John Campbell releases contrition statement.

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The most important thing I can say right now is that I am sorry. I am ashamed. I am regretful. I’ve made poor choices for personal reasons and that have wrongly affected those who trusted me as an employee, an elected official, a community member, an advocate, a friend, and a family member.

I apologize for the disappointment, anger and grief I have caused. Most significantly, I apologize to the members and directors of the Historic Harrisburg Association who instilled their confidence in me as a 21-year-old Executive Director five years ago.  I apologize to the members and officers of the Capital Region Stonewall Democrats who reelected me to four terms as Treasurer and expected me to safeguard the organization’s financial position.

I have confessed to my wrongdoing and have fully cooperated with the authorities. As I continue to make full restitution to Historic Harrisburg and the Capital Region Stonewall Democrats and accept responsibility for my actions, I have not given up on myself. I have sought counsel from my pastor, therapist, friends, and family throughout this difficult time so that I may learn from this unfortunate situation I caused. I refuse to settle into the failure I created, for it implies that we do not learn from our mistakes. Instead I believe that new beginnings come only after our most difficult times, light after dark. It’s hard, sometimes very hard, but new beginnings, light, and learning all come in time.

Some have wondered how this lapse in my judgment could occur. I have thought long and hard about my actions and there are no excuses that can justify them nor shall I offer any. While trying to cloak my actions under a veil of college tuition, unexpected medical expenses, and burgeoning debt might be easy, these are simply symptoms of my decisions, not the causes. My lapse in judgment is ultimately my burden to bear.

Over the past year, while finishing my degree, I made damaging decisions that ultimately hurt me. More importantly, the organizations with which I have worked closely to help restore hope, faith, and trust in Harrisburg were injured. My decisions were selfish and without thought of repercussions. These decisions betrayed the trust I have worked so hard to instill and bring to Harrisburg as a young voice for change and accountability.

Historic Harrisburg is still an organization I hold closest to my values, beliefs, and vision for the future of Harrisburg. It was the organization in which I invested over five years of my life both as a board member and executive director. Together the Board and I built an organization that has become a leader within the community on issues of economic development, community building, and connecting Harrisburg’s past with its future. Just five years ago, the organization had five board members, struggled operationally, and lacked executive leadership. Today the board boasts 23 members, has experienced exponential programmatic and financial growth, and built a staff of six dedicated individuals.  

While my tenure at Historic Harrisburg was filled with many successes, it now will be shrouded with doubt and confusion due to mistakes I made that hurt both the organization and me personally. I hope that my actions will not mar the reputation this organization has built.

There has been an impression---one that I fostered and encouraged---that I was a young man superbly succeeding in my ambitions, skills, and goals. Over the past eight years I put myself through both community college and undergraduate school, helped rebuild a struggling organization, reconfigured and modernized a city government office, and gave my time and resources to the community I deeply love. While I was fortunate in my accomplishments, I was also struggling with the challenges that come with aiming so high.

One of the most unfortunate consequences is that I betrayed the public’s trust. While my actions did not pertain to that of the City Treasurer’s Office, as a public official I am held to a higher standard. Of course that is why I resigned my position in the best interest of the residents of Harrisburg. My actions have far reaching consequences of betrayal and dishonesty at a time when Harrisburg needs unity, vision, and confidence. For this, I am eternally sorry to the residents of Harrisburg.

I do not expect nor wish to receive sympathy or pardon but instead ask for your compassion, grace, and forgiveness. I hope in time that those I have wronged will forgive me for my mistakes. Again I am deeply sorry for my actions and the ramifications they have had on my community. 

Fredrick Reddig, Coordinator for the City of Harrisburg filed a Status report with Commonwealth on September 30, 2014.

Read the report.

On page 11 the report states that a meeting of the Parking Advisory committee is scheduled for October 9th

As resignations begin in the email porn scandal referred to as Porngate we went to our archives to provide a look at some of the public officials reported to be involved in either receiving, sending, or forwarding pornographic material.

On September 29, 2014 the Philadelphia Inquirer published the following names.

Among those who received or sent the e-mails were State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan; state Department of Environmental Protection chief E. Christopher Abruzzo; former Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley; Glenn Parno, now an attorney in the DEP; Chris Carusone, Corbett's onetime liaison to the legislature; Randy Feathers, a Corbett appointee on the state Board of Probation and Parole; Richard Sheetz, the former head of the Attorney General's criminal law division; and Pat Blessington, a onetime top prosecutor in the Attorney General's Office who now works for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

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From our archives.

Attorney General Tom Corbett with Rick Sheetz, Chris Carusone, James Reeder, Marc Costanzo, and Frank Fina at a press event on the guilty verdicts in the Bonusgate investigation. March 23, 2010.

A brief statement on yesterday's guilty verdict.

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Attorney General Linda Kelly introduces Frank Noonan, William Conley, Bruce Beemer, Rick Sheetz, Frank Fina, Jonnelle Eshbach, Randy Feathers, Anthony Sassano, and George Bivens during a press event on Jerry Sandusky. Monday November 11, 2011.

