A New, Closer Look at PA. Gov. Corbett, Penn State, and the 2.5 Year Delay in Arresting Sandusky

[JPZenger]

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/7770996/in-wake-joe-paterno-death-sandusky-sex-abuse-scandal-power-struggle-spread-penn-state-state-capital

It is a shame we have to depend upon ESPN for investigative journalism inside Pennsylvania. (Paterno comes out as very honorable in this telling of the story.)

"...In late 2008, the mother of a high school freshman called the local high school, where Sandusky was serving as a volunteer coach, to say that Sandusky had performed oral sex on her son more than 20 times and had forced the boy to perform oral sex on him. The ...district attorney ...had a conflict...So the case was transferred, in March 2009, to Corbett's office. .... Corbett assigned just one investigator to the Sandusky case, say lawyers with knowledge of the arrangement, although Corbett has denied this through his spokesman. At the time, he had 14 investigators looking into the activities of Pennsylvania House Speaker Bill DeWeese, a Democrat ...

...As PA's attorney general, Corbett investigated Sandusky for nearly two years but failed to make an arrest. But then, as governor, he blamed the university's leaders for not doing more. One was Paterno, who some board members believed wielded too much power. The other was university president Graham B. Spanier... who had become a vocal opponent of the governor's efforts to slash higher education funding.

"Throughout this whole process, I felt he had some ulterior motive," a trustee says of Corbett. "Most trustees felt uncomfortable with his role. It was odd for him to be there and participate the way he did. Very odd." ...Corbett had tried to get Paterno, a staunch Republican, to endorse him, but Paterno declined; the coach had a policy against endorsing gubernatorial candidates because the election winner, as Pennsylvania governor, would get a seat on Penn State's board of trustees....Penn State President Spanier began hearing from board members during the 2010 football season that Corbett was furious with him for appearing to openly favor his opponent.

One senior member of the Penn State faculty recalls seeing Corbett, surrounded by his security detail and friends, at the American Ale House & Grill in State College on Thursday evening, Nov. 10, the night before the regularly scheduled board meeting. "He was just effusive," the faculty member says. "It was like a victory celebration. I remember thinking at the time that it just seemed a strange thing … a kind of gratuitous political piling on." ...Bob Capretto ...asked Corbett, "Who told the board to fire Joe and fire Spanier?" "And the governor said, 'I told them to do it,'" Capretto says. "He was proud of it.'"

[freshwest]

1. Let's see. The GOP ran on Dukakis and Willie Horton, holding him responsible. Looks like another

Infamous 'personal responsiblity' FAIL by the GOP.

Hope the people of PA oust the GOP this year.

[JPZenger]

2. More

The story also tells about how the University's lawyers tried to provide a free lawyer to Paterno. Paterno refused - he hired his own. Then the University's lawyers tried to give him talking points. Paterno refused.

[MadrasT]

3. Really interesting.

I went to Penn State (graduated years and years ago) and followed this closely (as did many folks in PA).

It was really interesting to read this back-story stuff.

Thanks for posting.

[JPZenger]

4. Article by former NY Times Reporter is getting lots of attention among Penn State fans

Last edited Thu Apr 5, 2012, 01:25 PM - Edit history (1)

This article is getting a great amount of attention among Penn State fans. Over at one site, they are referring to "One Term Tommy." It was written by a reporter who used to work for the NY Times and was hired by ESPN a couple months ago.

google found 1700 posts about that article in the last 24 hours

The reporter says he will keep working on the story and expects to uncover much more.

[blue neen]

5. Corrupt Corbett deserves to go to jail AND hell.

He'll probably just do the time in hell, though. He sold his soul to the devil a long time ago.

"A 62-year-old Republican, Corbett is a blunt-spoken former prosecutor whose political career has been built pursuing powerful people who, he has said, "believe they are beyond the law." And his role in the Penn State scandal, fraught with potential conflicts, placed him in a remarkable position. As Pennsylvania's attorney general, he investigated Sandusky for nearly two years but failed to make an arrest. But then, as governor, he blamed the university's leaders for not doing more. One was Paterno, who some board members believed wielded too much power. The other was university president Graham B. Spanier, a 16-year veteran and Corbett rival who had become a vocal opponent of the governor's efforts to slash higher education funding."

