KYW Newsradio Team Coverage
Two aides to powerful Pennsylvania state senator Vincent Fumo have been charged in a federal corruption investigation.
KYW's Tony Hanson reports that according to federal authorities, Leonard Luchko, Mark Eister, and others who are not named or charged conspired and obstructed justice by destroying electronic evidence including e-mail communications pertaining to matters within the scope of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
Federal authorities have, since early 2003, been conducting a criminal investigation into activities of a nonprofit corporation that -- according to federal documents -- is organized and managed by and through a South Philadelphia district office of "a Pennsylvania state senator," whom they have since confirmed is Fumo.
Fumo (right) has not been charged with any crime in connection with the investigation..
But authorities say that during a period between approximately January 1, 1999 and the present, various individuals associated with the Fumo-run organization were involved in committing criminal offenses including mail, wire, and "honest services" fraud, and obstruction of justice.
Luchko, 49, of Collingdale, Pa., and Eister, 36, of Camp Hill, were employed by Senate Democratic Computer Services, an entity of the Pennsylvania state senate which provided computer services to Democratic members of the state senate. Luchko worked in a Philadelphia office; Eister worked in Harrisburg.
US attorney Pat Meehan calls the actions of the two men "a deliberate, systematic, and ultimately successful effort to interfere with a federal investigation."
Meehan says the ongoing investigation is focused, in part, on whether and to what extent Fumo has used his authority and position to demand and obtain payments from corporations to the nonprofit organization affiliated with the senator's office.
The investigation also seeks to determine if or how Fumo has benefitted both politically and personally from the expenditures of the nonprofit organization.
KYW's Steve Tawa reports the two Fumo aides made brief appearances before a federal magistrate, hours after the criminal complaint was released.
Defense lawyer Brian McMonigle, representing Eister, says his client was a "computer guy" whose job it was to "preserve the sanctity of Fumo's computers, to make sure they were not subjected to invasions of privacy."
McMonigle says Eister was just performing tasks that were part of his job:
"He deleted e-mails and other information from the computers, as he was directed to do. He ran security on those computers."
(Tawa:) "Directed by whom?"
(McMonigle:) "Directed by whoever asked him to do it."
Representing Luchko, lawyer James Schwartzman declined to be specific, because he only had a few minutes to go over the 65-page affidavit before the appearance before the magistrate:
"Lenny didn't do anything knowingly and intentionally, knowing that he wasn't supposed to."
Both men signed their own bail to be released.
Senator Fumo’s attorney, Richard Sprague, issued a brief statement, saying, in part, the government has made it clear that it will go to any length to get Senator Fumo.
Sprague says the feds produced a wholly one-sided affidavit in support of the arrests, taking statements out of context, including inaccurate and disputed facts.
More importantly, Sprague says, the affidavit omitted critical facts.
Sprague continues his statement saying anybody can be accused of anything. “The fat lady has not yet sung,” he adds, and the arrests are not the end of the ballgame.
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