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A challenge could remove County Council hopeful Joseph Gorko Jr. from ballot. He says he is innocent.
Republican Luzerne County Council candidate Joseph Gorko Jr. has served time in prison for sending numerous threatening letters to then-county District Attorney Peter Paul Olszewski Jr., raising questions about Gorko’s ability to serve in public office.
Gorko was convicted in federal court in April 2002 of sending threatening letters.
The state Constitution says citizens may be barred from serving in public office if they have committed a felony.
Gorko, 50, a veterinary medicine consultant from Wilkes-Barre, is among 16 Republicans who filed paperwork to be listed as candidates on the May 17 primary election ballot.
County Election Bureau Director Leonard Piazza said another Republican candidate would have to file a legal challenge seeking Gorko’s removal from the ballot because Democratic contenders would not have standing. March 15 is the deadline to file objections to get candidates removed from the ballot.
Gorko said on Thursday that he was innocent and believes he was implicated because he was investigating sports betting, organized crime and corruption involving local officials and was preparing to write a book about his findings.
“I began to uncover things that later turned out to be true. I was just before my time,” Gorko said.
Gorko said he has researched law and believes he is eligible to serve. He said he welcomes a court challenge.
“I’m not stupid and figured this would happen. I hope someone does file a challenge. If we go to court, I’m going to widen the federal corruption probe. We’ll see more people go to jail,” said Gorko, who served in jail for seven years.
Prosecutors said Gorko sent 14 letters to Olszewski during a several-year period in which he threatened Olszewski’s family if Olszewski failed to comply with numerous demands, which included dropping off money. In the letters, Gorko also threatened to smear Olszewski’s reputation if he did not resign as district attorney.
Gorko, who was sentenced in February 2003 to 97 months in prison, had unsuccessfully filed numerous motions seeking to overturn the verdict.
First reported online at
2 p.m.
on timesleader.com