Finally, the beginning of the end of the three-year investigation of corruption in Harrisburg known as Bonusgate is near. The trials are scheduled to begin Jan. 19.

Based on what's known so far and what's been learned in other, similar trials, the Bonusgate trials should re-ignite public anger over corruption and abuse of power in the Legislature. So far, 25 people have been charged by state Attorney General Tom Corbett.

One person, who was only marginally involved, was acquitted last month. But that case was widely seen as the weakest in the Bonusgate probe. Seven people, mostly high-level staffers to legislative leaders, have pleaded guilty, and in exchange for reduced charges will testify against the remaining defendants, including former Democratic whips Mike Veon and Bill DeWeese as well as former House Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia.

The upcoming trial should offer as much, by way of disturbing revelations, as the federal corruption trial of former state Sen. Vincent Fumo of Philadelphia. Fumo's trial, which ended in conviction on more than 100 counts of corruption, brought to light a long list of the misuse of public funds and resources for Fumo's personal enrichment.

Similar revelations of abuse of power and misuse of public funds can be expected from the upcoming trial, starring Veon, DeWeese and Perzel. There does seem to be a difference, though. The Bonusgate scandal appears to be about using taxpayer money to pay for work that should have been paid for by the party or the candidate. Fumo's abuses centered on using public money for personal financial benefit.

The Fumo trial revealed the former senator using state employees for many personal errands as well as larger projects such as overseeing the renovation of his mansion and the management of his farm near Harrisburg. Fumo also abused a nonprofit agency with which he had close ties by having the agency buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of material, including tools, that were given to Fumo.

In the case of Bonusgate, taxpayer money allegedly was paid to legislative staffers for campaign work, which is illegal. In some cases, legislative aides were told to work late — even when there was no work to do — just so they could build up "comp time" that could be used for political campaign work. In some cases, notably in the district office of DeWeese, there are reports that some people were hired to do nothing but political work. Again, illegal — and stunning.

E-mail correspondences already reported in the media suggest arrogance and a preoccupation with politics, with no distinction between serving constituents and serving the party or themselves politically. It sometimes appears that politics and re-election crowded out all but the most pressing legislative duties.

With seven key insiders cooperating with prosecutors, the trial should give the public a clear picture of how some Harrisburg leaders operate. It also should be clear how dysfunctional and wrong it is.

The public has been disgusted by much of what's been learned about how the General Assembly does business since the infamous 2 a.m. pay-raise vote of 2005.

That scandal, which outraged voters so much that the Legislature reversed its pay raise, was followed by revelations of abuse by way of "unvouchered expenses," through which lawmakers were paid for expenses with no receipts required. Anyone in the real world assumes receipts are necessary to prove actual expenses. Not in Harrisburg.

The manipulation of government funding through WAMs or "walking around money" by legislative leaders remains controversial. Not only is WAM funding divvied up in private by a handful of party leaders, the taxpayer money sometimes is used to reward compliant lawmakers who go along with leaders or, by when WAM money is denied, as a tool to punish those who buck party leadership by, for instance, supporting reforms to make the Legislature more transparent and accountable.

The upcoming trials could again re-expose the arrogance and job-for-life mentality of some members of the General Assembly, particularly entrenched leaders. In recent years, from the pay-raise vote and 2001 pension grab to Fumo's trial and now Bonusgate, leading state lawmakers have made more headlines for self-serving actions than for actions related to serving the public.

The Bonusgate trials are expected to reveal some lawmakers' arrogance, obsession with power and intent to spend OPM — other people's money — whenever possible.

Much of the testimony at the trials could be eye-opening. It should help fuel another round of voter anger to push for reforms, including a constitutional convention in 2011.