Gov. Corbett's handling of the Sandusky case

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Gov. Corbett's involvement in the JS case has been discussed here and there on the forum but this is the first time I've seen him give an interview about it....so here is a place for discussion and anything that comes from the AG investigation about him and the case:

Capitolwire Q&A with Gov. Corbett about his handling of the Jerry Sandusky case

Some excerpts:

Q: Would you agree to be personally interviewed by state investigators as part of that investigation?
A: It's going to be interesting who the state investigators are going to be 'cause they're going to be the ones reporting to me in the first place........

Q: Whoever is conducting the investigation, would you agree to be personally interviewed?
A: Probably. I have to see. If I believe it's a political game — no. If I believe that they want know exactly what was going on when I was there and my thought process — sure........

Q: Do you have any regrets in not bringing in a special prosecutor?
A: We don't have a special prosecutor.

Q: I mean asking the feds to come in and handle this?
A: We do things faster than the feds. I was a fed. I know what they're like. We are faster than the feds.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/...of-the-Jerry-Sandusky-case.html#ixzz2DjSK9VOt
 
Attorney General-elect Kathleen Kane to launch probe into Sandusky investigation second day in office

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/01/attorney_general-elect_kathlee.html#incart_river

Attorney General-elect Kathleen Kane gets sworn into office on Tuesday as the first Democrat to ever serve in that position and first woman elected to that office.............

Asked in a 20-minute phone interview this morning when she plans to launch the investigation into the Attorney General’s office’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse case, she said, “I am sworn in on the 15th. The 16th sounds like a good time to me.”...........

Kane said she plans on assigning a special deputy attorney general to head up that investigation and it will be that person's sole focus. ...........

More at link......
 
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I found Corbett's comment interesting:

The key thread of evidence, that was sorta like the thread that pulls the sweater apart, was the telephone call, the tip that went to Stacy Parks Miller, the new DA, in November of 2010, after my election. It was anonymous, and they said 'go talk to (Mike) McQueary.' And they talked to McQueary. Now by this time, I'm out of it. Even though I'm the attorney general, I turned it over to Bill (Ward). And I'm really not making decisions on that case because I'm preparing to move over to hear (governor's office). And they start following that trail. And that was the thread that unraveled the sweater.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/...of-the-Jerry-Sandusky-case.html#ixzz2HcoTXN5V

SPM was in office for about 10-11 months at that point.
 
Investigation to Focus on Governor’s Handling of Penn State Abuse Case

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/u...ng-of-penn-state-abuse-case.html?ref=us&_r=1&

HARRISBURG, Pa. — First it was a criminal case. Then it enveloped a university athletic program. Now the Penn State child sexual abuse scandal has infiltrated the realm of politics.

Pennsylvania’s new attorney general is set to name a special prosecutor in the coming days to investigate Gov. Tom Corbett’s handling of the case, specifically why nearly three years elapsed before criminal charges were brought.

Attorney General Kathleen Kane, a Democrat elected in November, confirmed her plans in an interview here. She suggested that when he was attorney general Mr. Corbett, a Republican, slow-walked the investigation of a longtime football coach at the center of the scandal while campaigning for governor.

Mr. Corbett, who was elected in 2010, has flatly rejected the suggestion that he delayed the case. ...........

Randy Feathers, who supervised the investigating agents when Mr. Corbett was attorney general, said that from the time he got the assignment several months after the initial accusation there were at least two to four agents pursuing the case.

It took as long as it did, he said, because “we felt like we had no shot” winning in court with just a single victim testifying against Mr. Sandusky, who “walked on water” as an assistant for 31 years to the famous Penn State head coach, Joe Paterno.

So they looked for other victims. “You very rarely find a predator in those circumstances who only molested one kid,” said Mr. Feathers, now retired. “Our job was to find those kids.”

He added, “Tom Corbett had nothing to do with slowing anything down.”


More at link......
 
IIRC, Victim 1 was not assaulted on campus. Sassano testified that he received an anonymous tip to talk to McQueary that was initially sent to Parks Miller (SPM), the Centre County DA. Corbett said it was in November 2010 (I've heard October, so I'll say "late Fall"). There wasn't a "Penn State tie" until that point. Sandusky hadn't been employed there for years at that point.

SPM is a Democrat; Corbett a Republican. SPM was first elected in 2009, running against Madeira (MTM), the incumbent. MTM was a former assistant attorney general, and a former member of the Republican State Committee, who had worked under Corbett. Corbett endorsed MTM in 2009. The would no political reason for SPM to back up Corbett or Sassano. If she does, it takes out the possibility of Victims 2-10 from being "slow-walked."

The political tide might be shifting to Corbett. His son-in-law's troubles have gotten him some sympathy.
 
Corbett seems to be the one most held responsible for the firing of Joe Paterno. Oh, he "sold" the lottery and is trying to sell the state stores, privatize I mean. His latest numbers show his popularity near all time lows. On a side note did you know Kane Trucking, owned by Kathleen"s husband, has large contracts to transport alcohol for the state?
 
Corbett seems to be the one most held responsible for the firing of Joe Paterno. Oh, he "sold" the lottery and is trying to sell the state stores, privatize I mean. His latest numbers show his popularity near all time lows. On a side note did you know Kane Trucking, owned by Kathleen"s husband, has large contracts to transport alcohol for the state?

