Rendell's primary campaign work questioned

Ed Rendell's role as a "super staffer" for Hillary 's Pennsylvania campaign has raised questions of his use of state resources for political purposes, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Stephen Miskin, press secretary for GOP House Minority Leader Sam Smith, said Rendell "became the chief fundraiser, the chief strategist, the chief scheduler, the chief political director, the chief surrogate." "It raises very strong ethical questions," said Miskin.

Rendell's spokesman, Chuck Ardo, responded to these claims. "The vast majority of the governor's campaign activity was either very early in the morning, in the evening or on weekends and did not interfere with his full time job," said Ardo. "He merely added hours to a routinely hectic schedule by getting less sleep."

Ardo said, "he flew to campaign events on commercial airlines and paid his own way, and he reimbursed the commonwealth for the use of his office phone to a far greater extent than the charges incurred." "No one got short-changed by this governor's work ethic, and no one needs to be concerned about the misuse of state resources."

On April 2 Time magazine suggested that Rendell requested a memo for the Clinton campaign from a top state staffer.

From Time: "Then comes a call to Sandi Vito, the state's acting secretary of labor. 'Could you do a quick, down-and-dirty memo for me on (the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance program) for Mrs. Clinton?' Rendell wants to know. 'On your own time,' he adds. Of course."