Senators hesitant to comment on Fumo charges
HARRISBURG – State senators were hesitant to say too much about last week’s federal indictment of Sen. Vince Fumo, saying they had either not read the charges, or are waiting to see what happens in federal court. Many agreed that reforms are needed to make the Legislature more transparent, in the way of an open records policy and tighter audits of legislative spending, but did not want to connect those changes directly to Fumo.
For nearly three decades, the powerful South Philadelphia senator has served alongside many of them, fighting for funding and programs as Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and becoming a prime advocate for the advent of legalized gambling.
The 139-count indictment filed Feb. 6 accused Fumo of defrauding taxpayers and others of more than $2 million by using state workers and a nonprofit group to carry out his political and personal ambitions.
In a solemn testimony from the Senate floor the day before, Fumo denied the charges calling them “full of falsities, half-truths and baseless legal theories.”
Later, his attorney Richard A. Sprague depicted his staff as devoted workers who were lawfully entitled to “knock themselves out” for Fumo during off-hours.
“I know in my heart that I have not done anything illegal,” Fumo said on the Senate floor, surrounded by aides. “I trust that you and the good citizens of Pennsylvania will keep an open mind and remember that they are only accusations. There are good answers to the charges.”
For now, a number of senators tend to believe him.
“I think everybody feels uncomfortable in that we have a leader who’s being accused of all these things,” said Pittsburgh Sen. Wayne Fontana, a Democrat. “But I think everybody is just waiting. In my caucus everybody has the utmost respect for Fumo and it’s not fear.”
Sen. Gerald LaValle, a Beaver County Democrat, said he didn’t look at the allegations, although expected an indictment to come eventually.
The longstanding investigation under U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan had been in the news for some time. Shortly before the indictment, Senate Democratic Leader Robert Mellow discussed LaValle taking over the appropriations chairmanship this year, which he did after Fumo stepped down in the wake of the indictment.
“I think most everybody has said at one point or another, when the feds do an investigation they throw so many things out there hoping something will stick,” said LaValle. “I see no change in attitude towards him. In fact, most guys rallied around him and hoped everything worked out.”
Chris Borick, director of Muhlenberg College’s Institute of Public Opinion, said the senators’ attitudes are not surprising given the collegial atmosphere of the chamber and the respect Fumo commands for getting things done.
Fumo has twice before been investigated, in a 1973 vote-fraud charge that was dropped and a 1980 conviction for his role in allegedly using ghost-workers that was overturned.
“He’s a political survivor and there’s probably more than a few individuals who think these charges are steep but are not writing him off,” said Borick. “If he survives the legal firestorm and comes back they have to work with him.”
Borick said it’s hard to believe that fellow senators have not read any details in the indictment.
Among some of the charges, Fumo allegedly used state staff to work his 100-acre Harrisburg area farm, clean his 33-room Philadelphia mansion, organize political fundraisers, and drive vehicles to his vacation spot at Martha’s Vineyard.
He also allegedly used a private investigator, paid with tax dollars, to spy on former lovers and the governor.
Fontana said he’s not outraged because he understands how “things can be construed.”
“If staff calls me at lunch and says can I pick something up for you does it make it wrong?” Fontana said.
Some insisted they truly hadn’t read the charges.
“I’ve been so focused on the issues of my constituents,” said Bucks County Rep. Robert Wonderling. “He’s one member with one vote at the end of the day.”
Wonderling added that since he took office in 2002 “there’s been so much speculation” about Fumo and after the indictment charges came out “we all just kind of moved on.”
LaValle said the $3.7 million handed out in bonuses to legislative staffers over the last two years has garnered more attention than Fumo.
That controversy has sparked further interest in making legislative spending more open and accountable through more expansive auditing procedures.
“The bonuses drove it,” said Sen. John Pippy, an Allegheny County Republican, who also said he hadn’t read the indictment. “Obviously, we’re very concerned (about Fumo). We’ll be watching this closely and look to see what steps need to be changed so there are control mechanisms in place.”
Senators, however, were reluctant to draw a clear link between the Fumo indictment and the behavior of the General Assembly as a whole.
“Let’s be clear, when the New York Times engages in less than quality journalism is that an indictment on the media?” asked Wonderling. “Or when a car dealer engages in bad business practices is that an indictment on the auto industry?”
Wonderling said he’s not “belittling the seriousness of the charges,” but sees it as a “shallow perspective” to say the behavior of an individual shadows the entire institution.
Alison Hawkes can be reached at 717-705-6330 or ahawkes@calkins-media.com.