Oh, Donna, where can you be? Where can you be? -Richie Valens

A month ago, I wrote that with yet another person indicted for corruption in her office, Donna Miller was still oddly silent. In the comments, I was told:

This post sounds like your still bitter about your dad losing in the primary election....

The latest former staff member is just an indictment and doesn't equate to a conviction, isn't even qualify that she committed any illegal acts, just that the Federal Prosecutor Patrick Meehan has enough to warrant a trial.

In this case Donna Reed Miller shouldn't say anything.The councilwoman trusted her enough to have her on staff as did City Controller Alan Butkovitz who has been doing a great job at finding corruption.

Until the case is heard in a courtroom and decided upon there is nothing to talk about.

And:

Aside from the past election, Councilwoman Miller shouldn't be speaking about the pending trial or anyone related to it.If the woman is found not guilty people might have to re-think alot about what they say.

This is why there is a court process to determine the guilt or innocence of a person, none of us here or anyone besides the judge and or jury has the right to make a determination on charges.

Well, I sort of forgot to mention this, but look what happened:

A Philadelphia woman pleaded guilty on Friday to extorting more than $5,000 in cash and a cell phone in exchange for services she was required to provide as a city employee.

Charges were filed against Theresa Pinkett last month, who is alleged to have extorted $5,000 in cash and a cell phone from 2001 to 2003 while serving as a constituent services representative for City Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller. Pinkett is also alleged to have extorted $1,200 in cash from September to December of last year while serving as a community specialist in the Community Affairs Division for the City Controller's Office. No wrongdoing is alleged by others in Reed's office or the Controller's Office.

Okey dokey, so, guilty as charged. Maybe now we could get a simple quote saying, "I am sorry that someone under my employment used their position to extort money from the public. I apologize, and assure my constituents this breach of trust will not happen again."

Think that will happen? Doubtful.

And by the way, an almost instant guilty plea, followed by...

Sentencing is scheduled for April 18 for Pinkett, who faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

I don't really know how federal sentencing works. Maybe people are really busy. But, a delay that long in sentencing makes it seem like maybe, just maybe, there is something else that we may be hearing about soon.

Oh, Donna, where can you be? Where can you be? -Richie Valens

A few years back, Donna Miller's Chief of Staff, Steven Vaughan, pled guilty in a pay-to-play tax racket that he ran out of Miller's office. I don't know about you, but if I ran an office, and my chief of staff used that office's powers for a little corruption, I might apologize for a violation of the public trust.

This is about as repentant as Donna Miller gets about the incident:

“You have to trust your staff when you run an office,” she said. “You just don’t know every second what everyone is doing.”

Now of course, we learned that another former Miller aide has been charged for activities from within that office. In the grand scheme of the City, a $5,000 extortion from a Councilwoman's office is not the reason that our schools suck, poverty is high, and the city is shrinking. But, this type of BS is symptomatic of so much of what is wrong with our political system, and certain actors within it.

And, once again, Miller was very willing to discuss the latest alleged bout of corruption within her office:

Miller, who faced a serious primary challenge last May but breezed to re-election last month, did not return Daily News calls seeking comment.

Oh, Donna. With corruption a seemingly normal part of your City Council office, where can you be?