Former State House Speaker Bill DeWeese took the Fifth Amendment yesterday in a session in Judge Richard Lewis' chambers. Mike Veon's lawyers wanted to call him to the stand in the defense of the former Whip on trial for use of public resources for political purposes. The BonusGate trial is in its sixth week and the defense is going through witnesses quickly. I'm not sure what good it is parading character witnesses to the stand for politicians. Do these attorneys really think the jury is going to be impressed by that? These are politicians for crying out loud.
Still, the defense is trying to show campaign work wasn't done inside the Capitol though the prosecution made that fact abundantly clear. Whether Mike Veon is directly connected with all of it remains the question for the jury. The staffers are dead meat. The fact Veon was a hands on manager goes against him while testimony has shown DeWeese didn't involve himself in details other than to instruct his staff to find lobbyist to take him to dinner. These legislators were paid by the taxpayers for their meals while in Harrisburg. DeWeese's actions obtaining freebies wasn't criminal. Unethical but not criminal. Still, he is also under indictment and copping the Fifth was probably essential. DeWeese filed nominating petitions yesterday to run for re-election.
