Podcast appearances and mentions of brad bumsted

Over his decades-long career reporting on the Pennsylvania capitol, Brad Bumsted has covered it all: the rise and fall of politicians, corruption scandals, and even multiple good-government reforms. In this conversation with Commonwealth Partners president and CEO Matt Brouillette, Brad tells how he became a journalist, recounts some of the stories he's covered, and predicts how national politics will (or won't) affect the 2018 Pennsylvania gubernatorial race.

On this week’s podcast, we catch up on a slew of nasty ads that have been circulating on TV—a sign the GOP gubernatorial primary is heating up. Paul Mango and Scott Wagner are taking turns calling each other liberal and (in Mango’s case) “violent,” a slumlord,” and a “deadbeat dad.” Paula Knudsen and Brad Bumsted … Continue reading "Episode 49: TV ad-pocalypse"

During the 2014 Harrisburg Book Festival presented by the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Mayor Eric Papenfuse interviewed award-winning Pennsylvania journalist Brad Bumsted about his latest book, KEYSTONE CORRUPTION. Keystone Corruption: A Pennsylvania Insider s View of a State Gone Wrong traces the cyclical nature of misconduct in Pennsylvania government over the course of the last hundred years. Most of the book focuses on corruption since the 1970s, when the author had a front-row seat during the unprecedented scandals of 2007 through 2012. Bumsted witnessed the prosecutions of current and former lawmakers for the theft of some $14 million in taxes. He provides an insightful analysis of the rise and fall of several of Pennsylvania s most colorful political characters, including Boies Penrose, Matt Quay, R. Budd Dwyer, John Perzel, William DeWeese, Al Benedict, Ernie Preate, Jeffrey Habay, Vincent Fumo, Mike Veon, Michael Manzo and state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin. When it came to crimes from Bonusgate to Computergate and the Big caper, Bumsted tracked the case at every turn.

With the legislature on an indefinite recess and budget negotiations effectively paused, this week we focus on a different—but ever-present—part of state politics: the often-tangled web of money and influence that, to a considerable extent, shapes policy. Veteran reporter Brad Bumsted, who does investigative works for L&P’s The Caucus, talks us through a few stories … Continue reading "Episode 17: Money, power, and not many rules"

With two weeks until the budget due date, lawmakers are staying mostly mum about negotiations. So unlike last week—which saw a major pension bill pass to the governor, and an omnibus gaming bill get through the House—the last few days have primarily been full of legislative odds and ends. The Caucus’s Brad Bumsted and PennLive’s … Continue reading "Episode 11: The calm before the storm"

Keystone Corruption: A Pennsylvania Insider s View of a State Gone Wrong traces the cyclical nature of misconduct in Pennsylvania government over the course of the last hundred years. Most of the book focuses on corruption since the 1970s, when the author had a front-row seat during the unprecedented scandals of 2007 through 2012. Bumsted witnessed the prosecutions of current and former lawmakers for the theft of some $14 million in taxes, and he provides an insightful analysis of the rise and fall of several of Pennsylvania s most colorful political characters, including Boies Penrose, Matt Quay, R. Budd Dwyer, John Perzel, William DeWeese, Al Benedict, Ernie Preate, Jeffrey Habay, Vincent Fumo, Mike Veon, Michael Manzo and state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin.