Day: May 20, 2010

Maybe Corbett’s Not Evil After All Or Live By Tweets Die By Tweets

The May 6 Grand Jury subpoenas of Twitter Inc. for the records of bfbarbie and CasablancaPa per the request of Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett involve tomorrow’s sentencing of convicted felon Brett Cott according to Kevin Harley, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.

Harley said details will be forthcoming at the sentencing.

Cott was the top aide to State Rep. Mike Veon , who represented the 14th District from 1985 to 2006. Cott, along with his boss and two other aides were convicted in March after a six-week trial on charges relating to Bonusgate in which legislative staffers  were given bonuses with state money for campaign work.

Cott is specifically guilty of theft of service, conflict of interest and conspiracy to commit conflict of interest.

If Cott spent the last two months ripping Corbett anonymously via Twitter it really doesn’t show much in the way of repentance for his ill deeds and it really doesn’t bode well for the sorry sack of pick-your-favorite-word-starting-with-an-s if he can’t figure out why he should be repentant.

Corbett’s Twitter Headache May Go Viral

Pennsylvania attorney general and GOP gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett has an unexpected viral headache ruining the glow of his primary triumph.

Corbett in his job as A.G. subpoenaed Twitter Inc., May 6, for the records of two account holders who have been harshly critical of his handling of Bonusgate , in which tax money was used to pay political aides for campaign work in the form of bonuses.

Wrongdoing happened and Corbett got guilty pleas and his corruption investigations — while starting with Democrats — eventually netted high-ranking Republicans as well.

So why were the accounts bfbarbie and CasablancaPa subpoenaed? It can’t be a simple matter of slander/libel since Corbett is seeking the information via a grand jury, and as a public figure it is unlikely what was said about him would come close to even meriting a case.

If he doesn’t come up with a good explanation for his action, though, don’t be surprised if it causes his campaign surprising damage. The matter is being discussed in a very unfavorable way on political and technical blogs throughout the state and nation.

Not to mention Twitter, of course.

A call has been placed to the Attorney General’s office asking for Corbett’s side, and Corbett’s office responded. See the next post.

8 Years For Videotaping Outside Fed Courthouse?

8 Years For Videotaping Outside Fed Courthouse? — A libertarian activist who began videotaping when federal officers confronted his three-man group distributing fliers outside the federal courthouse in Allentown, Pa. has been charged with assaulting a court officer after he struggled to keep court officer Claire Burns and Deputy U.S. Marshal Enrique Trevino from taking his camera.

The incident began after Ms. Burns, who was part of a contingent of several officers, approached Julian Heicklen of Fully Informed Jury Association — a group that feels jurors are often not adequately aware of their powers and obligations under the Constitution — and Heicklen began to argue.

George Donnelly began videotaping the incident. Ms. Burns attempted to take his camera, Donnelly struggled to keep it and Trevino and other marshals came to her assistance.

Donnelly was arrested and charged. He was released on his own recognizance after spending two days in custody. He must remain in his home and wear an electronic bracelet until his May 25 hearing.

The charge comes with an eight-year jail sentence.

Here is the story from the The Morning Call of Allentown .

Here is the one from FIJA.

See if you can spot the differences.

8 Years For Videotaping Outside Fed Courthouse?