Eight people including a once powerful state Democrat have been charged in a Pennsylvania scandal that involved bribes, campaign contributions, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Former state Sen. Robert Mellow, once the Democratic leader of the state senate, was charged with a number of offenses including conspiracy and commercial bribery for allegedly providing campaign supporters with Turnpike contracts, the Patriot-News reports.
The charges were announced this morning, according to the Patriot-News:
Vendors were reportedly told that campaign contributions were directly linked to their ability to get work on the highway.
"These men were using the Turnpike to line their pockets and to influence elections," Kane said in a statement.
"It was almost as though they had no fear of being caught," Kane said. "That kind of behavior has to stop."
Mellow is already in prison for misuse of taxpayer resources.
