HAZLETON – U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski says the Fox News Channel is “a part of the Republican establishment,” but it’s a life-long Democrat and former ally who takes issue with the 12-term congressman and his involvement with Cornerstone Technologies.

Kanjorski declined to be interviewed for the show airing at 8 tonight on Fox but his former fishing buddy and one-time director of the 11th Congressional Regional Equipment Center – Plymouth Township Supervisor Joe Yudichak – spoke candidly about Kanjorski and Cornerstone.

The show, “Porked: Earmarks for Profit,” is hosted by Chris Wallace with special reporting by Gregg Jarrett.

According to a Fox release, the one-hour investigative series focuses on three U.S. congressmen who have earmarked millions of taxpayer dollars on projects in which they or their families have had financial interests.

Former Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert of Illinois is among those featured in the documentary for his involvement with the Prairie Highway Project. U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, R-California, is also a subject of the report.

According to Jarrett, Kanjorski declined to be interviewed for the show.

“This truly is an incredible story. We have a congressman securing federal funding for a project that employed members of his own family. We at Fox find that incredibly objectionable,” Jarrett said.

Jarrett interviewed Yudichak, father of state Rep. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke. The older Yudichak said he agreed to be interviewed after several attempts by Fox. He gave in, he said, when a film crew showed up at his front door. In a promo for the show, Yudichak talks about his conversation with Kanjorski concerning Cornerstone.

Yudichak told Fox: “He (Kanjorski) said, ‘You’re telling me I can’t take care of my family?’ He said, ‘Well, I’m telling you, it’s going to be done and it’s going to be done with you or without you.’”

Kanjorski toured the Hazleton Area Elementary-Middle School on Friday. The former Hazleton Senior High School – called the Castle - has been remodeled at a cost of nearly $25 million, but needs about $2 million to complete the school auditorium. The district and community members asked Kanjorski for help.

During the tour, he fielded questions about tonight’s televised report.

“Until I see it, it would be foolish of me to comment on the Fox show,” Kanjorski said. “This has been going on for more than six years and there have been a lot of misrepresentations out there.”

Kanjorski said Fox is part of “the Republican establishment” and the network is looking to find something to hurt his candidacy.

As far as Yudichak, Kanjorski said, “Sometimes it’s unfortunate that friendships break up. However, I hold no animosity toward him or his family and I stand by my record as congressman and point to all of the accomplishments throughout my district since I’ve been in office.”

Yudichak said he and Kanjorski were friends for many years. They went fishing in Canada several times and Yudichak said he always felt Kanjorski would be the savior for Northeastern Pennsylvania when he was elected to Congress.

Yudichak said the Regional Equipment Center had received a $1.3 million federal grant and Kanjorski wanted the center to enter into a joint venture with Peter Kanjorski – the congressman’s nephew – and his group.

“We refused to do it,” Yudichak said. “We felt it was immoral to funnel that money to his family. So, we sent the $1.3 million back to the federal government. That’s how strong we felt about it.”

Yudichak said he didn’t have a vote on the matter but the five-member board of directors approved sending the money back. He said the board members were Jack Manley and Bob Borofski (both deceased), and Doriann Jolley, Carol Noonan and Sharon Roke.

Yudichak said Kanjorski held the grant for more than a year and “hounded” the center’s board to enter into an agreement with King’s College, but that was rejected. He said the $1.3 million finally went back to the federal government.

“He (Kanjorski) ended up getting 10 to 11 million dollars anyway for Cornerstone,” Yudichak said, noting he was ready to resign his position at the equipment center if the money wasn’t returned. “And what did Cornerstone do? They had a corporate office with some high-paying jobs. I think you will see on the Fox show that a Penn State professor called Cornerstone ‘Three Stooges Meets Anthracite.’ I really thought the Wyoming Valley would be reborn with him in Congress. I never thought he would so something like that.”

Yudichak said he never believed in term limits, but feels Kanjorski has been in office too long. Kanjorski is seeking his 13th two-year term in Congress. He is opposed by Republican Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta in the 11th Congressional District contest.

Cornerstone Technologies, a research company that received more than $9 million in federal grants and contracts, halted operations in 2003. The company, which was operated by Kanjorski’s daughter and four of his nephews, promised to create hundreds of jobs and to turn the Wyoming Valley into a technology hotspot.