Skrepenak closes campaign fund

Former Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak has closed out his campaign fund, donating the $13,384 he had left to a charity, according to a campaign finance report filed Monday.

Mericle donation

Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll received a $500 campaign contribution from developer Robert Mericle on July 29, but said she donated that money to charity.

Mericle signed a plea agreement with the federal government on July 31 in connection with the corruption probe. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 2 to failing to report a felony.

Musto Carroll said she immediately gave the money to charity when she learned about Mericle’s donation because of the charges against him.

Her report shows a $500 donation to the Vasculitis Foundation on Aug. 18.

Skrepenak pleaded guilty last week to accepting a $5,000 bribe in exchange for helping a developer secure tax funding for a construction project.

The campaign finance report, which covers 2009, indicates Skrepenak started the year with $39,600 in his fund. He did not receive any new donations.

The charity donation went to the Colleen Shea Children’s Foundation, which supports local children’s programs and organizations, on Jan. 29, the finance report says.

Skrepenak also spent $499 of the fund on a live Christmas tree for the courthouse, $125 on decorations for the tree and $5,000 for a sponsorship to the courthouse anniversary celebration, the report says.

He also paid political consultant James McNulty $600 on Dec. 10 for consulting services and spent $5,900 for cell phone service, $6,800 on advertising and $6,100 on office/event expenses.

For example, he paid Roadside Advertisements $1,590 for advertising in March. The business is owned by Pittston businessman Barton Weidlich, who was charged with threatening a witness who was cooperating with prosecutors.

Commissioners had terminated a contract with Roadside last year because the bench and billboard advertising was not bid out.

Skrepenak’s finance report also lists a $250 donation he made to the Committee to Elect Jim Height in April.

Height, a former Wilkes-Barre Area School Board president, was charged in May with accepting $2,000 in cash in connection with support he provided to a contractor trying to obtain a contract with the school district. He pleaded guilty in federal court and awaits sentencing.

Another man charged in the corruption probe – former county Democratic Jury Commissioner Jerry Bonner – still has $7,160 in his campaign fund, but he opted to leave the money there and keep his campaign fund active, according to his campaign finance report filed Monday.

Bonner pleaded guilty in federal court last month to passing a bribe. Voters re-elected Bonner while he was under federal indictment for the charges in November, but he resigned from the post last month.

The committee, Friends of Jerry Bonner, did not spend or receive any money during the reporting period. Bonner also may not serve in public office again because of the federal plea.