The trainwreck that is Penn State
Standing in front of a group of business owners who he said had been "collaterally damaged" by the sanctions, Corbett said, "I believe this to be the right thing to do on behalf of the students who have gone through this institution, who are here now and who will be coming here in the future."
State and congressional lawmakers from Pennsylvania have objected to using the Penn State fine to finance activities in other states. Penn State has already made the first $12 million payment, and an NCAA task force is deciding how it should be spent.
The NCAA, which declined to comment when Corbett initially announced his plans on Tuesday, has said at least a quarter of the money would be spent in Pennsylvania.
Republican Rep. Charlie Dent called the NCAA?s response "unacceptable and unsatisfactory" to a request from the state's House delegation that the whole $60 million be distributed to causes within the state.
Last week, state Sen. Jake Corman, a Republican whose district includes Penn State's main campus, said he plans to seek court action barring any of the first $12 million from being released to groups outside the state.
In announcing the news conference, Corbett, a Republican, did not indicate whether his office coordinated its legal strategy with state Attorney General-elect Kathleen Kane, who is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 15.
Kane, a Democrat, ran on a vow to investigate why it took state prosecutors nearly three years to charge Sandusky, an assistant under legendary football coach Joe Paterno. Corbett was the attorney general when that office took over the case in early 2009 and until he became governor in January 2011.