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By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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Contrary to a statement from state House Majority Leader Todd Eachus’ spokesman, Eachus made more than one flight on a jet owned by admitted felon Robert Powell, according to sources.

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State Rep. Todd Eachus today announces $4.8 million in state gaming funds to complete construction of an intermodal transportation center in Hazleton.

STEVE MOCARSKY/THE TIMES LEADER

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Eachus, D-Butler Township, was aboard the 1981 Sabreliner 65 for at least part of a flight from Hazleton to Allegheny County to Harrisburg, back to Allegheny County and back to Hazleton on Dec. 27, 2006, the sources said.

Last week, Eachus confirmed that he took a round-trip on the jet from Harrisburg to Hazleton and back for a press conference to announce a development plan for a cargo airport near Hazleton on Jan. 31, 2007.

Through his campaign spokesman, Dave Georges, Eachus said last week that was his only time on the jet.

Contacted on Tuesday and told that a reporter had information to the contrary, Georges said Eachus would not comment without having the data. Provided with specifics on the December 2006 flight, including the names of passengers – Eachus, and cargo airport developers Mike Marsicano, Greg Zappala and Powell – Georges said he or Eachus would get back to a reporter on Wednesday.

But Eachus, who is running for re-election in the 116th Legislative District against Republican challenger Tarah Toohil, would not address the issue Wednesday.

Eachus would not speak with a reporter directly. In response to the contradicting information, Georges said: “Rep. Eachus has made the case for his candidacy and contrasted it with the alternative. For the rest of this campaign, he’s only going to focus on what he’s accomplished for hard-working people.”

Toohil said it has become a “dirty campaign with many lies” and the contradiction supports her contention that Eachus “has not been truthful in his campaign against me.”

She noted that Eachus initially said he took the January flight because it was the only way to get to Harrisburg in time to vote.

“That ended up being a lie. When presented with evidence he couldn’t have taken the plane to cast votes, he changed his story. Here again, we’re presented with new evidence he was on a second flight. How many more times was he really on the plane? What isn’t Mr. Eachus telling us?” Toohil said.

Eachus first said taking the flight was the only way he could make it back to Harrisburg in time for votes. The following day, Eachus said he misread his calendar and there was a non-voting session that day. Georges provided a list of meetings Eachus had in Harrisburg that morning.

Toohil said the latest flight information is the latest of many inconsistencies for Eachus. She pointed to a newspaper story from 1995, when Eachus first ran for office, in which he called for “an end to midnight votes for pay raises,” yet he participated in one in 2005.

She also pointed to 1995 campaign material in which Eachus said he believed in term limits but is now running for his eighth consecutive term.

Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7311.