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Moran’s deal puts her out of office

Prothonotary also must give feds her cooperation in courthouse fraud probe.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter

Jill Moran’s resignation as Luzerne County prothonotary officially takes effect the end of today.

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Moran

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She declined comment and spent much of Thursday holed up in her office saying goodbye to colleagues.

Moran resigned from the seat she’s held for seven years because of an agreement with federal prosecutors. In addition to resigning, the stipulation requires her to provide complete and full cooperation in the investigation into alleged fraud at the county courthouse.

The 39-year-old Conyngham resident could face criminal charges if she violates the agreement.

Deputy Prothonotary Elizabeth Decker said she will be sworn in Monday as acting prothonotary.

The law requires the deputy to serve as acting prothonotary until someone is elected or appointed to the seat, said Decker, an attorney.

Moran’s term would have ended in December, and five Republicans and one Democrat are vying for the seat.

Gov. Ed Rendell does not plan to fill the vacancy because the appointee would only end up serving several months, said governor’s office spokesman Chuck Ardo.

Moran hired Decker in August 2007. Decker graduated from Bishop Hafey High School in Hazle Township and received her law degree from the University of Dayton in Ohio.

A 38-year-old Conyngham resident, Decker has previously worked at the Giuliani & Bernstein law firm in Hazleton, which is partially owned by her father, Attorney Richard I. Bernstein. Her mother, also named Elizabeth, is a Realtor.

Decker also served as Hazleton Housing Authority solicitor in the late 1990s.

She declined comment on Moran’s departure.

“We’re just going to try to keep serving the public,” Decker said.

Moran entered the race for Luzerne County prothonotary in 2001 in a feisty battle to unseat Republican Carolee Medico Olenginski, campaigning on her plans to end the “negativity.”

Backed by the county Democratic Party organization, Moran spent about $265,000 on that campaign and won by a landslide, receiving more votes than any other countywide candidate – about 37,000.

Moran and Medico Olenginski faced off again in 2005, and Moran won a second term.

Moran made headlines in 2007, when she switched her law partner Robert Powell’s name to John Doe in her office database to hide an IRS tax lien filed against him.

In 2001, before taking office, Moran had served as the attorney of record for PA Child Care when owners Powell and Greg Zappala initiated construction of a Pittston Township juvenile detention center.

Former president judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan are awaiting sentencing on guilty pleas for accepting more than $2.6 million in kickbacks in exchange for actions that led to the county’s use of that detention center and another one owned by PA Child Care in western Pennsylvania.

Moran is also caught up in a financial problem over a company she heads – W-Cat Inc. – which planned to build an 84-unit Wright Township development called The Sanctuary. Conahan and Ciavarella and their wives had agreed to guarantee $4.5 million in loans that had been secured for the project, but W-Cat defaulted last year. First National Community Bank of Dunmore recently obtained an order demanding repayment of $4.1 million by the Conahan, Ciavarella, their spouses and others.

Powell had been involved in W-Cat, but Moran is listed as the president, secretary and treasurer of the company.

According to a civil complaint filed against Moran by U.S. Attorney Martin Carlson, Moran voluntarily informed prosecutors that people known to her attempted, without her full knowledge and consent, to use her to facilitate frauds that deprived residents of Luzerne County to their right to honest services by those people and other individuals.

The complaint does not identify the people or provide further details regarding the alleged fraud.

Moran has not been charged with any crime. The complaint against her says it is being filed “in lieu of other action.” Moran has denied any criminal wrongdoing.

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.