LAWRENCE COUNTY Governor responds to letters on ouster

The governor's office said it will monitor the 'troublesome' situation.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County Commissioner Dan Vogler says he's "not totally surprised" by Gov. Ed Rendell's response to the county's request to oust county Treasurer Gary Felasco.
A letter received Tuesday from the governor's general counsel, Leslie Ann Miller, informed commissioners that the governor's office won't get involved until the criminal investigation is completed.
"At the present time the matter has been referred to the Office of the Attorney General for a full investigation," the letter states. "Once that investigation is completed, we will be in a position to determine if there is a basis for the Governor and Senate to remove Mr. Felasco from office pursuant to Article VI, Section 7 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
"In the meantime, we will continue to monitor this troublesome situation. We appreciate your interest in this sensitive matter and assure you that it is of the utmost importance to this Administration."
Seldom-used statute
County commissioners, District Attorney Matthew Mangino and the Lawrence County Council of Governments had sent letters asking the governor to pursue Felasco's removal from office under the seldom-used statute of the state constitution.
Vogler said he is disappointed in the response, but has "tremendous faith" in the agencies conducting the investigations.
The Pennsylvania State Police and a forensic auditor hired by the county commissioners are investigating.
The matter also was referred to the state attorney general two months ago.
Reason for probes
Felasco has been under a microscope since February when The Vindicator first reported that he had not paid property taxes on his Cunningham Avenue home since 2000. The property was marked "court stayed" in county computers, keeping it from the county's yearly tax sale.
County commissioners removed Felasco as the appointed county tax claim bureau director March 2, but he remained the elected county treasurer and a member of the Lawrence County Housing Authority Board of Directors.
It was later discovered that Felasco and his wife, Jeanine, were using county cellular telephones to give directions to swinger parties advertised on an Internet Web site with links to sexually explicit photographs. Telephone records also showed numerous calls made from the cellular telephones on evenings, weekends and holidays to numbers not related to county business.
Vogler said he intends to keep the governor's office informed of the attorney general investigation so they can eventually decide if removal is necessary.
"They refer to this a 'troublesome' and 'sensitive' situation in the letter," he said, adding, "I think both of those adjectives are accurate."
cioffi@vindy.com