A WATCHDOG PUBLICATION OF LNP MEDIA GROUP, INC. |TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017 | $4.25 The lieutenant governor has ’fessed up to mistreating his security detail. Is he toast in 2018? COVER STORY » PAGE 6 DigiCode Data File Created on 12-6-16 at 15:04:23 by NOTICE: ACCOUNT : 8275701 LANCASTER NEWSPAPERS, INC. SYMBOLOGY, INC. This DigiCode file is considered original artwork. ORDERED BY : RORY MACKISON Maple Grove, Minnesota, 55369 It must be inspected and approved by the purchaser. P.O. NUMBER : LNP160931 763-315-8080 Use of this file confirms acceptance. INVOICE NO. : 1540728 0% 5% 25% 50% 75% 95% 100% See the back of the Symbology invoice for Limitation of Warranty OVERHEARD ON 3RD THE INTERVIEW (PCPOLITICAL EPS via HISTORY EMAIL) LANCASTER NEWSPAPERS, 1540728/1-217-1 Encode: 677490101007 PU 12/6/2016 3:04:23 PM MAG 140 NBAR .0182 BWA -0.0025 If you’re trying to figure out where Private colleges and universities award Three years ago Sen. Scott Wagner the lieutenant governor sleeps — or 49 percent of degrees in the state. Don tried to force the removal of Capitol why taxpayers cover his living ar- Francis asks why they get only 11 per- portraits of corrupt state House speak- rangements — good luck. PAGE 4 cent of PA’s higher ed funds. PAGE 10 ers and Senate presidents. PAGE 14 GROUP INC GROUP LNP MEDIA MEDIA LNP PAID US POSTAGE US PRSRT STD PRSRT COURTESY COPIES OF THE CAUCUS ARE SENT WEEKLY TO STATE LEGISLATORS APRIL 18, 2017 18, APRIL deliver Please Postmaster: SUBSCRIBE AT CAUCUSPA.COM 6 77490 10100 7 LIFE InterestIS FULL OF EMOTION. WE COVER THE JOURNEY. From current events to local politics and community happenings, we are your eyes and ears. We serve as a government watchdog to keep you informed. PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPERS local credible reliable connected COVER STORY Lt. Gov. Mike Stack vowed to seek re-election amid an investigation into his treatment of staff and security. But there’s enough time for another Democrat to knock him off. » BRAD BUMSTED + PAULA KNUDSEN BLAINE»T.»SHAHAN»FOR»THE»CAUCUS Above and opposite: Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack called a news conference in his office in the state Capitol on April 12 to address the inspector general’s investigation into his treatment of staff and security. n the heels of a disclosure by The Caucus of an inspector general’s investigation into his behavior, Lt. Gov. Mike Stack now enters the 2018 Democratic primary contest for lieutenant governor with official baggage. That Gov. Tom Wolf asked for the probe is extremely revealing in and of itself. Wolf’s move is “really unusual,” said Saladin Ambar, chairman of the political science department at Lehigh University, Owhere he teaches and writes about U.S. governors. Stack now runs the risk of having an opponent endorsed and funded by Wolf, or someone who runs independently, political analysts say. But how this plays out for Wolf and Stack depends, in large part, on what the probe by Inspector General Bruce Beemer finds and whether a report is released to the taxpayers who paid for it. Neither Wolf nor the now-apologetic year state senator, won the five-person Stack have promised to do so. Democratic primary in 2014 largely Readers should know the investiga- because he was the only candidate from Who is Mike Stack? tion is administrative and not criminal. Philadelphia, a city with the most Demo- The probe is more about who will serve cratic voters. Michael»J.»Stack»III,»53,»is»Pennsylvania’s»33rd»lieutenant»governor.»A»Democrat»from» as the next governor and lieutenant Pennsylvania voters choose the No. Philadelphia,»he»was»sworn»into»office»on»Jan.»20,»2014.»He»is»an»attorney»by»trade. governor. 1 and No. 2 executives separately in the It centers on allegations Stack and primary; the victors run as a team in the »»What He Does:»The»office»of»lieutenant» School»in»1992,»his»official»bio»states. his wife verbally abused state police as- general election. governor»was»created»by»the»Constitu- signed to their protection and mansion tion»of»1873,»and»its»functions»and»du- »»Military Career:»Stack»is»a»former» staff paid by taxpayers to serve them. MEA CULPA ties»have»changed»little»since»then.»The» captain»in»the»Pennsylvania»Army»Na- Making the report public is a win- function»of»the»lieutenant»governor»is» tional»Guard»and»a»graduate»of»the»U.S.» win for Wolf. It meets his standard for t an extraordinary press confer- to»preside»over»the»state»Senate.»When» Armed»Forces»Officers»Basic»Course.» heightened transparency and could ence in his Capitol office last presiding»over»the»Senate,»the»lieu- He»also»served»as»a»judge»advocate» give him the ammunition he needs to week, Stack