There is an old joke in PA that conservative Republicans love fast driving and cheap liquor. :) They, and I am one, favored raising the speed limit to 65, and privatizing retail sales of liquor. If successful, and the last two GOP governors tried, it will boost Corbett's ratings, overall.

The were a number of people that either wanted Paterno to coach until he died, or retire at the end of the season. If you recall, I was in the latter group. Based on what we know now, my position was completely wrong, and some people that favor it at the time, like me, now see the wisdom in firing Paterno (though I would argue that it should have been done in person).

There is a rabid group out there that supports Paterno, no matter what, even a few spouting conspiracy theories. They are turning the rest of us off.

Kane is in the unfortunate position where she may actually, having campaigned on it, have to tell the public, "Well, they did everything right."
 
I honestly do not think JS would have been convicted on Victim #1's case alone if Corbett had pushed the AG to go ahead....it took the extra time to find and verify the cases of all the victims, and luckily it was during this time that the McQueary evidence was found. And can you imagine if JS had had that trial, how he would have been calling and threatening victims, or trying to buy them off and destroying evidence...we wouldn't have had the letters, pictures, etc. found in his office and home....

I remember the jury themselves said it was the weight of all the testimony by the victims that convinced them JS was a pedophile and guilty of these crimes.

Kane (and I'm a Democrat but not in PA.) should not have bowed to the naysayers and promised this investigation of Corbett. She should have said that after she got into office, IF evidence showed the case was not handled correctly she would investigate more. To me, she has already compromised her independence by letting herself be influenced without knowing what she was getting into.
 
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/02/attorney_general_kathleen_kane_2.html
I don't believe Kane is going to review the whole investigation, or lack thereof. She is only going back so far, 2008 I think. It doesn't appear she'll investigate TSM, the state or county services or the local schools.

From Twindad's link:

“Clearly this is a very delicate issue on the political side,” Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa. D-Allegheny, told the Times. “If she creates an atmosphere that... she has already reached a conclusion, that’s not good.”

Then there’s also the complication of simultaneously prosecuting other Sandusky-related cases against Penn State administrators accused of obstructing the original investigation, even as that original investigation is being reviewed.

Several legal experts said last month they believe there are ways Kane can accomplish the two.

BBM-here is the link from that statement:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/01/pennsylvania_attorney_general_13.html

...........In making that assessment, he cited the scenario of a prosecutor double-checking a successful conviction, not simply for the facts of the case as much as the strategic decisions made along the way.

“It’s a really sensitive and potentially difficult thing for her to do for a whole host of reasons,” Pappert said.

“Only Kathleen Kane can address how she walks that line,” he added.............

But there are many, many Penn State partisans and others who want to know more about the management of the probe, and wonder why, for example, more attention hasn’t been paid to other parties like the former leaders of Sandusky’s youth charity, The Second Mile. Sandusky found most of his victims through that charity.

Several university supporters were present for Kane’s celebration today, including Penn State trustee Anthony Lubrano.

“I believe in due process and uncovering what happened (in the investigation) because I don’t have a sense that we really know the truth,” said Lubrano.

Lubrano believes university leaders have been too quick to accept responsibility for the scandal and heap blame on former leaders like Spanier and legendary head football coach Joe Paterno............

First of all, I knew Lubrano supported Paterno but if he also supports Spanier, I really have no use for him....

Second, if Kane does not investigate the SM, it seems she is going to disappoint a lot of the people pushing for this probe...

I have a feeling this investigation is not going to do Kane a lot of good....there is no way to satisfy all of the people who want certain outcomes from something like this....IMO
 
First of all, I knew Lubrano supported Paterno but if he also supports Spanier, I really have no use for him....

I think that Lubrano forgets that Spanier resigned, a voluntary act. He could have said, "I'm staying." Had he not resigned, to remove him, the BoT would have had to have held a trial, an involved and time consuming process.

Second, if Kane does not investigate the SM, it seems she is going to disappoint a lot of the people pushing for this probe...

This may be one of those other things that could pop up.

I have a feeling this investigation is not going to do Kane a lot of good....there is no way to satisfy all of the people who want certain outcomes from something like this....IMO

She is investigating Corbett; that is the new wrinkle in the case. For her, it creates a political problem, because if she finds nothing, they will be screaming for her head.

I would also note that it was said, in 1881 that Standard Oil, "has done everything with the Pennsylvania legislature, except refine it." Do not expect changes.

http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/flashbks/monopoly.htm
 
This sounds a lot like the Penn State BOT hiring of Freeh.
 
She is investigating Corbett; that is the new wrinkle in the case. For her, it creates a political problem, because if she finds nothing, they will be screaming for her head.

I don't know; if Moulton can present a thorough investigation and find nothing inappropriate occurred with Corbett's performance as AG in the Sandusky case, I think most people will accept it. There will always be the radical segment that won't be satisfied, but nothing would please some of them.
 
I don't know; if Moulton can present a thorough investigation and find nothing inappropriate occurred with Corbett's performance as AG in the Sandusky case, I think most people will accept it. There will always be the radical segment that won't be satisfied, but nothing would please some of them.

It is the "radical segment" that I'm talking about.
 
I hope that fringe isn't large enough to cause her the political problem you alluded to earlier. If it is, we are all doomed! :D

It wasn't all of it, but it was probably a large part of her margin of victory.
 

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