Video of the five defendants who have cut deals with the AG's office, Foreman, Manzo, Lavelle, and the Brubakers.

From the Post-Gazette.

Five in Bonusgate scandal to cooperate Will plead guilty to lesser charges, forfeit pensions Friday, October 23, 2009

By Tracie Mauriello, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG -- Five of the 12 defendants in the government corruption scandal known as Bonusgate have agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors.

The plea agreements also require the defendants to forfeit their state pensions as a way to make partial restitution. The agreements were provided earlier this week to attorneys for the defendants, who were expected to go to trial in January.

They are accused of conspiring to divert tax dollars from legitimate government purposes to the re-election campaigns of incumbent legislators. The funds in question include millions that were dispersed as bonuses to Democratic caucus staffers, allegedly in exchange for their work on campaigns.

Michael Manzo, who prosecutors say was one of the ringleaders of the bonus scheme, was charged with 37 criminal counts and could have faced a maximum of 311 years in prison and $660,000 in fines. Instead, his plea agreement calls for dropping all but 10 charges, which carry a maximum combined sentence of 26 years imprisonment and $55,000 in fines plus restitution.

The pension he gives up would have been roughly $45,000 a year at full retirement age of 60, according to calculations by the Post-Gazette based on salary and service data provided by the Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System.

Mr. Manzo, 40, is the former chief of staff to Bill DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, the former Democratic leader and current Democratic whip. Mr. Manzo already has testified in a preliminary hearing that he believes Mr. DeWeese was aware of the bonus scheme.

Mr. DeWeese has not been charged and insists he knew nothing of a plan to use bonuses as rewards for campaign work.

Mr. Manzo's wife Rachel also is among the defendants but she has not entered a plea agreement, according to documents provided to defendants this week. She was an aide to Rep. Todd Eachus of Luzerne County before he became House Democratic leader.

Like most defendants in the case, she faces several charges including theft, conflict of interest and conspiracy.

Others who agreed to plead guilty are Jeff Foreman, Scott Brubaker, his wife Jennifer and Patrick "P.J." Lavelle.

Mr. Foreman already has appeared as a witness for the prosecution in hearings on a related corruption case against former Democratic Whip Mike Veon, who represented Beaver Falls. Mr. Veon, who at one time was the second highest ranking Democrat in the state House, faces 55 criminal counts relating to the Bonusgate scandal.

Mr. Foreman, 58, was charged with 22 criminal counts. His agreement with prosecutors requires him to plead guilty to just four felonies -- two counts of failure to make required disposition of funds received, one count of conflict of interest and one count of criminal conspiracy.

In exchange, Mr. Foreman, like the others who entered agreements must "provide all information concerning knowledge of, and participation in, public corruption, the improper use of resources and any other crimes about which he has knowledge."

Guidelines call for a maximum of 21 years in prison, $45,000 in fines plus restitution. If found guilty of all of the original charges, Mr. Foreman could have faced a maximum of 160 years imprisonment and $240,000 in fines.

Sentencing is at the discretion of Dauphin County Common Pleas President Judge Richard Lewis.

Mr. Brubaker, 44, former director of staffing and administration, agreed to plead guilty to four felonies including theft, criminal conspiracy and conflict of interest.

That's down from 22 counts in the original criminal complaint filed by the state attorney general. Those charges called for a maximum sentence of 144 years in prison and $310,000 in fines.

Instead, the plea agreement calls for no more than 21 years in prison, $45,000 in fines plus restitution.

The pension he agreed to give up would have amounted to roughly $47,000 a year beginning at age 60, according to Post-Gazette calculations.

Ms. Brubaker, 37, was the director of the House Democrats' research office, which staffers have said was a center of political work inside the Capitol.

Originally facing 13 counts, Mrs. Brubaker has agreed to plead guilty to four felonies that carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, $20,000 in fines and restitution. Under the original charges, she could have faced a prison sentence of up to 113 years and $240,000 in fines.

The annual pension she gives up would have amounted to roughly $28,000 a year beginning at age 60.

Mr. Lavelle, a former legislative aide who is accused of spending virtually all of his state-paid time coordinating fundraising efforts for political campaigns, agreed to plead guilty to criminal conspiracy and conflict of interest.

The agreement calls for a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, $20,000 in fines plus restitution. Mr. Lavelle, 31, originally was charged with six counts and faced up to 40 years imprisonment and $85,000 in fines.

Pension figures for Mr. Lavelle and Mr. Foreman were not immediately available._Correction/Clarification: (Published Oct. 24, 2009) A plea agreement calls for dropping 37 charges against Bonusgate defendant Michael Manzo if he pleads guilty to 10 other criminal counts and cooperates with prosecutors investigating government corruption. A separate agreement calls for prosecutors to drop 13 charges against co-defendant Jennifer Brubaker if she cooperates and pleads guilty to four other counts. This story as originally published Oct. 23, 2009 reported incorrect tallies of charges.