For Immediate Release

June 16, 2010

Orie Hypocrisy:  Indicted Senator Jane Orie Approves Ethics Rules a Grand Jury Says She’s Been Breaking for Years

Ross Twp., PA - Indicted Senator Jane Orie’s vote this week in the Rules Committee to approve new ethics limits for lawmakers is rife with hypocrisy.  Orie, who is vice chair of the same committee with jurisdiction over the proposed Senate rules for ethical conduct, has been charged with misusing her state office staff for political campaigns over the past eight years.  These criminal charges reflect the same kind of campaign activity the new rules aim to prohibit. 

“Having an indicted senator involved in the process of establishing the ethics rules and serving as vice chair of this committee is like putting a fox in charge of the hen house,” said Christina Brussalis, DeMarco campaign manager. 

The proposed rules for ethical conduct (S.R. 228) do not go far enough to fully address longstanding areas of abuse, such as better defining when Senate employees may engage in campaign activities and further limiting the use of state-funded mass mailings in election years.

“Jane Orie has done nothing to lead by example on the ethics issue and makes no worry of the look of impropriety, even using official Senate photographs on her campaign mailers,”  Brussalis added.  “With Jane Orie at the helm, it should come as no surprise that the proposed ethics rules will do little to win back the public trust and stop elected officials from using public office for private and political gain.”

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