There’s a heightened level of anxiety, uncertainty and even fear in Harrisburg these days. While some politicians might be worried about this fall’s general election, others are probably more concerned over the scope of a federal sting operation looking into political corruption in the state capital.

Last week, former Gov. Ed Rendell’s chief of staff, John Estey, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, as a result of the federal probe. Estey, 55, an attorney who had gone to work as a lobbyist for a Philadelphia law firm, admitted to keeping $13,000 of $20,000 given to him to be distributed to lawmakers to help get a bogus bill passed that would reportedly have helped a state-based company, which was also fake.

Estey took the money from an FBI informant and made some campaign contributions. In 2010, the phony bill passed the Senate, but did not win approval in the House.

The years-long federal investigation is aimed at exposing corruption between lobbyists and lawmakers. And Estey has been cooperating with federal investigators since 2011, wearing a wire to record his activities.

Few Harrisburg observers think Estey will be the only person to face charges as the result of the investigation. Federal investigations are a major commitment of resources and when one crook is found, there’s a good chance others are doing the same things.

More than a handful of Pennsylvania lawmakers have been snared by ethics investigations in recent years, from selling influence to improperly spending taxpayer dollars. Former state senator and legendary power broker Vince Fumo, D-Philadephia, spent time in federal prison after being found guilty on more than 100 charges of corruption and misuse of public funds. The infamous “Bonusgate” scandal snared about a dozen people, including several lawmakers and numerous legislative staffers, who were part of scheme that paid out taxpayer-funded bonuses to legislative staffers who worked on political campaigns.

For more than a decade, good government groups have criticized Pennsylvania’s lax lobbying laws. Weaker than most other state’s laws, Pennsylvania has been described as the Wild West of lobbying.

In response, state Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York County, announced a reform package in December that would try to build a better barrier between lobbying and campaign activities.

The topic of corruption surrounding lobbying and campaign finance made news again last week when a state senator was charged using campaign money to bribe a Democratic party leader in Philadelphia to gain her political endorsement.

State Sen. Larry Farnese, D-Philadephia, is accused by federal prosecutors of using campaign funds to pay $6,000 toward the study abroad expenses of committeewoman Ellen Chapman’s daughter. Farnese’s lawyer said the lawmaker’s actions were “a regular and appropriate part of being a community and political leader that the government would now like to be declared illegal.”

Farneses’ statement suggests the lawmaker sees nothing wrong with paying a bribe for an endorsement — using campaign funds as a gift to change a politician’s preference for election.

That shows the same lack of ethics that has been revealed in other cases of public corruption. From Sen. Fumo to the “Bonusgate” co-conspirators, too many in Harrisburg’s political class have a sense of entitlement and view taxpayers’ money as their own. These officials are clearly working for themselves, not the citizens who elected them.

Tougher lobbying and campaign finance laws could help. But electing better people who know the difference between right and wrong, regardless of the laws, would also help.

Despite numerous corruption indictments and convictions, Harrisburg’s culture has apparently not changed.