Leslie Merrill McCombs 'Appalled' By Talk Over Rendell LobbyingPOSTED: 5:03 pm EDT September 20,
2007 PITTSBURGH -- A state Republican lawmaker wants to hire a private eye to investigate a Pittsburgh lobbyist who is friends with Gov. Ed Rendell.Leslie Merrill McCombs' lobbying work is not illegal, but how she did it has raised eyebrows -- although she said Thursday that it's "disgusting and insulting" to suggest an inappropriate relationship. Read Bob Mayo's Blog On The Issue McCombs was already a registered UPMC lobbyist at the time in question. When she asked Rendell to back $75 million in tax credits for the film industry this summer, she had not yet also registered as a lobbyist for the film company Lionsgate.Rendell said there should be a penalty for that, but he doesn't think it's a big deal.McCombs is an actress and former television news anchor, as well as a lobbyist. She had a role in Spike TV's "The Kill Point," which was shot in downtown Pittsburgh.Rendell said he was on the record as favoring film industry tax credits before the lobbying by McCombs, who he's known for years."She became active in my fundraising. She's done it ever since. She's a friend. So is her son. So is her husband," said Rendell, who was in Pittsburgh Thursday for groundbreaking ceremonies at the US Airways operations center and at UPMC Passavant Hospital.Rendell said he doesn't think state Sen. Jeff Piccola needs to hire a private investigator to look into the situation."He can do anything he wants, or his committee can. I think it's probably a waste of money," Rendell said. "I don't know anybody who wouldn't answer questions about this."McCombs was already registered as a UPMC lobbyist. She's said failing to register with the state as a film industry lobbyist too was an oversight that she has corrected.A column in the Philadelphia Daily News carried the headline "Guv, the Blonde and Lobbying Law," with a photo taken in July at a Pittsburgh Pirates game."That baseball game that was in the newspaper, I was there with her and five other people, and her son was there," Rendell said.In a statement late Thursday afternoon, McCombs said, "My technical and brief noncompliance in amending my registration is being leveraged by some for political reasons. This is a flimsy nonissue."In reference to Picolla's plans to hire a private eye, she said, "Clearly, it is being suggested that I have an inappropriate relationship with the governor. That suggestion is disgusting and insulting, and I am appalled that an elected public official can get away with such slanderous behavior. It is deeply hurtful to me and my family."To read her entire statement, Click Here. Related Links: More County NewsGet RSS | E-Mail Alerts Copyright 2008 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
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