We want to make sure everyone knows how deceitful and crooked all politicians can be, not just one party.

Republican Senate leader Jake Corman matched his counterparts’ lowness by appointing a friend and wife of a colleague to the same gaming commission board that Frank Dermody (a previous elected official who was shown the door by his constituents) had been appointed to by the Democratic leadership two weeks ago.

Corman was even slimier by trying to hide the appointment of Frances Regan, wife of state Rep. Michael Regan from York, to the board. His tactics included not making a public announcement by way of the normal news release, but just adding her name to the list of directors on the state website.

Nice try, Mr. Corman. You are a great example of trash in office.

Yesterday, Mrs. Regan was running exercise classes aimed at empowering women and increasing their ability to defend themselves. We don’t know how well it paid or if she received federal Paycheck Protection Program money to make it worthwhile, but it sure didn’t pay the $145,000 salary that she will receive for sitting on a hoax of a board that meets very rarely and, when they do, it is probably to discuss how to continue to get paid more and do less.

Corman defended his action by saying that “being related to someone in the Legislature shouldn’t disqualify a person from serving on this board.”

We disagree. Yes, it should. It may not be illegal, but it makes almost everyone in the state sick to know that the people we have elected are so unethical that these types of acts have become routine and expected from these “public servants.”

When the press asked for her credentials, they were initially told there wasn’t even a resume to share — of course not, this was just more political hand-washing.

How many people will be surprised when Corman gets a paid appointment after his elected days are over? Of course he will. That is how the Pennsylvania Legislature works on both sides of the aisle.

Even becoming a candidate for office in Pennsylvania should raise eyebrows as to the kind of person you must be to want to work with this elected body.

The biggest question this raises is, if this is how the people who are guarding the legitimacy of gambling in the state get their jobs, then why should they be trusted to do the job in a fair and honest manner? That isn’t a consideration in Harrisburg about much of anything, is it?

The only positive is that Mr. Corman has stripped away all the layers of bureaucracy that may have hidden his true colors and made it clear that he will, without shame, place friends in great paying positions and smile about it.

He thumbs his nose at any of us who dare to question his obvious intentions. And people continue to ask, “What’s wrong with politics?”

— RV