Former state Rep. Mike Veon's second political corruption trial has been postponed for five months because of attorney scheduling conflicts.

The case had been scheduled for Sept. 13. However, during a closed-door meeting with attorneys Tuesday, Dauphin County Common Pleas Judge Bruce Bratton agreed to a postponement.

Jury selection is now scheduled for Jan. 31.

Mr. Veon already is serving six to 14 years in the State Correctional Institution Laurel Highlands for his conviction this spring in a separate case known as Bonusgate. That case centered around a scheme to use tax dollars to provide bonuses to state employees who worked on political campaigns of Mr. Veon and his fellow lawmakers.

In the second case, prosecutors allege that Mr. Veon and co-defendant Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink misused state grants given to Beaver Initiative for Growth, a nonprofit they ran.

Mrs. Perretta-Rosepink, who had been Mr. Veon's district office manager, also was convicted in the Bonusgate case but is free on bail pending appeal.

Mr. Raynak said the charges in both cases were trumped up by prosecutors motivated by the chance to grab headlines for their boss, Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett, who is running for governor.

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