apologized for things tenant»governor»signs»legislation»and» general»for»the»28th»Infantry»Division. A other»formal»measures»passed»by»the» pressure Stack to bow out — or at least he and his wife Tonya said in anger to demonstrate a clear reason for another troopers and public employees. chamber.»The»lieutenant»governor»also» »»Political Career:»Before»winning»the» candidate to emerge. He said he their behavior was the chairs»the»Board»of»Pardons»and»chairs» lieutenant»governor’s»race»in»2014,» “For Wolf, making this a public inves- caused by stress and being in the lime- the»Pennsylvania»Emergency»Manage- Stack»represented»northeast»Philadel- tigation raised the stakes,” said Thomas light. ment»Council. phia»in»the»state»Senate’s»5th»district.» Baldino, a political science professor at Stack denied being abusive. He»first»won»the»seat»in»2000. Wilkes University. Some of his apologies were condi- »»Salary:»$162,373 Had Wolf and Stack been allies, Wolf tional. Asked if he urged troopers to »»Personal Life:»He»is»married»to»Tonya» could have had staff look into the allega- speed or hit the sirens and flashing »»Education:»Stack»is»a»graduate»of» Stack.»A»2015»profile»of»her»stated»the» tions quietly and then demanded Stack lights in non-emergencies, Stack said, La»Salle»College»High»School»and»of» couple»have»a»7-year-old»cat»named» make changes. “If I ever gave that impression, because I La»Salle»University.»He»earned»a»law» George»Saunders,»named»for»the»film» Wolf, of course, never chose Stack was in a hurry or I said something — degree»from»Villanova»University»Law» noir»actor. as his running mate. Stack, a former 14- CONTINUED, page 8 Tuesday, April 18, 2017 THE CAUCUS7 “[W]ere it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Thomas Jefferson, 1789 PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION Demand Facts. Support Real News. www.panewsmedia.org COVER STORY Stack moments: The story so far I think the governor though, and encourage top Democrats to call for him to step aside. doesn’t want his That would be a last resort, though. “I think the governor doesn’t want fingerprints over his fingerprints over Stack’s ouster un- less absolutely necessary,” Baldino said. Stack’s ouster The notion that a governor doesn’t embrace his running mate is not a novel unless“ absolutely one in Pennsylvania politics. It was clear former Democratic necessary. Gov. Ed Rendell, who served from COURTESY»OF»BONNIE»SQUIRES»|»PHILADELPHIA»PUBLIC»RECORD 2003 to 2011, wasn’t thrilled with THOMAS BALDINO Then-state Sen. Mike Stack and his wife Tonya are pictured on the Capitol steps having Catherine Baker Knoll as his POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR in January 2015 before his inauguration as lieutenant governor. AT WILKES UNIVERSITY running mate and then lieutenant governor. There were rumblings about Rendell CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 MONDAY, APRIL 10 his»wife,»Tonya,»“will»do»better.”»Stack» wanting to cut ties with Knoll when he ‘We gotta get there, hurry it up’ — and »»The»Caucus,»a»publication»of»LNP» denies»that»he»ordered»State»Police» was about to run for re-election in 2006. they drew a conclusion that that’s what Media»Group,»reports»via»LNP»and» security»detail»to»use»the»vehicle’s» But it was politically expedient for Ren- I wanted, I apologize for that, because LancasterOnline»that»the»state»Office» rooftop»flashing»lights»and»sirens»to» dell not to rock the boat given Knoll’s that would be wrong.” of»Inspector»General»is»investigating» clear»traffic»for»routine»trips.»“If»I»ever» strong following among senior-citizen Stack said he is running for re-elec- whether»Lt.»Gov.»Mike»Stack»and»his» gave»that»impression,»because»I»was» voters. tion and that he expects he and Wolf will wife,»Tonya,»verbally»abused»their» in»a»hurry»or»I»said»something»—»‘We» The results of the inspector general’s be a “unified team.” security»detail»and»state»employees» gotta»get»there,»hurry»it»up’»—»and» investigation “could have a huge im- Political analysts doubt that will hap- working»at»the»lieutenant»governor’s» they»drew»a»conclusion»that»that’s» plication in the general election” even pen. mansion.»The»report,»based»on»infor- what»I»wanted,»I»apologize»for»that,» though Wolf didn’t choose Stack, said “This is not exactly a team — with mation»from»multiple»sources»and»a» because»that»would»be»wrong,”»Stack» Kyle Kopko, an assistant dean and head Stack,” said Joseph DiSarro, chairman person»interviewed»by»investigators,» said.»He»also»denied»that»he»and»his» of the pre-law program at Elizabeth- of the political science department at also»stated»Gov.»Tom»Wolf»asked»for» wife»were»“abusive”»to»State»Police»» town College.