HARRISBURG — A former Pennsylvania legislative leader who is fighting corruption accusations said in a court filing Tuesday that state House Democratic Whip Bill DeWeese and his staff have engaged in the same behavior for which others are facing criminal charges.

Former Rep. Mike Veon, D-Beaver, made the claim as part of his argument that Attorney General Tom Corbett's office has engaged in selective prosecution and that Corbett's political aspirations have played a role in the case.

In the filing, Veon said prosecutors' own investigative materials show that DeWeese and his staff did many of the same things that prompted the charges. As a result, Veon said the charges against him should be dropped.

Veon served as whip while DeWeese was Democratic floor leader for many years before Veon lost re-election in 2006. The new filing is the first public sign that the investigation has caused a rift between the two.

"Veon's motion is full of frivolous allegations that will never stand up in court," said Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley. "In terms of DeWeese, what the attorney general has said from the beginning is that the investigation is continuing and we will follow the evidence wherever it leads."

DeWeese released a statement saying it was Corbett's role to decide who gets charged.

"The courts will now determine the validity of the criminal charges against Mr. Veon and of any allegations he makes in his defense," he said.

Veon and 11 others associated with the House Democratic caucus were charged last summer with theft, conflict of interest and conspiracy in what prosecutors say was a scheme to divert public resources and state employees for campaigning or other improper purposes.

DeWeese encouraged Democratic employees to cooperate with Corbett's investigators, and DeWeese has not been charged with any crime.

Veon lawyer Joel Sansone wrote that DeWeese "cooperated closely" with the attorney general's office and was "complicit in bringing many of the charges."

The filing also claims "numerous other legislators from both parties" — not just DeWeese — have committed the sorts of actions for which Veon and his co-defendants are charged.