Posted on 04/09/2010 4:03:02 AM PDT by Born Conservative
Longtime state legislator says he’s in dark
PITTSTON TWP. – FBI agents searched the home of state Sen. Ray Musto Thursday afternoon and left the senior lawmaker wondering what they were looking for during their two-hour stay.
“I haven’t been told and I’m sure I’m not a target in any way,” said Musto after the agents left.
Special Agent J.J. Klaver in the FBI’s Philadelphia office declined comment.
The 81-year-old Democrat cast off the scrutiny from the 10 agents who converged on his home as the price he has to pay for being in office for nearly 40 years.
“It’s not unusual,” Musto said. “Your name comes up somewhere. They have a responsibility to follow through.”
For more than a year federal authorities have been investigating public corruption, first focusing their attention on Luzerne County and then on neighboring Lackawanna County. The ongoing probe ensnared more than two dozen government, judicial and school officials. Many of them have entered guilty pleas and agreed to cooperate with investigators in return for reduced sentences.
As the agents moved through his house, Musto came out to speak with reporters. “I have no idea why they’re here. I don’t know what it is about.”
He said he was contacted at his Pittston office around 1 p.m. “I was told the FBI would want to talk to me.”
He drove his black Lexus home, met the agents, was served a document and allowed them access to the residence. “I am not going to interfere with the investigation,” he said standing in his driveway around 2:45 p.m.
Musto re-entered the house, where his wife, Frances, was home, and more than an hour later exited to answer the door and speak with reporters outside his front door.
By then the agents, one of them carrying a camera, had loaded three, black plastic trash bags in the back of a Buick Rendezvous and drove away shortly after 4 p.m.
Repeating an earlier statement, Musto said he was left in the dark by the agents. “I have no idea what this is about. It is probably an ongoing investigation of some sort.”
He ruled out a trip he made with his wife and Michael Pasonick and his wife to Israel last year. Pasonick of the Wilkes-Barre engineering firm Michael J. Pasonick Jr. Associates has been identified as the person who paid a bribe to a county housing agency member caught in the ongoing corruption probe. The trip was arranged through the Jewish Coalition and Musto and his wife paid their ways, he said.
“I wish you would look into the trip,” Musto said.
He declined to show the warrant that was served on him. As they went through the house, he neither watched nor spoke to the agents, he said. “I sat on the back porch and enjoyed the sun.”
Musto said the agents did not read him his rights, nor did he contact an attorney. “I will,” he said, and then asked a reporter, “Do you think I should?”
What was taken, Musto said, he didn’t know, but would probably be given an inventory.
One of the items might have been a Sirius satellite radio in the Lexus. An agent asked about it, Musto said.
An agent retrieved an item from the luxury sedan that was parked in front of the open garage door. A silver Toyota Camry parked in the garage was also searched.
He could only speculate about what prompted the agents to make an official visit.
“I’ve stepped on a lot of big toes over the years,” Musto said.
But he refused to make a connection between his retirement and the search.
“I announced my retirement in February. I had no reason to leave except for the fact that after 40 years, it’s time,” he said.
The longest-serving local state legislator chose to serve out his term through this year, ending 28 years in the state Senate. Prior to that, he spent eight years as a state representative and one year as a U.S. representative for the 11th District. Musto followed in the political footsteps of his late father James, who was a member of the state House of Representatives from 1949 to 1971.
One of the candidates seeking the senator’s seat said he learned of the search from news reports.
“This is certainly something I don’t think anyone expected,” said state Rep. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke.
Put in the context of “the culture of corruption” uncovered locally and in Harrisburg, “it just continues the long nightmare the people and voters of Northeastern Pennsylvania have had to endure,” he said.
Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton, who is also running for the Senate seat, also had limited comments.
“What can I say? We really don’t know anything at this time,” said Leighton.
This article provides a little more info on Sen. Musto than last night’s post.
ping
Search warrants have to identify what they are looking for, and what they are taking.
If he had read it, he would have an "idea".
Pennsylvania is full of corrupt democrats.
LLS
You know that, I know that, our dogs know that but a journalist probably wouldn't.
And just why does public service inevitably draw FBI agents to one’s home?
I’m just surprised the dems haven’t subverted the f.b.i. to the point where they only go with search warents to pubbie homes.
Ya know the justice dept has been flipped, just ook at the “new black panther’ case on voter intimidation.
It is now known as the Deartment of Injustice.
LLS
Termites?
LLS
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.