Monday, February 14, 2011
Morie Orie
Sounds like it was a fun place to work.
Jurors in the trial of state Sen. Jane Orie heard more descriptions today of a stressful work environment in the senator's North Hills office, where state employees mixed public and campaign business.
Kathleen Campbell, who is still employed by the senator, told them that she had taken part of one work day to deliver political materials for the campaign of the senator's sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, to seven residences for nuns in communities in the district...
Ms. Campbell fought back tears at one point as she described the office interactions. She said that Jamie Pavlot, Ms. Orie's chief of staff and another prosecution witness, had, at times, picked on her in the office.
"I did what I was told to keep my job," she said. "Over the years I have been there, I've seen so many people let go . . . I always walked in there with a knot in my stomach."
Asked by William Costopoulos, Ms. Orie's attorney, if the senator had been a good employer, she hesitated for a long moment, and said, Well -- most of the time."
Again, the defense seems to be taking the line that while staffers did campaign work on the state's dime, they didn't do it too often, so its ok. Because stealing small amounts of money from the taxpayers isn't a crime.
The Trib has more insanity:
Staff members for state Sen. Jane Orie made campaign calls during the work day pretending to be the senator herself, one retired staffer told a jury Monday.
“We had to pretend we were the senator. We introduced ourselves as her,” Christine Bahr testified during the third day of testimony in the corruption trial of Orie, the former Republican whip, and her sister, Janine Orie. “That (directive) came from the senator through (former Chief of Staff Jamie Pavlot) to the staff.”
Its bad enough having elected officials pester you at home. Orie's constitutants had people pretending to be a politician pestering them at home!
Jurors in the trial of state Sen. Jane Orie heard more descriptions today of a stressful work environment in the senator's North Hills office, where state employees mixed public and campaign business.
Kathleen Campbell, who is still employed by the senator, told them that she had taken part of one work day to deliver political materials for the campaign of the senator's sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, to seven residences for nuns in communities in the district...
Ms. Campbell fought back tears at one point as she described the office interactions. She said that Jamie Pavlot, Ms. Orie's chief of staff and another prosecution witness, had, at times, picked on her in the office.
"I did what I was told to keep my job," she said. "Over the years I have been there, I've seen so many people let go . . . I always walked in there with a knot in my stomach."
Asked by William Costopoulos, Ms. Orie's attorney, if the senator had been a good employer, she hesitated for a long moment, and said, Well -- most of the time."
Again, the defense seems to be taking the line that while staffers did campaign work on the state's dime, they didn't do it too often, so its ok. Because stealing small amounts of money from the taxpayers isn't a crime.
The Trib has more insanity:
Staff members for state Sen. Jane Orie made campaign calls during the work day pretending to be the senator herself, one retired staffer told a jury Monday.
“We had to pretend we were the senator. We introduced ourselves as her,” Christine Bahr testified during the third day of testimony in the corruption trial of Orie, the former Republican whip, and her sister, Janine Orie. “That (directive) came from the senator through (former Chief of Staff Jamie Pavlot) to the staff.”
Its bad enough having elected officials pester you at home. Orie's constitutants had people pretending to be a politician pestering them at home!
