DA pushes for injunction filing

County commissioners are expected to review court papers today.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County District Attorney Matthew Mangino has threatened to take county commissioners to court by Monday if they don't file a court injunction to stop the county treasurer's paycheck.
Mangino sent commissioners a memo Thursday morning informing them of his intention to file a mandamus action.
"What I'd like to do is get this matter resolved. The county commissioner said they don't want to pay Gary Felasco. The county controller says she can only withhold his pay with an order of court," Mangino said.
Shortly after charges of theft and embezzlement were filed against Felasco by the Pennsylvania Attorney General in early September, county commissioners voted to put Felasco's paycheck in an escrow account until the charges were resolved. Commissioners said they had a legal opinion approving the matter from their solicitor, John Hodge.
No resolution
Controller Mary Ann Reiter put the money in the escrow account until last week when she received an opinion from her solicitor that she could withhold Felasco's pay only with a court order. She informed commissioners of her solicitor's advice and issued Felasco a paycheck last Friday.
County commissioners then instructed Reiter by memo that they do not want their signatures on any check issued to Felasco, which would make it invalid. Felasco responded by sending his own memo stating that his signature not appear on any checks to the commissioners. His signature is not necessary to make a county check valid.
Reiter said she's tired of the memos. "I'm glad that Matt is doing it, because the commissioners and their solicitor seem to be reticent. They are content to play cat and mouse games forever," she said.
Commissioner Steve Craig said the county solicitor has already drawn up court papers for an injunction, but commissioners have not reviewed them yet. Craig said he expected to meet with the solicitor today to discuss them.
Mangino said he hopes his memo will spur the commissioners into action.
cioffi@vindy.com