Scott Brubaker

HARRISBURG — What began as an investigation into bonuses for legislative staffers reached a new milestone Wednesday as seven former Democratic aides in the state House of Representatives pleaded guilty to crimes involving the illegal use of public resources for political campaigns.

The defendants, who included two married couples, have all agreed to cooperate with prosecutors seeking convictions against other House members and staffers implicated in the probe in exchange for other charges against them being dropped.

One by one, some tearfully, they appeared before Dauphin County President Judge Richard Lewis to admit their crimes and affirm their pleas. Lewis ordered pre-sentence investigations but deferred sentencing.

Michael Manzo, the former chief of staff to former Democratic leader Bill DeWeese, pleaded guilty to 10 counts — more than any of the other defendants — and deferred reporters' questions to his lawyer.

"He's accepted responsibility for the bad decisions and the actions that he's taken in this case," said Manzo's lawyer, James Eisenhower. "He is hoping that he can turn his life around and put this day behind him."

Manzo was accompanied to the hearing by his wife and co-defendant Rachel, a former executive director of the House Democratic Policy Committee, who pleaded guilty to a single count of theft.

State Deputy Attorney General James Reeder, who represented the state at Wednesday's court proceeding, called the pleas "a victory for justice, for Pennsylvanians, for taxpayers."

The pleas represented the first tangible successes for Reeder's boss, Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican who is running for governor, in an investigation his office launched in early 2007 in response to news stories about millions of dollars in bonuses being handed out to legislative staffers.

Of the 25 people charged so far, the only case that has gone to trial resulted in a complete acquittal last month for former Rep. Sean Ramaley, a Democrat from Beaver County.

The defendants include Democratic and Republican legislators and staffers in the House, including two former speakers — DeWeese, a Greene County Democrat, and GOP Rep. John Perzel of Philadelphia.

Corbett has said the investigation is continuing.