Court hears details of Fumo's Verizon demands

Here's a follow-up on an item from Tuesday: Daniel Whelan, the former president of Verizon Pennsylvania, testified in the federal corruption trial of former Pennsylvania Sen. Vincent Fumo this week. Whelan said that Fumo, who backed a plan requiring structural separation of Verizon's wholesale and retail operation, tried to shake him--and Verizon--down back in 2000.

Though Whelan's allegations are not among the federal charges Fumo currently is facing, prosecutors had Whelan testify to what they say is a relevant story, that Fumo asked Whelan to have Verizon deposit $15 million in a bank owned by the Fumo family, contribute $15 million to his favored non-profit agency, and to spend another $2.5 million with Fumo's law firm.

Sounds like Fumo was taking lessons from politicians in my home state of Illinois, where we do things the Chicago Way [1]. Well, the new Chicago Way has less to do with morgues than alleged bribes, but you get the idea. What's a poor telco to do?

For more:
- The Philadelphia Inquirer has this report [2]

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