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Weinberg Library to hold Annual Book Sale

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Beyond the Byline: No, I can’t help you get a Trump yard sign

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Voters will decide who they want in the race for the state Attorney General &#8212; a successful prosecutor, an efficient administrator, or a combination of both.</p><p>Three Democrats and two Republicans are vying for their respective party&#8217;s nomination in Tuesday&#8217;s Pennsylvania Primary. The winners will square off in the November General Election.</p><p>The AG post is open because the Democratic incumbent, Kathleen Kane, who is currently battling perjury and obstruction of justice charges, decided not to seek re-election. Her trial is scheduled for August.</p><p>The five candidates in the primary are Democrats Stephen A. Zappalla II, Allegheny County; Josh Shapiro, Montgomery County; and John Morganelli, Northampton County; and Republicans John Rafferty, Montgomery County; and Joseph C. Peters, Wyoming County.</p><p><strong>Josh Shapiro, Democrat</strong></p><p>Shapiro, 42, serves as chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners &#8212; the first Democrat to hold that post in 150 years. He served as the representative in the 153rd District for seven years.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m the only one in this race with the kind of experience, knowledge, discipline and progressive values that can lead this office,&#8221; Shapiro said.</p><p>Shapiro said he wants to make Pennsylvania safer by going after the opioid problem that he said is &#8220;the number 1 killer in the state.&#8221;</p><p>He will also work to rid the state of illegal guns and will take on the fracking industry, which he said has had more than 5,500 violations in the last 10 years, but only two prosecutions.</p><p>&#8220;We need an attorney general who will stand up for our right to pure water and clean air,&#8221; he said.</p><p>To get the job done, Shapiro said the AG&#8217;s budget needs to be increased.</p><p>&#8220;Many people feel the system is rigged,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They want an attorney general who will fight for them.&#8221;</p><p><strong>John Morganelli, Democrat</strong></p><p>Morganelli, 60, has been the district attorney in Northampton County for 24 years and he boasts of his 25-0 record of murder convictions.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m the only candidate with the experience to pick up this office, where the morale is at an all-time low,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I have the experience as a prosecutor and the investigative experience.&#8221;</p><p>Morganelli said he will bring in &#8220;a whole new staff, saying there are too many leftovers from the previous two administrations.</p><p>&#8220;Nobody really knows who did what,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We will start with all new people. We will have all new sets of eyes on all current investigations.&#8221;</p><p>Morganelli said drugs and gun trafficking are on his priority list. He said the opiate problem will also be addressed.</p><p>He said he has far less campaign funds than his two opponents, so he is working hard to get his name out to the voters.</p><p>&#8220;My top priority is public protection,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I intend to make neighborhoods safe, which is the key in attracting new business to our state.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Stephen A. Zappala II, Democrat</strong></p><p>Zappala, 58, said the drug problem has permeated all county borders, illegal guns must be taken out of criminals&#8217; hands and discrimination against people seeking employment and housing must be stopped.</p><p>&#8220;The attorney general has all the tools, but you have to know how to use them,&#8221; Zappala said. &#8220;The new attorney general must provide the leadership and bring all of the assets of the office to bear.&#8221;</p><p>Zappala said he has no intention to run for any higher office. He wants to bring stability to the office.</p><p>He said he will take care of Kane&#8217;s email issue quickly.</p><p>&#8220;I really don&#8217;t see any criminality,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I would turn this over to the Judicial Conduct Board and the disciplinary boards.&#8221;</p><p>Zappala said any office staff member who displays any unethical behavior will be dismissed quickly. He said he will insist on the highest ethical standards for all staff members. He said he will not tolerate any sexual harassment claims in the AG&#8217;s office.</p><p>Zappala, the district attorney of Allegheny County for 18 years, said his office has indicted more than 300,000 cases.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve indicted more cases than the population in Northampton County,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And no particular case is any more important than any other case &#8212; no person&#8217;s victimization is more important than any other.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Sen. John Rafferty, Republican</strong></p><p>Rafferty, 63, has been a state senator since 2002 and he said he is running for attorney general because the office is in desperate need of leadership and vision.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m running to return integrity and professional responsibility to that office,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I will restore the morale and integrity to the office.&#8221;</p><p>Rafferty said he plans to be very aggressive on heroin problem in the state, prosecuting child predators, as well as gangs and criminals who harm people.</p><p>&#8220;I will also aggressively pursue those who perpetrate scams on out senior citizens by creating a consumer protection unit,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I will go after those who prey on our senior citizens and those who steal our citizens&#8217; identity.