Another Friend of Rick's Sits in Jail

Rick Santorum wants people to judge Bob Casey by his supporters. He's recently run an advertisement featuring donors to Casey who are under investigation for various degrees of alleged wrongdoing -- all occurring after they donated to Casey. Santorum's slimy ad doesn't mention that all of the donations were years ago -- in prior Casey campaigns; that one of the men has been dead for two years; or that two of them also gave to Santorum.

So, we thought it appropriate to take a look at some of Rick's Friends, since, according to Santorum, we should judge him by their character.

Here's another one. John Rigas, as slimy and crooked as they come. He founded Aldephia Communications. He and his son (the apple falling not far from the road) were convicted in 2004 in a multiBILLION-dollar fraud which resulted in the destruction of Aledphia Cable. The Rigas Crime Family was found guilty on 18 counts of fraud and conspiracy.

They had been charged in 2002 with, among other things, conspiring to hide $2.3 billion in Adelphia debt, stealing $100 million, and lying to investors about the company's financial condition. The Rigases had effectively used Adelphia as their personal piggy bank to pay for luxury condos and a golf course, to cover personal investment losses, and to pump over $175,000.00 into their personal PAC -- the Adelphia Communications Corporation PAC.

The senior Rigas got 15 years in a federal pen; his spawn, 20.

Pretty unsavory clan, these Rigases.

But not too unsavory for Rick Santorum. He's gratefuuly shovelled about $15,000 of the Rigas PAC money into his pockets -- including $5,000.00 in this election cycle. Amazingly, the Adelphia PAC is still doling out the Rigas money (almost all of its funds came from the Rigases before they were indicted and the PAC has not received any new contributions for a few years).

And Rick Santorum, knowing that that money was stolen from Adelphia in a collapse which left it's investors -- large and small -- holding the bag, gleefully accepts the Rigas largess. Imagine that, Rick's takes money from convicted felons -- the very money they were convicted of stealing.

And that's not all, folks.

The Rigases also threw over $40,000 into the National Cable & Telecom PAC before the feds caught up with them -- and half of that money went to none other than Our Rick.

Yes, as Rick's hero says, 'Hypocrisy is good for society'. Well, for High Society at least.