat "it's all Fina's fault" storyline we've seen with all of her other scandals so far.

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

Is Billy related to Guido? **


f

 

[Fayette_LION]

"SECRET" Grand Jury info leaked again to the Inky. Wonder

who is behind this leak and why no one in the enforcement cares about it. Appears to be a double standard here.

 

[mn78psu83]

Re: "SECRET" Grand Jury info leaked again to the Inky. Wonder

The Inky is angling to win an investigative award for bringing down Kane. There can be no doubt. I wouldn't be surprised to see more dirt on her.

 

[bjf1984]

Whole lot of VERY interesting issues here.
Very much deserving of a more thorough treatment.....while - for sure - keeping in mind that any story in the Inky (most particularly, any Inky story regarding Kane) should be taken with a GIGANTIC grain of salt.

 

[Raffycorn]

Why should we automatically take the Inquirer's reporting with a grain of salt? To my knowledge, nothing they've reported with regards to Kane has been inaccurate. It certainly seems that the Inky gets the scoops (Kane's Philly paper du jour for leaks seems to be the Daily News), but it seems that every article that's revealed information critical of Kane has been pretty accurate and has come to fruition. In fact, given the timeframe discussed in this article, my guess is that the Inky's sources are either those who work for Kane now or who were recently fired by Kane - keep in mind that she recently fired her fourth or fifth press secretary. Fina and co to my knowledge were long gone by mid-2013 and wouldn't have been privy to that type of information.

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

LOL.....


I honestly think that bjf meant no harm with that post.

I think you should heed the advice.

You are not very good with this kind of thing.

Fortunately for you...very fortunately....you immediately forget your failures. I think it is a gift. Congrats.

 

[Aoshiro]

Re: I sense a cryptic Frank Sheeran post in the offing....

Source= Frank Fina's allies.

Why was it taking Brandstetter so long to put this case together in the first place? How much did DeNaples contribute to AG Corbett's gubernatorial campaign?

 

[Sullivan]

Nice rant about nothing ***

...........

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

You two sound much alike....


If you are not the same person, then the advice is for you, too.

 

[Sullivan]

Seriously...


Are you dumb or do you just lack communication skills?

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

LOL. *****


f

 

[Aoshiro]

Tom Corbett took more than $50,000 from DeNaples

I'm really trying to understand the Inky's "reporting" here.

A company associated with DeNaples gave money, and the Kane campaign gave it back.

Tom Corbett openly took more than $50,000 from DeNaples, after which his deputies had an astonishingly difficult time putting together a case against him or his associates. This investigation started in 2011. Shouldn't it have been completed before Kane ever even took office?



http://articles.mcall.com/2008-03-11/news/4013485_1_legal-donations-return-campaign-donations-campaign-cash

 

[bjf1984]

That can't be true.....


the Inky would have reported on it.

 

[Victor E. Bell]

Louis is an EEO Skid-greaser...

Don't forget about Ed Rendell, under whose watch the casinos got off the ground in the first place. It's long been speculated that Fast Eddie was a far bigger benefactor of Louie's largesse than Corbett. The Rendell allies are still in places of great power in the state government, and so is Ed himself.

 

[mn78psu83]

Re: Louis is an EEO Skid-greaser...

Don't forget about Ed Rendell

Ed Rendell is a true power player in PA politics. And as you say, still holds clout. I mean c'mon. Look at his resume:

Two term gov. of PA, Chair of the DNC, two term mayor of Philly, two term DA of Philly. Fuggettaboutit!

Ed Rendell - Ballard Spahr, LLP






Former Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell devotes his
practice to public-private partnerships (P3) and housing, with an
emphasis on infrastructure. Gov. Rendell advises on new ways of building
infrastructure and on the development of a national infrastructure
reinvestment bank.


Gov. Rendell was a Ballard Spahr partner from 2000 to 2003. He left
the firm upon being elected Governor of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, where he served two terms. As Governor, he was chief
executive of the nation's sixth-most-populous state and oversaw a $28
billion budget. Gov. Rendell's administration energized the state's
economy through strategic investments, enacted Pennsylvania's first
comprehensive measure to substantially reform the local tax system, and
spearheaded initiatives encouraging the use of alternative and renewable
energy, including wind farms and solar panels.

