Meehan, Lentz trade accusations in race for U.S. Congress

The race for the open congressional seat in Delaware County’s 7th district has two former prosecutors accusing each other of unethical activities.

The race for the open congressional seat in Delaware County’s 7th district has two former prosecutors accusing each other of unethical activities.

Several months ago, Democrat Bryan Lentz called into question the signatures on his rival’s nominating petitions.

Now it’s Republican Pat Meehan’s turn. He says Lentz is tied to the Bonusgate scandal playing out in Harrisburg courts.

Meehan says Lentz benefited from a system that rewarded state workers who volunteered for election campaigns with bonuses bankrolled by taxpayers.

“The fruit of the poisonous tree has been the campaigns that benefited from the multiple efforts,” says Lentz. “These are the people who received the bonuses who went into the fields and carried out the activities on behalf of the candidates.”

Meehan says when Lentz ran for state representative in 2006, 27 people who worked on his campaign also ended up receiving the illegal bonuses.

But Lentz says he never knew of nor did he recommend the workers for the party pay-outs. He says all but one of those people worked in Harrisburg doing research, or volunteered for a weekend literature drop.