News

March 18, 2010

Urban seeking Cordaro answers

He wants to know which airport contractor allegedly bribed ex-board member.

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker tmorgan@timesleader.com
Law & Order Reporter
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WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County Commissioner Stephen Urban wants to know which airport contractor allegedly paid bribes to former board member Robert Cordaro. He’s hoping the U.S. Attorney’s Office will tell him.

Urban on Wednesday said he plans to ask fellow members of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport’s board to join him in requesting that prosecutors provide the information to the board – confidentially – so that they can better decide with whom they should continue, or discontinue, doing business.

“I think it’s important to us, especially if the person has an existing contract, so we can closely monitor that contract or, if the contract is ready to expire, we don’t renew it,” Urban said.

A federal grand jury on Tuesday issued a 40-count indictment against Cordaro, who formerly served as a Lackawanna County commissioner, and current Lackawanna County Commissioner A.J. Munchak. Prosecutors say Cordaro and Munchak accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from companies that did business with the county while they served as the majority Republican commissioners.

One of those companies did work at the airport, which is under the control of a board made up of the commissioners from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. Prosecutors said Cordaro accepted money as part of his role on the airport board.

As is typical with complaints filed in connection with the corruption probe, the indictment does not identify any of the firms that paid Cordaro or Munchak.

Heidi Havens, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the identity of the bribe payers is not revealed. In the past, the office has said the names are kept confidential to ensure the integrity of the investigation.

Urban said he expects the identity of the companies will eventually be revealed as the case progresses. He’s anxious to obtain the information now.

“I don’t want to do business with them either at the airport or with the county,” Urban said. “We shouldn’t be dealing with unethical companies.”

Urban is the only current Luzerne County commissioner who sat on the airport board at the time Cordaro and Munchak were both on the board. He said he does not know how any contractor could have received preferential treatment because all work was bid publicly.

He said he plans to discuss his idea to request the identity of the contractor with airport board members today at their regular meeting.

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