We wondered why people were looking at prior coverage of Pay to Play Haverford Township Politics, and now we know: Fred Moran was found guilty by a jury.

Wow. We had our doubts the conviction would stick because well Delco...Delco is the epitome of "interesting" politics. Haverford Blog has covered this from the start, and just wondering if they hadn't promoted so much on the corruption would this have ever seen the light of day? More kudos to our citizen journalists from HT...but jeez, this sure is a big fat BLOW to the ailing Republican Party in Delaware County, eh? Wonder where they'll look next for "irregularities"? What Delco municipality will be next on the reform parade, or will the buck stop here? Only time will tell....enjoy the articles:

Delco Times: Moran guilty
By Marlene DiGiacomo,

MEDIA COURTHOUSE — Haverford Commissioner Fred Moran was convicted Wednesday by a Delaware County jury of a felony charge he extorted $500,000 from a developer in return for greasing the skids for zoning in connection with the multi-million dollar sale of the Haverford State Hospital site.

Moran, a high-powered Republican in Haverford who lost his $54,395 a year county courhouse job in the wake of the charges, will likely be forced to resign the township commissioner’s seat he’s held for about three decades.

“I have no comment except to say Happy Thanksgiving,” said the white-haired Moran as he left the courtroom.

Moran, who turned 62 Nov. 15, of the 2700 block of Prescott Road, Haverford, was convicted of the bribery offense by a jury that deliberated a little more than two hours over two days.

Delco pol convicted, the latest in county
By WILLIAM BENDER
Philadelphia Daily News
215-854-5255

Fred Moran could have copped a deal. He could have avoided a trial by pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of obstruction of justice.

But Haverford Township's 4th Ward commissioner rebuffed Monday's offer from the state attorney general's office. Two days later, he was found guilty of trying to extort $500,000 from a real-estate developer in a failed attempt to balance the township's 2006 budget.

"I don't think I'm guilty, and I plan to appeal," Moran, 62, said Wednesday after he was convicted by a jury of bribery in official and political matters, a third-degree felony that could result in jail time.

The conviction will likely force Moran, once an influential Republican in one of Delaware County's largest townships, to step down as commissioner, a post he has held for almost three decades.

And Moran wasn't the only Delaware County politician with a lot on his plate this Thanksgiving. At least six other local officials have been convicted of, or charged with, a major crime in the past 18 months.

In Folcroft, Anthony Truscello, 70, the former borough manager and longtime GOP powerbroker, and Joseph Zito, 53, the former council vice president, are appealing their convictions on records-tampering charges.

The two were found guilty in December of altering public records.....Truscello and Zito are facing three to 23 months behind bars.

In Norwood, which adjoins Folcroft, a former code-enforcement officer is awaiting trial on rape and assault charges.

Police say that Harry McDevitt Jr., whose son is a borough councilman, sexually assaulted a nurse who was caring for his wife at their home....And in the notorious Penn-Delco School District, former school board President Keith Crego and former Superintendent Leslye Abrutyn were charged last month with a combined 22 felonies and 21 misdemeanors.

Crego, who resigned last year after an affair with another board member went bad - they had filed protection-from-abuse orders against each other - allegedly established Quick Start Preschools, which ran child-care programs in the district, and took $39,000 in kickbacks from the company.

Authorities say Crego, 37, of Aston, was a covert owner in Quick Start and forced Abrutyn, 58, of Bala Cynwyd, to buy in with a $10,000 payment in the parking lot of Pennell Elementary School. They're awaiting their arraignments in Media.

The week after Abrutyn and Crego were arrested, a sitting Penn-Delco board member, John Green, was hit with one felony count and one misdemeanor count of violating the state ethics act. ...Green, 45, of Brookhaven, resigned from the school board the next day - the ninth member to do so since mid-2006.

Some of the criminal cases involving Delaware County officials are based on acts that, if proven to be true, are clear violations of the law.....Moran's case, however, shows how negotiations with a real-estate developer can cross the line into criminal territory simply by the way an elected official phrases a sentence.

Wow....Dirty Delco Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Indeed....Delco is a political soap opera, ain't it?