A number of key people.

AG Linda Kelly comments on the guilty verdict of Jerry Sandusky June 23, 2012.

Members of the prosecution team.

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Kevin Harley, press secretary to Governor Tom Corbett February 22, 2011.

Governor Corbett supports drilling on State land.

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Archive video Senate Appropriations Committee February 18, 2014.

From left to right.

Deputy Secretary Jeff Logan.

Secretary Chris Abruzzo.

Dana Aunkst, Designated Acting Secretary as of October 2, 2014.

Most regulation and legislation happens after an event.

As long as I was going to be at DEP.

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William Ryan, Chair of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. February 26, 2014.

Applicants for a possible Philadelphia casino license.

In February 2011 as acting Attorney General Ryan changed the email retention policy from five years to six months.

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Archive video June 23, 2014.

Attorney General Kathleen Kane and Special Deputy Attorney General H. Geoffrey Moulton discussing emails recovered during the investigation of Gerald Sandusky.

A true computer forensic genius.

DEP Secretary E. Christopher Abruzzo and DEP Deputy Chief Council Glenn Parno resigned Thursday as a result of what is being referred to as the Porngate scandal.

From the Office of the Governor 7:25pm.

Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett today issued the following statement regarding personnel developments resulting from the distribution of inappropriate emails by former Office of Attorney General staff:

“On Thursday, September 25, my administration requested a full and complete accounting of email transactions associated with the distribution and transmittal of inappropriate content using government resources and between individuals within and outside the Office of Attorney General between 2008 and 2012. This afternoon, information concerning Chris Abruzzo, Glenn Parno and Frank Noonan was received. Information concerning Randy Feathers was not provided and is expected to be provided in the coming days.

“Earlier today, I accepted the resignation of Chris Abruzzo. This evening, I accepted the resignation of DEP Deputy Chief Counsel Glenn Parno, effective immediately.

“Information received regarding State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan’s account indicates that he did not participate in opening, originating, forwarding or replying to any message. It is important that Commissioner Noonan remain focused on the critical public safety mission he is leading in the manhunt for Eric Frein and that there is no disruption in the work underway in this case.

“As I have said, I do not condone or tolerate comments or behavior degrading to individuals, written or otherwise. This type of activity does not belong in the workplace and I find it inexcusable.

“I call upon the Attorney General to release to the public, in a complete and unbiased manner, all of the information on all individuals associated with this issue. Such action is in the best interest of the public and will serve to regain trust in those who work in public service.”

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The first casualty of the Porn-Email scandal referred to as Porngate.

As released by the Office of the Governor 1:28pm October 2, 2014.

Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett today accepted the resignation of DEP Secretary E. Christopher Abruzzo, effective immediately. Secretary Abruzzo made his decision based on the best interest of the important mission of the Department of Environmental Protection.

“I thank Chris for his dedicated service to the people of Pennsylvania,” Gov. Corbett said. “Our environment and natural resources are better protected today due to his leadership, as well as the hard work of the men and women of DEP.”

Dana Aunkst, Executive Deputy Secretary for Programs, has been designated as Acting Secretary. Aunkst is a 22-year veteran of the department and a resident of Cumberland County.

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Archive video Senate Appropriations Committee February 18, 2014.

From left to right.

Deputy Secretary Jeff Logan.

Secretary Chris Abruzzo.

Dana Aunkst, Designated Acting Secretary as of October 2, 2014.

Most regulation and legislation happens after an event.

As long as I was going to be at DEP.

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Archive video June 23, 2014.

Attorney General Kathleen Kane and Special Deputy Attorney General H. Geoffrey Moulton discussing emails recovered during the investigation of Gerald Sandusky.

A true computer forensic genius.

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Published Friday September 26, 2014.

On Thursday several capitol reporters met with employees of the Attorney General's office and were shown selected emails containing pornographic images shared on state computers.

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The TRIB LIVE News

Attorney General Kathleen Kane's office would not release the email attachments but allowed reporters to view them after the Tribune-Review and other newspapers appealed her denial of open records requests.

Kane, a Democrat in office since 2013, selected emails from 2008 to 2012 shared on state computers in the office. As two officials stood watch, a technician displayed the images on a laptop, identifying each as being received by certain officials.

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The Philadelphia Inquirer.

At least eight prominent state officials - including the head of the state police, Pennsylvania's top environmental regulator, and a former spokesman for Gov. Corbett - were among commonwealth employees who sent or received hundreds of sexually explicit photos, videos, and messages from state e-mail accounts between 2008 and 2012, according to documents made available Thursday by the state Attorney General's Office.

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The agent clicked through Powerpoint slideshows depicting nude women and said they had been found in the accounts of former Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley, former deputy attorney general Patrick Blessington and former executive deputy attorney general Richard Sheetz.

The agent then played videos showing adult women, and sometimes men, engaged in various sexual acts. These, he said, had been found in the email accounts of Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Christopher Abruzzo, State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan, former Secretary of Legislative Affairs Christopher Carusone, state Board of Probation and Parole member Randy Feathers and former environmental prosecutor Glenn Parno.