Kanjorski nephew remains in $2,000-a-month job with PAC

By Jerry Lynott jlynott@timesleader.comBusiness Writer

WILKES-BARRE – Familiar names and places appear on the latest filing for the political action committee created in 2005 by U.S. Rep. .

Citizens for Action continues to pay the 12-term congressman’s nephew Peter A. Kanjorski a $2,000-a-month consulting fee and to rent office space at $300 a month in a South Franklin Street building co-owned by the lawmaker.

Ed Mitchell, a spokesman for the Nanticoke Democrat, said the younger Kanjorski “does a loyal job” for the congressman, who feels confident in his nephew.

It’s the same nephew who headed Cornerstone Technologies. The company went bankrupt after receiving millions of dollars in funds the congressman said he helped insert into the federal budget for Cornerstone’s water jet technology research and development projects.

The congressman established Citizens for Action to contribute to the campaigns of other candidates. The quarterly report filed Friday with the Federal Election Commission did not list any campaign contributions during the period from April through June.

“It’s kind of early” in the election cycle, Mitchell said, explaining the lack of contributions for the quarter.

The report listed receipts from repeat contributors from financial service and investment PACs among others. The congressman is a ranking member of the Democratic House Financial Services Committee.

Making $5,000 contributions last quarter were the Credit Union Legislative Action Council, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., the Investment Company Institute PAC, the Realtors PAC, Sallie Mae Inc., PAC, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Fund A and the UBS Americas Fund for Better Government. PP&L People for Good Government also contributed $5,000. The only individual donors were the owners of Pocono Raceway, Joseph and Rose Mattioli of Long Pond, who each contributed $5,000.

Some of the funds collected were used to cover the expenses for rent, catering and the younger Kanjorski’s fee.

For the quarter, Peter Kanjorski was paid $6,000. That’s in addition to the $20,000 he received between July 2007 and March. Since he was hired as a consultant, he has been paid $56,461 in fees and expenses.

K&K Realty, which owns the Wilkes-Barre office building, was paid $900 for the quarter. The realty company has received $9,900 from Citizens for Action in the PAC’s three years of existence.

Also on the receiving end was Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, Monroe County. Citizens for Action paid $5,525 for lodging and catering. Prior to the last quarter, the lodge received $12,530 from the PAC.

As of the midyear point, Citizens for Action had $132,636 in cash on hand, according to the FEC filing.

Jerry Lynott, a Times Leader staff writer, can be contacted at 570 829-7237.