"To some, Corbett relished the opportunity and had even planned to play a role in managing the crisis. Eight days before the Sandusky grand jury presentment was released this past November, Corbett's staff booked hotel rooms in State College. Becoming governor had made Corbett a trustee, and he had decided to attend his first board meeting, after missing the first four. During those days of crisis in State College, he lobbied for the ouster of Paterno and Spanier, ending with that conference call on Nov. 9. And when he was on campus the next day, after Spanier's resignation and Paterno's firing, he celebrated the leadership changes. "Throughout this whole process, I felt he had some ulterior motive," a trustee says of Corbett. "Most trustees felt uncomfortable with his role. It was odd for him to be there and participate the way he did. Very odd."

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/7770996/in-wake-joe-paterno-death-sandusky-sex-abuse-scandal-power-struggle-spread-penn-state-state-capital

[badhair77]

6. I wish someone had video of him at the American Ale House.

Celebrating in the midst of a pedophilia investigation. What a class act.

Plus, I think many Republican Penn Staters will be more loyal to PSU than to the Republican party, come Tom's re-election time. I believe they'll hold a grudge.

[JPZenger]

7. 14,000 posts on this story in on a few days - there are some mad Penn Staters

http://bwi.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=36&tid=154408413&mid=154408413&sid=890&style=2

Here is a typical comment on a Penn State fan website:

"Some of you have read Don Van Natta's excellent ESPN story on Corbett's role in the firing of Spanier and Paterno.

Van Natta was an investigative reporter for the New York Times for many years -- this story was very carefully reported and is, along with Sara Ganim's work, probably the best journalism that's been done about the Sandusky scandal. Van Natta brings major new facts to light, and his work blows apart the carefully crafted P.R. story that Penn State peddled to national media (including the Times).

Some of us knew early in 2011 that Corbett planned a war with Penn State and the entire state higher education system. I've been telling you folks that this governor has said publicly, in published interviews, that he doesn't even believe there should BE public universities. He came into office with plans to dismantle higher education -- and if you doubt that, what part of 50% cut do you not understand?

Corbett's modus his entire career has been to use prosecutorial maneuvers to go after his political opponents. For several years it was Democrats (with 2 or 3 token Republicans) In this case he was after Spanier and Penn State, because PSU's prestige and political connections represented the biggest obstacle to Corbett's extreme right-wing agenda.

We knew Corbett despised Spanier; his public statements made it clear. However, I never would have accused Corbett of using the Sandusky scandal to wreck Penn State -- my take was Penn State wrecked itself. But after reading Van Natta's story I am forced to reconsider. This is very, very significant stuff.

Why there isn't a recall effort going in Pennsylvania, among alumni, parents, and supporters of higher education, is a mystery to me. If this governor isn't stopped, Penn State will survive, but the rest of Pennsylvania's wonderful and nationally prestigious system of college and universities will be a smoking ruin."

Reply:

"I am a staunch, lifelong, right wing Republican.

And I agree with you 1,000,000,000,000,000,000%!!!!

We're on the same side in this War my friend. Corbett is evil to the core and should be recalled immediately.""

Reply:

While I agree with everything you write, I do not think there is a method to recall Corbett without the legislature first passing a law providing for that. I think we are stuck with him until 2014.

Reply:

"Penn State alumni and students should do every thing in their power to make sure Corbett does not get reelected for a 2nd term. I for one do not think it is a good idea to have a governor as a voting member on BOT or that they be allowed to appoint so many to BOT.This is something that needs to be changed also."

Reply:

...will end with his defeat in the next governor's election

this POS is going down."
-------
Good article in the PSU-UP Newspaper:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2012/04/05/outside_the_lines_espn_story_.aspx

[kooljerk666]

16. No recalls in PA.........Time for a Constitutional Ammendment!!!

What else can I say?

