Hershey Media Report 11/11/16

Local Coverage

1. Letters: Good riddance, election 2016

   Nov 11, 2016 | Philadelphia Inquirer

   Brief mention of the Philadelphia Inquirer article published Saturday in the Inquirer's Letters section. Relevant portion pasted below.

Trade Coverage

2. Estey Leans on Longtime Friend as Sentencing Nears

   Nov 11, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

   By Gina Passarella
   
   
   The legal defense team for John Estey, an ex-chief of staff to former Gov. Ed Rendell and former Ballard Spahr partner who pleaded guilty in April over his alleged funneling of campaign donations, has become clearer as his case heads for sentencing. Jim Eisenhower, a white-collar defense attorney with Dilworth Paxson, has signed on to represent Estey in the criminal action against him in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. According to a court order earlier this month, Eisenhower has officially joined current counsel Ronald H. Levine of Post & Schell. But Eisenhower's work for Estey on this matter dates back years, Eisenhower said.

Full Text of Stories Below

Local Coverage

1. Letters: Good riddance, election 2016

   Nov 11, 2016 | Philadelphia Inquirer

   Good journalism matters

    

   Too many Americans get a mere taste of a news story from sound bites, Twitter feeds, or the internet. Only print journalism provides readers with in-depth stories worthy of a Pulitzer Prize.

   In these days of declining newspaper readership and ad revenue, I want to congratulate the Inquirer and Daily News for allowing its investigative staff to spend the time and resources to uncover the risks to children who are exposed to lead paint in Philadelphia's older housing stock, and to shine a spotlight on the landlords of those hazardous housing units, "Paint and Peril," (Oct. 30). The Inquirer's on-going investigation of the Milton Hershey School continues this great reporting, "Loads of Cash, Less Charity," (Sunday). I'm already looking forward to next Sunday's Pulitzer Prize contender in investigative reporting.

   |Paul L. Newman, Merion Station

   View full article here: http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20161109_Letters__Good_riddance__election_2016.html

   Return to headline | Return to top

Trade Coverage

2. Estey Leans on Longtime Friend as Sentencing Nears

   Nov 11, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

   By Gina Passarella

   The legal defense team for John Estey, an ex-chief of staff to former Gov. Ed Rendell and former Ballard Spahr partner who pleaded guilty in April over his alleged funneling of campaign donations, has become clearer as his case heads for sentencing.

   Jim Eisenhower, a white-collar defense attorney with Dilworth Paxson, has signed on to represent Estey in the criminal action against him in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. According to a court order earlier this month, Eisenhower has officially joined current counsel Ronald H. Levine of Post & Schell. But Eisenhower's work for Estey on this matter dates back years, Eisenhower said.

   Eisenhower said he has represented Estey since at least as far back as the alleged conduct in question, which according to the indictment dates back to the first half of 2011. But Eisenhower fell ill last year and took a break from practicing law, bringing in Levine to help shepherd the case this year as Estey's guilty plea was entered. Now that Eisenhower is back to practicing, he felt the time was right to officially enter his appearance in the case given a presentencing conference is scheduled for Nov. 21.

   "I've worked with Jim for many, many years," Levine said. "We work well together. I look forward to working with him" on this matter.

   Estey and Eisenhower have long been friends and colleagues. They started practicing together at Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, and were part of a group of lawyers who left for Ballard Spahr in the early 2000s. The two practiced there together before Estey left to serve as Rendell's chief of staff in 2003. Eisenhower also worked with Estey when Rendell put Eisenhower on the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority board while Estey was the chief of staff.

   Eisenhower left Ballard Spahr not too long after Estey left, joining Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, where he practiced until 2015 when he moved to Chamberlain Hrdlicka. Soon after joining that firm, however, he stepped away to focus on his health. He then joined Dilworth Paxson in August of this year.

   Estey entered his guilty plea May 10 after he was charged via information with using a lobbying firm as a pass-through for campaign donations to state politicians. The charges were the result of an undercover FBI investigation into lobbying of the Pennsylvania legislature.

   Estey worked in the Rendell administration from 2003 to 2007. Estey's scheme is alleged to have occurred from April to June 2011, while he was a partner and co-chair of the government affairs and regulatory group at Ballard Spahr in Philadelphia. He became general counsel of the Hershey Trust Co. in October of that year and has since left that position.

   According to the criminal information filed April 29, Estey was charged with wire fraud relating to his acceptance of $20,000 in campaign contributions to secretly pay members of the General Assembly in order to influence legislation.

   The money was given to him by a company operated by undercover federal agents posing as executives. The agents hired Estey to funnel the money to politicians who would push for legislation beneficial to the company, the information said. Estey allegedly forwarded $7,000 to members of the General Assembly, not identified in the information, and kept $13,000 for himself.

   At the time the information against Estey was unsealed, Levine said, "Mr. Estey is sorry for the mistakes he made. He has resolved the matter with the government and looks forward to moving on with his life."

   The initial presentencing conference scheduled for the end of August was pushed back to Nov. 21, according to the docket in the case.

   A knowledgeable source said at the time Estey was charged that he had been cooperating, The Legal previously reported. Eisenhower said that in cooperation cases, the government can determine when it is ready to end that cooperation and move forward with sentencing. Eisenhower said he and his client are ready to move forward with sentencing if the government says on Nov. 21 that it is ready to do so.

   Return to headline | Return to top

Full Text of Stories Below