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AP: Aide told GOP leaders that lawmaker had her campaign illegally.

By MARK SCOLFORO
Associated Press Writer
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP, Oct. 24) - A state representative's aide complained to Republican leadership last year
that she had been pressured to perform campaign work on state time in the run-up to the 2006 election, a House
GOP spokesman confirmed Wednesday.
After Lisa A. Deon's allegations about then-Rep. Matthew N. Wright, R-Bucks, Republican leaders offered her a
job with another representative, said Steve Miskin, spokesman for Minority Leader Sam Smith, R-Jefferson.
They also spoke with Wright about her claims, Miskin said.
"There was no proof. He said he wasn't doing it," Miskin said Wednesday. "We called him in and talked to him.
'This is what she's saying.' He said no."
At least two political Web sites have posted a lengthy document that purports to be a sworn statement by Deon
about illegal campaign work by Wright's legislative employees. The writer of the document alleges that, for 15
years, Wright used district staff and resources to perform campaign work on state time.
Deon, who worked in Wright's district office in Bucks County, did not return several phone messages left at her
home in Langhorne.
Wright, who lost the November election, also did not return phone messages left at his home. He was elected in
1990 to fill a seat previously held for a quarter century by his father, Rep. James L. Wright Jr., R-Bucks.
The state attorney general's office and a grand jury are investigating whether government resources and
employees were improperly used by state lawmakers to campaign.
Deon did not take the other job she was offered. Party leaders did not pursue her claims after speaking to Wright
and stressing to both of them the prohibitions on campaigning on state time, Miskin said.
"There's no caucus policeman," he said. "Our job is to make sure they know they're not allowed to be doing this."
According to the document, Deon was particularly concerned about practices in Wright's office because of the
criminal prosecution of former Rep. Jeff Habay, R-Allegheny. He resigned after being sentenced to six to 12
months in jail for having aides do campaign work on state time.
The letter said Deon was offered the job working for another Republican state representative on Feb. 26, 2006,
about three weeks after Habay resigned and sentenced.
Bucks County Democratic Party activist Robert McMonagle said Wednesday the document posted on the
Internet was left, unsolicited, on the front stoop of his home in September 2006. At the time, he was active on the
campaign of Chris King, who unseated Wright in the election two months later.
The document refers to "exhibits" that purportedly back up some of the allegations against Wright.
McMonagle said he was not given those materials. He also said he has not spoken to Deon about the document
but is convinced of its authenticity.
Kevin Harley, a spokesman for Attorney General Tom Corbett, declined to comment on Deon on Wednesday.
Miskin said he is not aware of any criminal investigation regarding the Deon allegations.

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