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DeWeese expects vindication

HARRISBURG - House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese said yesterday that he was confident he would be vindicated in the legislative bonus investigation and intended to remain leader of the House Democratic caucus.

HARRISBURG - House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese said yesterday that he was confident he would be vindicated in the legislative bonus investigation and intended to remain leader of the House Democratic caucus.

DeWeese, of Greene County, has not been charged with any crime in a corruption investigation that resulted in charges against 12 people last week, but the question is whether he can survive as floor leader - or even win reelection.

"For him personally, and for the good of the institution and the good of the Democratic caucus, I hope he steps aside," said Rep. John Yudichak (D., Luzerne).

DeWeese said the grand-jury reports showed that he had responded to the scandal appropriately.

"I feel this report vindicates me, and I really believe that our leadership team for the last 17 months has handled this terrible crisis in the best way conceivable," DeWeese said.

He said he hoped to run for speaker with a Democratic majority despite the charges state prosecutors filed against his former chief of staff and a trusted former lieutenant on allegations they misappropriated public money to wage campaigns and enrich themselves. A sitting Democratic representative and nine other current or former caucus employees also were charged with theft, conspiracy, and conflicts of interest.

DeWeese maintains he was unaware of the alleged crimes. When asked in an interview how such efforts could have gone on under his nose, he pointed to a portion in the grand-jury report that described the secrecy measures that the defendants allegedly took.

The two-year session ends in November, and there are signs that DeWeese may face a tough fight to remain at the head of the caucus.

Yudichak and Rep. Bill Keller (D., Phila.) said yesterday that they had called for DeWeese to be replaced as leader during a private caucus retreat this year but had not talked publicly about their position until now. Keller suggested DeWeese might have been too detached a supervisor.

"The leader who says he wasn't aware of what was going on is not a leader, and should step down and get out of the way," Keller said.

Yudichak said a leadership reorganization "could very well happen" in September if DeWeese did not resign as leader.

"I think that there are very long odds that he survives as a leader this fall, and virtually no opportunity going into the next legislative session," Yudichak said.

DeWeese said both men had long been his critics and noted he was elected majority leader by a 90-12 vote two years ago.

Rep. Mark Cohen (D., Phila.), a DeWeese ally, echoed the comments of many others in noting DeWeese has the presumption of innocence, particularly given that he is not accused of any crime. Cohen acknowledged there is some support for replacing DeWeese, but not a majority.

DeWeese faces a tough reelection challenge from Republican Greg Hopkins, who lost to him by 5 percentage points in 2006.

Even though the House Democrats won back the majority after 12 years on the outs, DeWeese was unable to unite the caucus to elect him speaker. Instead, he helped broker a deal with the Republicans that catapulted GOP Rep. Dennis O'Brien of Philadelphia into the speaker's seat.