From 2008 to 2009, Gov. Rendell was Chair of the National Governors
Association. He served as General Chair of the Democratic National
Committee during the 2000 presidential election. Gov. Rendell, along
with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, founded Building America's Future, a national
infrastructure-investment coalition.


As two-term Mayor of Philadelphia (1992-2000), Gov. Rendell
eliminated a crippling deficit, balanced the City's budget, and
generated five consecutive budget surpluses. The renaissance of the City
is largely attributed to his determination, inspiration, and energy.


A veteran of the U.S. Army, Gov. Rendell joined the Philadelphia
District Attorney's Office upon completing law school, rising to Chief
of Homicide in 1972. He was elected District Attorney in 1977 and, for a
second term of office, in 1981.

 

[mn78psu83]

More to the point about Ed, DeNaples and the casinos - link


What level of state governmental corruption might we be talking about here? The results of discovery would have been grim. Russell Bufalino's influence was, and still is to the extent that his gaming legacy continues with others, a force in PA too. Dan Flood - 35 years in office until he was censured by the house for bribery and resigned - was one of his cohorts too. Flood is also still something of a hero in NE PA. He got it done for his constituency. At the end of the day, that's what most remember.

Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico agreed to the DeNaples
deal because "the Supreme Court had interfered in his case twice
already, and he feared that no matter what he did, the court would see
to it that the DeNaples prosecution would never move forward," Birkbeck
writes.


The author said investigators "basically stepped on a bee's nest" when they went after DeNaples.

This post was edited on 4/2 6:01 PM by mn78psu83

PA Police probed Rendell during casino licensing

 

[Victor E. Bell]

Guys here really need to read "The Quiet Don"

It is an eye-opener. Then read Baer's book "On the Front Lines of PA Politics." He still writes for philly.com

Baer's book is more of a memoir and written in a wry style but it is another eye-opener. You can probably find both of these for a few bucks on Amazon or wherever you buy books.

 

[mn78psu83]

One last link from today's Scranton Times-Tribune

From the blog - and all things power in the NE return to Bufalino:

Matt Birkbeck, like all good journalists, doesn't believe in coincidences.
His book is ostensibly about Russell Bufalino, but is actually a
disturbing examination of the Don's lasting political and business
influence in Northeast Pennsylvania. The man is gone, but his ghost still haunts our courthouses, government halls and business boardrooms.

Kathleen and the Casino Kingpin.

 

[Frank Sheeran]

Re: Apalachin, New York cemented Rosario Bufalino's genius

I am proud of you psu bwi guys. You are learning the way things really work in pennsylvania.

The Apalachin meeting cemented our stranglehold in Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Cleveland, Buffalo, Scranton and Philadelphia and established a bigger commission in order to manage our assets. New York was our capital. Even your little hamlet in Happy Valley is represented by our associates.

I told you before that I was trying to help you. But, you need to open your mind and be willing to think critically. Your building projects are the capstone of our long term planning efforts. You will benefit from them and so will we when we further transform your happy valley.

Many, many people loved my boss Russ or as I called him McGee. He had a good heart for the common man. He rarely lost his temper, just ask father Joe Sica.

I decided to respond now, because you people brought up fast Eddie Rendell. Does it not strike you as odd that Eliot Spitzer was forced to step down as the New York Governor because he dabbled with a cutie from the emperor's club? Yet, your pennsylvania governor was never outed while he partied at the emperor's club in nyc and many other places with arm candy galore?

Eddie knew how to play ball and was protected as a result. We are grateful for his vision of making pennsylvania a casino playground for players and for his political sponsors, some of which are psu trustees.

Many nepa families owed their livelihood to our loyal friend Dan Flood. Dan was easy to work with and desperately wanted to help his constituents who were in terrible financial condition.

You know about the pa attorney general Ernie Preate? He was getting money from some of our associates. Most pa politicians did that too and many hid that fact very, very well. Who replaced him? That's right the waste management guy, now your former governor.

I told you before that Kane would be attacked relentlessly.

I wish Russ was alive today to straighten out this mess. No politician would dare defy him.
Your state is a joke.

 

[Cruising Route 66]

Re: More to the point about Ed, DeNaples and the casinos - link

Originally posted by mn78psu83:

The author said investigators "basically stepped on a bee's nest" when they went after DeNaples.

You have no idea.