TOOHIL DEMANDS ANSWERS ON BONUSGATE CORRUPTION SCANDAL

Tarah Toohil Demands Answers on Bonusgate Corruption Scandal

Hazleton, PA – Candidate for Pennsylvania State Representative Tarah Toohil issued a demand for answers regarding the Bonusgate Corruption Scandal from incumbent Representative Eachus on Tuesday. Toohil stated, “Representative Eachus is a major player in the Bonusgate Scandal that has rocked the capital. His name has repeatedly surfaced in the Bonusgate investigation even being named as a close ally to convicted felon and former State Representative, Michael Veon.

According to published reports, Representative Eachus’s own aide, John Paul Jones, testified before the Grand Jury that Representative Eachus directed state employees to work primarily on political campaigns while on state time. Jones admitted that he did political work for Mr. Eachus while operating under the cover story that he was a legislative research specialist making $62,000 a year in state money. Jones testified, “That was sort of like the code of, here’s what I do, but really I was solely there as a political guy.”

To the present, Representative Eachus has repeatedly refused to answer questions regarding his involvement in the Bonusgate Scandal.
In an email to spokesman, David Georges, Toohil demanded answers to the following questions:
1. How much taxpayer money was spent on political work by state employees under your direction? During what time period did this occur?
2. Did you ever utilize state resources improperly in order to assist in campaigns?
3. Were you aware that your employees were doing political work on state time?
4. Have you ever used the term “soft dollars” in referencing state money that you directed to be used for political campaigning?
5. Did you personally make campaign phone calls out of your legislative office?
6. Did you direct John Paul Jones to do political work on state time?
7. Did you authorize bonuses (paid with state money) to state employees who did campaign work?
8. Have you discussed your involvement in Bonusgate with your employees or with your former ally and convicted felon Michael Veon?
9. Why do you refuse to answer questions from the media regarding your involvement in the Bonusgate Scandal?

It was requested that Representative Eachus respond with answers to these questions by 5:00 o’clock p.m. on Thursday, September 9, 2010. Toohil stated, “Representative Eachus, the people who put you in office deserve answers to these questions. They deserve to know the details of your involvement in the corruption scandal. As an elected official you do not have the right to remain silent when it comes to answering to the public.”