The news that a former top gubernatorial aide will plead guilty in a corruption probe underscores — yet again — the need for comprehensive ethics reform in Harrisburg.
The question is, how many lawmakers and lobbyists must fall before action is taken?
The latest case involves John H. Estey, who was chief of staff to former Gov. Ed Rendell. After leaving that post in 2008, he became a lobbyist. In 2011, the FBI snared him in what The Philadelphia Inquirer quoted prosecutors as calling a broader investigation into lobbying activities in Harrisburg. Mr. Estey allegedly took $20,000 from FBI agents posing as business people who wanted certain legislation passed. He was to pass on the money to three legislators and a “leadership caucus” as illegal campaign contributions but, authorities said, ended up keeping $13,000 for himself. (It’s a double-layer cake of crimes.)
According to The Inquirer’s report, Mr. Estey will plead guilty to federal wire fraud. He also is believed to have cooperated with investigators for an extended period, which leaves Pennsylvanians to wonder whether the boom will be falling on anyone else — meaning, lawmakers — anytime soon. This is the same corruption probe, by the way, that forced a state treasurer, Rob McCord, from office for trying to extort campaign donors.
For years, good-government types and newspapers who called for stricter lobbying and ethics laws have been shouting into the wind, even as the number of compromised officials mounted. In 2014, the Post-Gazette reported that more than a dozen lawmakers had been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes of various kinds over a 15-year period and that the state Ethics Commission was underfunded and largely toothless.
On his first day in office in 2015, Gov. Tom Wolf implemented a gift ban for executive-branch employees. He followed that up this spring with a package of reform proposals that would include a wider gift ban, more extensive disclosure of employees’ and officials’ outside sources of income, more lobbying oversight and campaign finance reform.
Some lawmakers have already introduced reform bills or pledge to do so. The time for action is now.
First Published: May 4, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
