Top Pennsylvania House Democrat leaders have written U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, seeking appointment of a special counsel to review the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse investigation.



The letter, from House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny County, and House Minority Whip Michael Hanna, D-Clinton County, comes after Republicans blocked efforts Monday to make the same request via formal resolution.

Dermody and Hanna's request picks up on questions raised by some Penn State alumni and lots of Gov. Tom Corbett's critics as to whether, as Attorney General, Corbett purposely witheld resources from the Sandusky case - initially referred to the AG's office in early 2009 - so it wouldn't break open until after his 2010 race for governor.

Corbett and several of his top investigators have denied doing so, arguing the case moved slowly because of a lack of evidence, the need to take reluctant witnesses before a state grand jury and the goal of building an airtight case.

sexually abusing 10 boys between 1994 and 2008. He was sentenced last week to 30-to-60 years in state prison.

In their letter, dated today and released publicly this afternoon, Dermody and Hanna ask Holder to look into why charges weren't filed sooner, and "whether appropriate personnel and other resources were assigned" to the case.

Only a special counsel, they conclude, would help all Pennsylvanians "find the closure that's needed and deserved."

Efforts to reach the U.S. Department of Justice about the request were not successful.

Some Pennsylvania Republicans, however, condemned the move.

House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin noted earlier this week that the case has been under a "global media microscope for nearly a year and the only people questioning it now are Pennsylvania Democrat politicians... Not child welfare advocates or professional prosecutors.

"They are second-guessing success," Miskin said.