Musto, Money, and the Many Delays




          Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that the state legislature has done nothing about freezing pensions for those indicted for public corruption crimes.  I bring this up in the wake of the eighth delay in the past three plus years to bring former State Senator Raphael Musto of Luzerne County to trial on Federal corruption charges.  On January 6, US District Court Judge Richard Caputo ruled Musto was physically able to stand trial, but mentally incompetent to do so.  I am not an expert on medical diagnosis, so I don’t have the expertise to question the ruling, or the diagnosis of the expert who testified Musto is confused, dizzy, and unaware of his surroundings and cannot assist in his own defense.  But I can tell you about the numbers, and why the suspicion that the delays sought by Musto’s lawyers is justified.
          Musto makes  $10,586.05 per month, or $127,032.60 per year in his pension money, if you are him, or a member of his family, is that enough to delay?  It’s a lot of money, and shame on anyone who says it is not an appropriate question to ask.  Since his indictment in December 2010, must has made $381,097 in pension payments.  The money will continue rolling in as long as Musto avoids pleading guilty, or being found guilty at trial.  And what better way to keep the pension payments than delaying the trial. 
          Let’s look at how Musto’s delays have put him in better shape that the other Pennsylvania lawmakers who were charged with, and then convicted on corruption charges (again I note Musto has not been convicted, but all others charged were either convicted or pleaded guilty) 

MONTHLY PENSION PAYMENT TOTAL AFTER INDICTMENTS

Former State Sen. Ray Musto              (D)-Luzerne                $381,097

Former State Rep. Stephen Stetler       (D)-York                     $250,338

Former State Sen. Bob Mellow            (D)-Lackawanna         $196,858

Former State Rep. Mike Veon              (D)-Beaver                  $180,386

Former State Rep. John Perzell            (R)-Philadelphia         $142,755

Former State Sen. Vince Fumo             (D)-Philadelphia         $  66,973

          Before he was elected Pennsylvania’s Auditor General, Gene DePasquale was drafting legislation that would call for monthly pension payments to be placed in an escrow account until the case is adjudicated.  But that bill never made it to committee.
          And by May 7th, when a doctor appointed by the court is set to make his evaluation of Ray Musto’s mental competency to stand trial, the former State Senator from Luzerne county will have collected $423,442 in monthly pensions since a grand jury indicted him.

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