[JPZenger]

8. bump

Sandusky is still sleeping in his own bed, with a nice view of the elementary school behind his house. By the time the 68 year old finally gets put away, it will just be so the state of PA. can pay for his nursing home car.

[blue neen]

9. Corbett has plenty to answer for.

It's too bad that he doesn't have to be cross-examined on the stand, like the unfortunate victims are doing.

Edited to say, I wish I could recommend this thread 1000 times!

[femmocrat]

10. I would like to see this as the lead story on every local news channel in PA.

And then I would like it to national. ASAP! This needs to be exposed before the next election.

Corbett bears some responsibility here and his craven misuse of political power is totally disgusting.

[JPZenger]

11. Smirconish on MSNBC tonight demanded an investigation of the delay in criminal charges by Corbett

[JPZenger]

12. Website hitting Corbett hard on delay in investigating and prosecuting Sandusky

http://casablancapa.blogspot.com/

New information proves that Corbett was diverting all of the resources of the AG office to trying to salvage his bonusgate efforts.

[blue neen]

14. Corbett fumes at reporter who dared to ask questions (Check the picture of Tom Terrific)

"Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett blew up at a reporter who questioned his handling of the criminal probe into former Penn State football assistant Jerry Sandusky as an investigation revealed Thursday that top officials at the university had “total and consistent disregard” for Sandusky’s victims."

"Corbett, who launched the criminal investigation into Sandusky when he was the Keystone State’s attorney general, has faced criticism for the investigation’s length — it was three years before an indictment was handed down — and because his administration approved a $3 million grant to Second Mile, the charity Sandusky ran and used as a way to recruit victims. Sandusky was no longer running the organization at the time."

"A reporter asked the governor on Thursday if the investigation, which was commissioned by Penn State’s Board of Trustees and written by a team led by former FBI director Louis Freeh, made him wish he had handled any element of the case differently, it drew an angry rebuke."

“Why are you all obsessed with that?” he said of criticism about the length of the criminal probe. “It’s been answered over and over and over again … 45 of 48 counts. We do not hold up investigations for anything."


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78458.html#ixzz20UxgnK00

On edit: Politico was the only source I could find for that picture. If someone else has the link to the original, I'd appreciate it. Thank you!

[blue neen]

13. Everyone in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should be demanding an investigation.

IMHO, the delay itself is criminal.

[badhair77]

15. interesting comment on CasablancaPA

By Luck, or By Design?

"In order for law enforcement to stay one step ahead of ... sexual predators the Office widened the scope of the Attorney General's task force into a larger, broader statewide Child Predator Unit," the AG's office website explains.

"In January 2005, a dedicated Child Predator Unit was created using a group of specially trained agents and prosecutors across Pennsylvania to identify and capture ... predators before they can harm children," the webpage goes on to tell voters.

The webpage reminds us, "The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that one in five girls and one in ten boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood." Tom Corbett would do nothing to improve those statistics.

In 2011, in fact, the AG's office crowed that its hard-working Child Predator Unit had, since its inception in 2005, arrested 298 child predators. Jerry Sandusky would never be among the hundreds arrested by the unit.

"The Child Predator's Unit could have done a quick grand jury in two months' time back in 2009, arrested Jerry Sandusky like all the other predators and got him off the street."

But that never happened.

AG Corbett didn't seem to trust his own vaunted Child Predator Unit to handle the Sandusky case, or to get the job done.

July 13, 2012 4:37 AM

[MrMickeysMom]

17. This figures with the AG Corbett as described by some (then) State legislators ...

IOW, Corbett couldn't spontaneously make a decision without his chief aid working all the steps for him. He was FAR more interested in the political windfall from going after DeWeese than taking a chance over some little thing like pedophilia.

Corbett never could be seen without being surrounded by his posse of political extensions or planning his next political role, which he is so ineptly carrying out now.

Politics over Pedophilia Pat!