At the beginning of his career, Neri worked as a journalist following state and local government and politics for a variety of publications, including Erie Times-News, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Philadelphia Bulletin, the Philadelphia Business Journal, and the Bucks County Courier-Times.
[2] During the 2000 presidential election, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was known to be under consideration as the running mate for Republican George W. Bush.
"[3] Veteran Philadelphia Inquirer editor and journalism professor at Pennsylvania State University Gene Foreman agreed, noting that the book deal was not disclosed and that the two columns seemed "particularly personal" and contained "pretty extraordinary" language.
[3] In return, the editors of both newspapers that had carried the columns noted that they were aware of the book deal and took steps to remove any impropriety.
[4] Verbanac left the organization in 2005 and Neri continued with a new consulting firm, Envoi Communications.