State House hopeful Nick Miccarelli’s Republican cronies are quite the crowd. When not being investigated by the FBI, they’re busy mismanaging the War in Iraq, raising taxes on the middle class and giving our nation the highest unemployment rates in a decade. And now we learn that Miccarelli’s biggest backer, Anthony Forte, Jr., has been indicted on 62 counts of conspiracy, loan fraud and bank bribery. Sounds like Nick has been hanging out with the wrong crowd. Get the whole scoop here.
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For eight years, George Bush has been busy handing out tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, shipping jobs overseas, and running up the largest deficit in American history.
Just four years ago, we had a chance to escape this legacy of failure. With rising unemployment rates, over 330,000 Pennsylvanians were out of work . Bush had shipped over 20% of Pennsylvania’s manufacturing jobs overseas. And Pennsylvania had one of the nation’s highest home foreclosure rates. Despite these grim trends, Nick Miccarelli fought to continue Bush’s failed economic policies. (Bureau of Labor Statistics; Brookings Institution; (Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Report)
Miccarelli served as the Bush-Cheney team’s Director for South Philadelphia, fighting for the re-election of the worst President in our nation’s history (AP, 11/3/04). No wonder hardworking Pennsylvanian’s are struggling today with rising gas prices, skyrocketing taxes and costly healthcare premiums. Between all the tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas and the billions more given away to big oil companies, there’s nothing left for us.
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While hardworking Pennsylvania families struggle with rising health care costs and skyrocketing gas prices, Dick Cheney is busy wasting our tax dollars on his failed Iraq War.
Today, experts estimate the cost of the war to be anywhere from $600 billion to $4 trillion – tens of times more than Cheney originally claimed the war would cost. That’s enough to provide health care for all 47 million uninsured Americans, quality pre-kindergarten for every American child, permanently end the housing crisis, make college affordable for every American student and provide tax relief to tens of millions of middle-class families. (New York Times, 3/19/08)
But those aren’t Nick Miccarelli’s priorities.
Just four short years ago, we had a chance to escape this legacy of failure. Instead, Miccarelli fought to ensure the re-election of the worst Presidential team in history, serving as the Bush-Cheney team’s Director for South Philadelphia. (AP, 11/3/04)
In a 2006 interview, Miccarelli said we have to give the Bush Administration “the benefit of the doubt.” Is he kidding? While Cheney was busy wasting our tax dollars in Iraq rather than addressing urgent problems here at home, Miccarelli said, “And I think until I see a better alternative to what it is we're doing, we have to give our leaders the benefit of the doubt.” (NPR, 11/2/06)
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A “divisive figure” and "poster boy for America's right-wing fringe elements," former Senator Rick Santorum marched in lock-step with the Bush administrations’ failed policies. He supported the war in Iraq, the privatization of Social Security and other glaring mistakes of the Bush presidency. (Philly Inquirer 11/5/06)
And when not blindly supporting the Bush Administration’s failed leadership, Santorum was busy attacking now-Senator Bob Casey. Santorum criticized everything from Casey’s work ethic to his judgment. In an especially low blow, Santorum told Casey his dead father ‘would be very upset’ with him. The Allentown Morning Call even criticized Santorum for running “sleazy ads” against Bob Casey in 2006. (10/30/06)
It gets worse. Miccarelli actively campaigned to spread Santorum’s extremist right-wing ideology. As a college student, Miccarelli established a grassroots fundraising and get-out-the-vote operation for Santorum.
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Miccarelli served as the Political Director for embattled Congressman Curt Weldon, and was paid nearly $20,000 in salary and expenses. According to the FEC, Miccarelli was paid $10,222.70 in payroll expenses and $8,888.95 in other expenses from late July to Election Day. “The 24-year-old is a College Republican and a Political Director for Pennsylvania Rep. Curt Weldon's bid for re-election, one of the most hotly contested races in the country.” For his services, Weldon paid Miccarelli (NPR, 11/2/06, FEC.gov)
The FBI is investigating Weldon for serious crimes, including helping three Serbian and Russian companies with government contracts—while they were clients for his daughter’s consulting firm. (Philadelphia Inquirer: Weldon's World of Influence, 10/22/06; Philadelphia Inquirer: Lawmaker's ally ruthless to some, hero to others, 10/17/06)
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Forte Jr. personally campaigned for Miccarelli, and the duo appeared together at campaign events. (PolitickerPA.com, 7/24/08)
Forte Jr. announced his full support for Miccarelli at a local rally. “The Southeast Pennsylvania arm of the UAW Community Action Program has recommended Miccarelli for endorsement to the full state body,” said Tony Forte Jr., who serves as a director of the Pennsylvania Community Action Program of the UAW and formerly served as the head of UAW Local 1069. “I think Nick was right on our labor issues and presented himself well to the body.” (DelCo Times, 7/9/08)
Forte Jr. was indicted on 9/4/08 on 62 counts of conspiracy, loan fraud and bank bribery. “United Aerospace Workers Local 1069 President Tony Forte Jr., and his brother, David Forte, were indicted by a grand jury Thursday on 175 counts of conspiracy, loan fraud and bank bribery in a kickback scheme that allegedly netted them more than $105,000 for more than $2.5 million in fraudulent loans.” (DelcoTimes, 9/4/08)
Forte Jr. his brother, and others awarded loans without eligibility requirements and took kickbacks from those who were “approved.” “The Boeing Helicopters Credit Union maintained offices at Boeing's Ridley Township facility and offered unsecured personal loans, known as "signature loans," up to $20,000 for its members…” Forte Jr., created a program allowing non-union members to receive loans. Forte, Jr., then told his brother and others to “find as many applicants as possible, regardless of eligibility.” “In return for approval, the loan applicant would pay a kickback to the Forte brothers at a rate of 7 percent of the loan, or about $1,400 for a $20,000 loan, prosecutors said.” (DelcoTimes, 9/4/08, Phillynews, 9/4/08; Philadelphia Daily News, 9/5/08)
If convicted, Forte Jr., could face up to eight years in prison. “Forte [Jr.] could face up to eight years in prison and up to a $153.25 million fine.” (DelcoTimes, 9/4/08)