Petrelis Files

Like a good political junkie, I've been following the sordid tale of Rep. Don Sherwood, R-PA, the allegations he choked his girlfriend while giving her a back rub last fall and won't seek a divorce from his wife.

It was surprising, to say the least, given the relish many newspapers have when reporting on a political scandal involving the sexual follies of family values politician, that his hometown rag, the Scranton Times, refused to write about Sherwood's problems with his girlfriend.

On May 8, the editor of the Scranton Times, Lawrence K. Beaupre, explained in a schoolmarm way why he won't cover the scandal.

In a letter to readers, he said, "Call me crazy. Call me stubborn. But I don't think anyone's private, so-far legal affairs are my business. Or yours. Not even if it's a politician. Not even if the matter is tawdry."

Reading that, alarms rang in my head. He and his reporters must have donated to Sherwood's campaign, I thought. Convinced of this, I searched the Federal Election Commission files at www.tray.com expecting to find contributions from the paper's editors and reporters.

Boy, was I wrong.

First of all, the publishers; Edward J., George V., and William R. Lynett, and their sister, Cecelia L. Haggerty, along with other family members, have made large donations.

Second, practically all of their federal political giving has been to Patrick Casey, the man who twice ran against Sherwood.

I'm trying to make sense of this. The Scranton Times owners have long supported Sherwood's opponent with their cash, Sherwood gets into hot water related to his affair, and the paper can't be bothered to report on his woes.

What kind Democratic publishers would cover-up such a scandal involving their representative in Congress and allow their editor to suppress news?

Maybe they think in allowing their editor to not inform readers on Sherwood's affair and the police report about the choking incident, they're showing how their donations don't influence coverage. I wish I knew why the Lynett family is silent about their editor's decision to ignore this story.

In any event, below are the FEC donation listings for the Scranton Times' publishers' and their extended family, which show all their political check-writing went to Democrats, except for the one donation to George W. Bush in 1999.

^^^


HAGGERTY, CECELIA L
5/25/1993 $1,000.00
DUNMORE, PA 18509
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR SENATOR WOFFORD


HAGGERTY, CECELIA L
3/31/1994 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR SENATOR WOFFORD


HAGGERTY, CECELIA L
4/25/1994 -$1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR SENATOR WOFFORD


HAGGERTY, CECELIA L
4/25/1994 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR SENATOR WOFFORD

LYNETT, EDWARD J
3/31/1994 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18503
SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR SENATOR WOFFORD



LYNETT, WILLIAM R
3/31/1994 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18503
SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR SENATOR WOFFORD

LYNETT, EDWARD III
3/2/1998 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18508
THE SCRANTON TIMES - TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, EDWARD J
3/2/1998 $1,000.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES - TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, EDWARD J III
6/29/1998 $1,000.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, EDWARD J JR
7/20/1998 $1,000.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES - TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, GREGORY
3/2/1998 $1,000.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES - TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


ROSE, KATHLEEN
3/2/1998 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18503
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


ROSE, KATHLEEN
6/29/1998 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18503
THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


BOST, JENNIFER LYNETT
4/10/1998 $1,000.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


HAGGERTY, CECELIA L
3/2/1998 $500.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
SCRANTON TIMES - TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, WILLIAM R
3/31/1998 $1,000.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
SCRANTON TIMES - TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, WILLIAM R
9/30/1998 $1,000.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
SCRANTON TIMES - TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE




MARION, HAROLD F JR
7/13/1998 $500.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


MCGRATH, JEAN H
6/29/1998 $250.00
DUNMORE, PA 18509
SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE

LYNETT, GEORGE V
9/2/1999 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE

LYNETT, EDWARD J III
12/16/1999 $1,000.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, EDWARD J JR
9/9/1999 $1,000.00
CLARKS GREEN, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, EDWARD J JR
3/7/2000 $1,000.00
CLARKS GREEN, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, GEORGE V
3/7/2000 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, GREGORY
12/16/1999 $500.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, GREGORY
6/28/2000 $1,000.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, WILLIAM R
3/31/1999 $500.00
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC


LYNETT, WILLIAM R
3/27/2000 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18503
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


LYNETT, WILLIAM R
8/10/2000 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18503
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


ROSE, KATHLEEN L
11/12/1999 $1,000.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


ROSE, KATHLEEN L
9/25/2000 $800.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


ROSE, KATHLEEN L
10/6/2000 $200.00
SCRANTON, PA 18509
THE SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE




MCGRATH, JEAN H
10/6/2000 $250.00
DUNMORE, PA 18509
SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


MCGRATH, JEAN H
10/17/2000 $250.00
DUNMORE, PA 18509
SCRANTON TIMES -[Contribution]
CASEY FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE