How’s this one for irony.

Ruth Arnao will be sentenced in federal court today. She is the aide convicted along with longtime powerbroker and former Pa. Sen. Vince Fumo.

Arnao was one of his closest and most trusted aides.

Recently she has filed papers in court saying she now realizes her devotion to Fumo crossed the line and that she knows she did wrong. She told the court she was unable to go against the wishes of her mentor.

She was convicted, as was Fumo, of all the charges brought against her.
She went down on 45 counts, including conspiracy, fraud and obstructing justice.

For her loyalty to Fumo, Arnao could conceivably be sentenced today to more time in jail than her boss.

Federal Judge Ronald Buckwalter sentenced Fumo to 55 months, setting off howls of protest that it was not enough and sent the wrong message to those involved in white-collar crime and public corruption.

Federal prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 70 to 81 months for Arnao.

It would hard to fathom that she could actually bet more time behind bars than Fumo. It’s unlikely that she will.

It certainly would not be just, almost as unjust as the 55 months doled out to Fumo.