Bonusgate Disbarment
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has disbarred an attorney convicted of criminal conspiracy and other offenses.
The attorney served as chief of staff to the Democratic minority whip of the state House of Represeentatives. The misconduct was the subject of widespread publicity in a scheme known as Bonusgate.
Pennlive reported on the conviction
Jeff Foreman, one-time chief of staff to former state House Democratic Minority Whip Mike Veon, was sentenced this afternoon to 11-1/2 to 23 months in the Dauphin County Prison for his admitted role in the Bonusgate scandal.
Judge Richard A. Lewis imposed that sentence on Foreman, 59, of Harrisburg, after defense attorney Royce Morris argued for a probation term.
Lewis ordered Foreman to serve 3 years of probation after completing his prison term. He also ordered Foreman to pay $6,000 in fines and $28,695 in restitution, the amount Foreman received in illegal bonuses for campaign work.
Foreman had pleaded guilty to felony charges of conflict of interest, theft and conspiracy in the scheme by leaders of the House Democratic Caucus to use $1.3 million in taxpayer money to pay staffers for campaign work. He testified for the attorney general’s office during the trial of Veon and other Bonusgate defendants earlier this year.
Lewis agreed with Morris that Foreman had a sterling record of professional and community service before the scandal and had cooperated fully with prosecutors.
However, the judge said he couldn’t overlook the fact that Foreman was part of the inner circle that concocted the Bonusgate scheme.
Foreman, who surrendered his law license and has forfeited his state pension, told Lewis that he already has suffered dire harm to his community and professional reputations. “I’m disappointed in myself and the mistakes I made,” Foreman said. “My problems are of my own making.”
Lewis ordered Foreman to begin serving his sentence at the prison work-release center on Jan. 4. Chief Deputy Attorney General Frank Fina said he is satisfied with the penalty Lewis imposed.
Foreman’s ex-boss, Veon, is serving a 6-to-14-year state prison term, the most severe sentence yet imposed on a Bonusgate defendant.
(Mike Frisch)