Sam Janesch

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Stories by Sam Janesch

In the first nine months of 2021, the legislature’s legal bills totaled $3.5 million.

Pa. legislature’s redacted legal bills flout court ruling, leave taxpayers guessing

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Jan. 11, 2022

The legislature provided more than 4,100 pages of records, but information was often heavily redacted.

See the reasons why Pennsylvania’s legislature paid millions to outside law firms in 2019 and 2020 (FULL LIST)

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Oct. 14, 2021

In the last two years, lawmakers have paid nearly $10 million to many of the same law firms and lawyers making contributions to wage all types of legal battles.

Pa. lawmakers hand out millions in public contracts to law firms that fill their campaign coffers

by Sam Janesch of The Caucus and Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

Oct. 13, 2021

In many instances, Republicans and Democrats in both chambers blacked out the reason for hiring lawyers, flouting case law that requires them to make public those critical details.

Pa. lawmakers spend millions of tax dollars on private lawyers, but often don’t reveal why

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Oct. 12, 2021

Reports that show all 50 senators’ spending for the month of July were posted to the Senate’s website Wednesday morning, alongside spending information for the chief clerk and secretary.

For the first time, Pa. Senate gives public online access to spending records

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Mike Wereschagin, Brad Bumsted, and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Sept. 1, 2021

The state Senate and House together spend on average $50 million per year, not including generous salaries and benefits.

Pennsylvania Senate plans first step to enhance public access to expense information

by Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Aug. 11, 2021

Former state Rep. Margo Davidson was charged in July with stealing from taxpayers and misusing campaign funds, helping her pad a legislative salary that’s already among the most generous in the country.

Theft charges brought down a state lawmaker. But Pa.’s taxpayer-funded system for perks was already ripe for abuse.

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Sam Janesch, Mike Wereschagin, and Brad Bumsted of The Caucus

Aug. 6, 2021

“I can’t believe that,” Rep. Chris Sainato said in a recent interview when told of his expenses. “I don’t know where you are getting $1.8 million.”

How one Pennsylvania lawmaker billed taxpayers $1.8 million in expenses

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted, Sam Janesch, and Mike Wereschagin of The Caucus

June 22, 2021

About $20 million went into lawmakers’ pockets over four years in the form of reimbursements for meals, mileage subsidies, per diems, and other expenses.

Bill would force Pa. to post online how lawmakers spend millions in tax dollars each year

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted, Sam Janesch, and Mike Wereschagin of The Caucus

June 3, 2021

More than a decade after some members first started posting their own expenses online, just 18 lawmakers in the 203-member House and 11 in the 50-member Senate post some level of financial information today.

Some Pa. lawmakers tout expense transparency. Their websites tell a different story.

by Sam Janesch of The Caucus

May 13, 2021

The Caucus and Spotlight PA began filing Right-to-Know Law requests in November 2019 in an attempt to answer a simple question: How does one of the largest and most expensive full-time legislatures in the country spend the taxpayer money it allots itself?

Inside the year-long fight to figure out how the Pa. legislature spends taxpayer money on itself

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Mike Wereschagin, Brad Bumsted, and Sam Janesch Of The Caucus

May 12, 2021

About $20 million went into Pennsylvania lawmakers’ pockets over four years in the form of reimbursements for meals, mileage subsidies, per diems, and other expenses.

Taxpayers foot huge bill to run Pa.’s full-time legislature, but are blocked from many details

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Mike Wereschagin, Brad Bumsted, and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

May 12, 2021

In the coming weeks, House Speaker Bryan Cutler and Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (pictured) plan to unveil a lobbying reform package.

One ritzy fundraiser shows how tough selling lobbying reform in Pa. will be

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

May 4, 2021

In his first speech as top leader of the Pennsylvania Senate last week, Republican Sen. Jake Corman positioned himself as a reformer seeking to restore faith in government by greatly increasing transparency in the legislature and by elected lawmakers.

New Pa. GOP leader pushes transparency reforms despite party’s past reluctance, obstruction

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Jan. 12, 2021

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling gave rise to so-called “dark money groups,” which set up as nonprofits and operate with little transparency, not even having to disclose the names of their donors.

Firm ran Pa. senator’s campaign and worked with super PAC to attack opponent, but denies coordination

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Dec. 8, 2020

Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman headlined an event in March that raised cash for a dark money group.

Dark money mystery: Top Pa. lawmaker helped raise cash for nonprofit whose agenda is largely a secret

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Aug. 20, 2020

Top Pa. GOP lawmaker fast-tracking a lucrative gambling expansion that would benefit a major campaign donor

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

June 19, 2020

Some individual senators expressed concern about the redactions and began posting their own office expenses online.

Pa. Senate defends ‘legislative privilege’ claim, rejects appeal for redacted expense details

by Sam Janesch of The Caucus

April 9, 2020

House officials initially argued the state Constitution gave them the right to shield certain information about how lawmakers and their staff spend money.

Pa. House drops ‘legislative privilege,’ will release lawmaker spending details

by Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus and Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

March 5, 2020

The information deleted from Senate documents included details on the purpose of the chamber’s expenses, including travel, meetings, and conferences.

Pa. Senate officials scrub details from financial records, raising alarm among open records advocates

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

March 5, 2020

Lawyers for the House say "legislative privilege" shields the details of lawmakers' spending.

Pa. lawmakers black out details of why they spent tax dollars, claiming ‘legislative privilege’

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Feb. 27, 2020

Campaign Finance

State Sen. Jay Costa (D., Allegheny) is pushing a sweeping campaign finance reform bill that would, among other changes, ban using campaign cash for personal use and require candidates to better describe their expenses on public forms.

Citing Spotlight PA/Caucus probe, top lawmaker pushes limits on campaign donations, stricter disclosure rules

by Sam Janesch, The Caucus and Angela Couloumbis, Spotlight PA

Oct. 25, 2019

Campaign Finance

Reporters for The Caucus and Spotlight PA spent a year requesting and analyzing thousands of credit card statements and receipts for Pa. legislative campaigns to uncover examples of lavish and outlandish spending.

The 10 most extravagant or bizarre campaign expenses by Pa. state lawmakers

by Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Oct. 25, 2019

Campaign Finance

The leader of the Pennsylvania Senate, Joe Scarnati, was among three senators who went on a European trip shortly after the Legislature passed a sweeping overhaul expanding wine sales.

Mystery trip to Europe with ‘donors’ by Pa. state senators followed expansion of wine law

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Oct. 23, 2019

Campaign Finance

The PA State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Tuesday, June 18, 2019.

Hours after investigation reveals millions in hidden campaign spending, Pa. lawmakers push for less oversight

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

Oct. 22, 2019

Campaign Finance

The most powerful lawmaker in the Pa. Senate, Joe Scarnati, dined at the St. Peter Stiftskulinarium restaurant in Austria in September 2016 and charged $246 to his campaign account. State law requires campaign money to be used for “influencing the outcome of an election,” but what qualifies is largely open to interpretation.

Lavish dinners, sports tickets, and nearly $3.5 million in other expenses by Pa. lawmakers you’ve never seen

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Mike Wereschagin, Brad Bumsted, Paula Knudsen, Sam Janesch and Alyssa Biederman of The Caucus

Oct. 22, 2019

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