Zola No. 1 in loans for judge run

Luzerne County judicial candidate Daniel Zola has loaned his election campaign committee nearly $160,319, according to a campaign finance report filed with the state, just $681 less than a judge’s annual salary.

That total, based on six loans made between Feb.16 and April 30, means Zola, 33, of Nescopeck, ranks first among the 17 judicial candidates in terms of personal loans made to his or her own committee.

Michael Pendolphi, 43, of Kingston Township, loaned his election committee $25,000. Mike Blazick, 35, of Mountain Top, loaned his campaign $20,000. Eugene Sperazza, 54, of Mountain Top, loaned his committee $50,000, while Dallas resident C.J. Bufalino, 49, lent his campaign $30,000. Tom Marsilio, 60, of Mountain Top, loaned his committee $3,806.73 and Tom O’Connor, 57, of Kingston, loaned his committee $2,500.

The next largest loan a candidate made to his own campaign came from Bill Amesbury, 61, along with his wife, Karen, of Wilkes-Barre. They loaned his campaign $75,000. Joe Musto, 65, of Duryea, received an $82,375 loan from his wife, Fortunata Musto.

Zola’s report was among three committee reports that were not available Friday, the state deadline for them. They were filed on time, just not posted on the state Web site.

The other two reports were those from the campaigns of Tony Lumbis, 57, of Sweet Valley, and Joe Sklarosky Jr., 40, of Mountain Top. This means all 17 candidates have their reports available to the public.

The Committee to Elect Daniel Zola reported $95,444.04 in revenue for the period of March 31 to May 4. Expenditures of $75,998.83 were listed, leaving the campaign with $44,287.39 cash on hand. He started with nearly $25,000 cash on hand.

The committee to elect Tony Lumbis reported $17,935.63 in revenue for the period of Feb. 15 to May 4. Expenditures of $13,207 were listed, leaving the campaign with $4,728.63 cash on hand. The report reflects that Lumbis loaned his campaign $3,900.

Sklarosky’s campaign pulled in $231,690 and spent $198,408.71, leaving a cash balance of $33,281.29.

Sklarosky joins Sperazza and Musto as the only candidates to raise at least $200,000 this past reporting period.

Sklarosky, though he didn’t personally loan his campaign any funds, did receive $40,000 in loans from Thomas Kennedy of Hazleton and a $135,000 line of credit from Luzerne Bank.

Seven of the 17 committees reported revenue in excess of $100,000. They are those representing: Yatesville resident Joseph Terrana, 47; Dick Hughes, 48, of Mountain Top; O’Connor, Musto, Sperazza, Bufalino and Sklarosky.

By contrast, six candidates’ committees reported revenue of less than $30,000: Stephen Menn, 50, of Plains Township; Tina Polachek Gartley, 42, of Plains Township; Jennifer Rogers, 42, of Harveys Lake; Tom Marsilio, 60, of Mountain Top; Molly Hanlon Mirabito, 46, of Forty Fort; and Lumbis.