Episode 12: Patient Zero | Mark Ciavarella and Newt Gingrich

Tina and Hillary cover former President Judge of the Luzerne County Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Mark Ciavarella and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Tina's Story Mark Ciavarella served as judge for the Court of Common Pleas since 1995 where he developed a reputation for his harsh sentencing. But, when the FBI gets tipped off about accusations of nepotism and questionable sentencing of children, Ciavarella’s secret role in an alleged kids for cash scheme is revealed. Hillary's Story Throughout his political career, Newt Gingrich was known for his partisan battles that wreaked havoc in Congress. But, when he became Speaker of the House in 1995, he paved the way for the damaging slash and burn politics common today. Tina's Sources Wikimedia Mark Ciavarella (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Ciavarella) Wilkes Barre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkes-Barre,_Pennsylvania) Michael Conahan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Conahan) Kids for cash scandal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_for_cash_scandal) New York Times “Suit Names 2 Judges Accused in a Kickback Case” (https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/us/14judge.html)--Ian Urbina “Despite Red Flags About Judges, a Kickback Scheme Flourished” (https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/us/28judges.html?_r=1)--Ian Urbina Leaked State Audit (http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/20090328_judges_audit1.pdf)--Bureau of Financial Operations, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, via New York Times “Former Judge Is on Trial in ‘Cash for Kids’ Scheme” (https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/us/09judge.html)--JON HURDLE and SABRINA TAVERNISE NPR “Pa. Judge Sentenced To 28 Years In Massive Juvenile Justice Bribery Scandal” (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/08/11/139536686/pa-judge-sentenced-to-28-years-in-massive-juvenile-justice-bribery-scandal)--Eyder Peralta Pocono Record “US Supreme Court again rejects former judge’s appeal” (https://www.poconorecord.com/news/20191008/us-supreme-court-again-rejects-former-judges-appeal)--Associated Press Citizens’ Voice “Feds decline to retry Ciavarella for racketeering” (https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/feds-decline-to-retry-ciavarella-for-racketeering-1.2587883)--James Halpin ABC 16 WNEP: The News Station “Some Convictions Against Former Judge Ciavarella Vacated” (https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/some-charges-against-former-judge-ciavarella-vacated/523-ad5d98cd-55f3-4a24-8448-f3b53de5d1de)--Dave Bohman All That’s Interesting “Kids For Cash: When Judges Took Bribes To Dish Out Harsh Sentences To Juvenile Offenders” (https://allthatsinteresting.com/kids-for-cash)--Gina Dimuro New York Post “Corrupt ‘Kids for Cash’ judge ruined more than 2,000 lives” (https://nypost.com/2014/02/23/film-details-teens-struggles-in-state-detention-in-payoff-scandal/)--Larry Getlen Reuters (ROY-ters) “Former judge sentenced to prison for ‘kids for cash’ scheme” (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crime-kidsforcash/former-judge-sentenced-to-prison-for-kids-for-cash-scheme-idUSTRE77A6KG20110811)--Dave Warner Case Law United States Court of Appeals,Third Circuit (https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-3rd-circuit/1632125.html). UNITED STATES of America v. Mark CIAVARELLA, Jr., Appellant. Washington Post “Pa. judges accused of jailing kids for cash” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/11)--MICHAEL RUBINKAM and MARYCLAIRE DALE League of Women Voters “Privatization of Prisons” (https://www.lwv.org/sites/default/files/BP_PrivStudy_Prisons.pdf)--Ted Volskay Juvenile Justice “A Plot with a Scandal: A Closer Look at ‘Kids for Cash’ Documentary” (https://jjie.org/2014/02/10/a-plot-with-a-scandal-a-close-look-at-the-kids-for-cash-documentary/) Our Campaigns Mark A Ciavarella, Jr. (https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=208177) Courthouse News “$4.75M Kids for Cash Settlement Approved” (https://www.courthousenews.com/4-75m-kids-for-cash-settlement-approved/)--Rose Bouboushian Kids for Cash the Movie (https://kidsforcashthemovie.com/) Photo: Wikimedia Commons Mark Ciavarella Mug Shot (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Ciavarella.jpg) via US Department of Justice PennLive Sandy Fonzo Confronts Ciavarello (https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2011/02/mom_blames_luzerne_county_judg.html)--Michael J Mullen via PennLive news site All That’s Interesting PA Child Care Facility (https://allthatsinteresting.com/kids-for-cash)--Matt Rourke, AP via All That’s Interesting Hillary's Sources Wikimedia Contract with America (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_with_America) The Atlantic "The Man Who Broke Politics" (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/11/newt-gingrich-says-youre-welcome/570832/)-- by McKay Coppins Politico "The Millennial's Guide to Newt Gingrich" (https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/07/2016-newt-gingrich-scandals-accomplishments-veepstakes-running-mate-trump-gop-republican-214050)--by Julia Ioffe PBS Frontline "The Long March of Newt Gingrich" (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/newt/boyernewt3.html)--by Peter J. Boyer The Daily Beast "The Inside Story of How Newt Gingrich Single-Handedly Destroyed Congress" (https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-inside-story-of-how-newt-gingrich-single-handedly-destroyed-congress)--by Timothy McNulty and Brendan McNulty Photos Wikimedia Newt as Professor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt_Gingrich#/media/File:Newt_Gingrich_as_a_young_professor_in_history.jpg)--by Andrew Hazlett Stars Unfolded Newt with Jackie (https://starsunfolded.com/newt-gingrich/)--via Stars Unfolded LA Times Newt with Marianne (https://opinion.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c7de353ef016760d13d8c970b-popup)--via La Times National Review Newt with Callista (https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/05/callista-gingrich-vatican-ambassador-newt-gingrich-donald-trump-divorce/)--Reuters photo, Jonathan Ernst via Politico The Atlantic Baby Newt Cartoon (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/04/picture-of-the-day-gingrich-mocked-in-1995-headline/237017/)--Daily News via The Atlantic