&#8221;</p><p>Rafferty said he intends to enhance the Medicaid fraud section in the AG&#8217;s office.</p><p>&#8220;I assure the taxpayers money that their money will not be stolen,&#8221; he said.</p><p><strong>Joe Peters, Republican</strong></p><p>Peters, 58, is the son of former Scranton Mayor Gene Peters. He said he has been traveling the state to hear the concerns of voters and he will return integrity to the AG&#8217;s office.</p><p>Peters said he will re-visit the Jerry Sandusky case to determine if there are still unanswered questions arising out of the case.</p><p>&#8220;I will pursue the truth,&#8221; Peters said. &#8220;As a part my inquiry, if elected and entrusted with the responsibilities of the attorney general, I will embark upon a review of any remaining questions arising out of the Sandusky investigation and prosecution, including any that arose as legitimate complaints received regarding Sandusky&#8217;s then-charity, &#8216;The Second Mile&#8217; or any other charities or organizations.&#8221;</p><p>Peters said he will review the case to see if all fiduciary responsibilities of the Penn State University&#8217;s board of trustees were met, in order that &#8220;this unfortunate episode may never again repeat itself.&#8221;</p><p>Peters will also look for ways to fight the opioid/heroin addiction problem.</p><p>&#8220;People are dying, literally, every day,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;m a former street cop and a former drug czar. I have fought organized crime. I will take these issues on and fight for solutions.&#8221;</p><p>Peters will also look for ways to combat terrorism and he will create a veterans&#8217; advocate position in the AG&#8217;s office.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL040716AGRace-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Shapiro </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL040716AGRace-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Shapiro </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_John_Rafferty-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rafferty </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_John_Rafferty-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Rafferty </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Stephen-Zappala-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Zappala </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Stephen-Zappala-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Zappala </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL041916Joe-Peters1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Joe Peters 4/18/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL041916Joe-Peters1-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Joe Peters 4/18/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL042116AGRace-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Morganelli </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL042116AGRace-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Morganelli </caption4><photoCredit4></photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL042416beaman_mg_1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Former Notre Dame offensive lineman and multi-instrumentalist composer Michael McGlinn promotes the message of Jesus during the second annual 'Be A Man' Catholic Men's Conference at King's College in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday afternoon.  Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL042416beaman_mg_1-1.jpg</photo5><caption5>Former Notre Dame offensive lineman and multi-instrumentalist composer Michael McGlinn promotes the message of Jesus during the second annual 'Be A Man' Catholic Men's Conference at King's College in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday afternoon.  Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption5><photoCredit5></photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Stephen A. Zappala II</strong></p><p>Age: 58</p><p>Party: Democrat</p><p>Seeking: Attorney General</p><p>Family: Wife, Mary; 4 sons</p><p>Residence: Fox Chapel, Allegheny County</p><p>Education: University of Pittsburgh; Duquesne Law School</p><p>Experience: 30 years practicing law; 18 as District Attorney of Allehgheny County.</p><p>Website: inor@zappalaforpa.com</p><p>&#8226;</p><p><strong>Josh Shapiro</strong></p><p>Age: 42</p><p>Party: Democrat</p><p>Seeking: Attorney General</p><p>Family: Wife, Lori; 4 children</p><p>Residence: Abington Twp., Montgomery County</p><p>Education: University of Rochester; Georgetown University Law School</p><p>Experience: Chairman of Montgomery County Commissioners; 7 years as a State Representative 153rd District.</p><p>Website: josh@joshshapiro.org</p><p>&#8226;</p><p><strong>John Morganelli</strong></p><p>Age: 60</p><p>Party: Democrat</p><p>Seeking: Attorney General</p><p>Family: Wife, Diana; 3 children</p><p>Residence: Bethlehem, Northampton County</p><p>Education: Moravian College; Villanova University Law School</p><p>Experience: Northampton County District Attorney for 24 years</p><p>Website: bd3301@aol.com</p><p>&#8226;</p><p><strong>John C. Rafferty Jr.</strong></p><p>Age: 63</p><p>Party: Republican</p><p>Seeking: Attorney General</p><p>Residence: Lower Providence Twp., Montgomery County</p><p>Education: B.A. University of Pittstburgh/Johnstown; Master&#8217;s Degree Beaver College; Juris Doctorate Temple Univerity.</p><p>Experience: State Senator District 44 since 2002; small business owner for 10 years; worked in Criminal Law Division of the Office of Attorney General; practiced civil law for many years.</p><p>Website: raffertyforAG.com</p><p>&#8226;</p><p><strong>Joseph C. Peters</strong></p><p>Age: 58</p><p>Party: Republican</p><p>Seeking: Attorney General</p><p>Family: Son, Max</p><p>Residence: Lakle Winola, Wyoming County</p><p>Education: King&#8217;s College; Dickinson School of Law</p><p>Experience: Practicing attorney</p><p>Website: joepeters4ag@gmail.com</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Competitive races on both sides to select new state Attorney General