PA Political Digest
A stroll through the annals of Pennsylvania political corruption via a 5-episode podcast series. Listen as long-time GOP political consultant Christopher Nicholas, along with two veteran reporters who have witnessed and written about politics and corruption here for decades -- John Baer and Brad Bumsted -- review the quirks and the nooks and crannies of some of the most absorbing political corruption cases, primarily from the modern era, here in Pennsylvania. In each episode (about 35-45 minutes) we will feature in a main story and a secondary story. A disgraced Attorney General whose twin sister also worked there, who went down for lying to the court. Two former House speakers shared the same prison cell for a time. Not one, not two, but three Republican sisters taken down, two of whom were elected officials and one was their campaign manager. An entire Philadelphia court system eliminated due to fraud and corruption. A powerful Philadelphia state senator with a vacuum fixation. Yes, a vacuum fixation, funded by OPM -- "other people's money," not his. Congressmen taking bribes from fake Arab sheiks. A GOP Attorney General who went down by what he did in his previous job, but still managed to finish second in the 1994 Republican primary for governor. Multiple state treasurers were indicted, and one who very tragically and publicly killed himself during a press conference live on TV. Even the Capitol building itself was christened with corruption during a scandal when it was built in the early 1900's that in today's dollars would equal nearly half a billion dollars. So, as you can see, we have lots to talk about on the Pennsylvania Political Digest podcast, a stroll through the annals of Pennsylvania political corruption.
Episodes
Join GOP political consultant Christopher Nicholas, the publisher of PA Political Digest newsletter, as he offers a look-ahead to PA's 2026 races for governor and the state Legislature. He is joined by Democratic consultant Brittany Crampsie of Brit Crampsie Communications.
The PA Political Digest newsletter decided to do an Election '25 preview pod, with host Christopher Nicholas, a veteran GOP political consultant. His guest is one of his TV sparring partners. Democratic consultant Brittany Crampsie.
https://papoliticaldigest.substack.com for sharp analysis of PA politics and campaigns writ large.
Join them as they talk through the big races on the ballot in November 2025, especially the Retention r...
Pa Political Digest bonus Episode 6 brings you behind the scenes of three top PA political corruption cases -- those involving Sen. Vince Fumo, Treasurer Rob McCord & Attorney General Ernie Preate -- from the U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted them.
Veteran political journalists John Baer and Brad Bumsted were given the day off, and GOP political consultant and producer/host Christopher Nicholas sat down with 3 former U.S. Attorneys wit...
In the 5th episode of the PA Political Digest's pod, A Stroll through the annals of Pa. Political Corruption, we re-visit the horrific Cash for Kids scandal that rocked Luzerne County, look at a Republican Attorney General who had to resign -- and run through some oddities concerning a witch in the PA House, prostitutes and a serial per diem abuser.
This was the toughest episode for the three of us to record...
Thanks to Feedspot.c...
Pa. Treasurer Budd Dwyer killed himself during a press conference the day before he was to be sentenced on his bribery conviction. That way his wife - his widow - could still get his $1 million+ state pension.
Plus in Episode 4 of the PA Political Digest podcast we examine three other state "Row Officers" who got in trouble for what they did in office and out: Treasurers Rob McCord, who went from Harvard to teaching yoga, and Barb...
Episode 3 of the PA Political Digest podcast on PA political corruption first focuses on former S. Philly state Sen. Vince Fumo, dubbed the "Vince of Darkness," who had a penchant for using OPM (Other People's Money) -- his mantra for how to acquire, steal or confiscate money from someplace else to pay for all his eccentricities and luxuries.
That's the main focus; our secondary focus is the trials and tribulations of so many Democ...
In Episode 2 of the PA Political Digest pod, we examine the scandal "cousins" Bonus-gate & Computer-gate, that roiled the Legislature and how 2 ex-House Speakers ended up as cellmates for a time.
Plus, it's the Ories vs. the Zappalas in a western PA grudge match; Porn-gate takes down 2 Supreme Court justices, and Philly's Traffic Court gets expunged.
Welcome to the PA Political Digest podcast, A stroll through the annals of Pennsylvania political corruption..a 6-part series examining political corruption in the Commonwealth.
Join host, veteran GOP political consultant Christopher Nicholas, along with 2 grizzled PA political journalists, John Baer & Brad Bumsted, as they guide you through wide-ranging review of the meteoric rise & fall of Pennsylvania's first Democratic Attorney...
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