The Times Leader reports today that Democratic Luzerne County commissioners Maryanne Petrilla and Greg Skrepenak have ended their political ties. The $110,000 in the Friends of Skrepenak and Petrilla committee fund has been equally split and transferred into their individual campaign committees.
Skrepenak told the Times Leader that Petrilla "wants to be a dictator. She wants to tell people what to do."
"He said he's bitter because he supported Petrilla's 2005 run for county controller and chose her to be his Democratic commissioner teammate last year. Skrepenak said Petrilla never raised concerns about his tenure until after she was elected commissioner.
'Where was Maryanne Petrilla for two years as a controller? She didn't say anything to me. For two years she sat back and said nothing,' Skrepenak said. 'I'm tired of being the one taking the blame for everything.'
He homed in on questionable debit-card spending, saying Petrilla should have received more heat for not detecting it as controller. The office had access to computerized financial records, and money to pay the bills was deducted from specific accounts, he said.
'If money was taken out, her office should have been asking, 'Where are the receipts?' Skrepenak said. 'The only reason I didn't bring this up back then is because she was my teammate, and I wanted to get us both elected.'"
Why should Skrepenak grow tired of taking the blame? He is involved in the debit-card scandal. Petrilla should not be crticized for failing to detect the debit-card spending as county controller. County Manager/Chief Clerk Sam Guesto, an ally of Skrepenak, acknowledged last October that he violated the debit-card policy by not sending receipts and documentation to Petrilla. As the Times Leader reported today, "Petrilla has said the administration intentionally circumvented the controller's office by deducting debit-card payments without presenting receipts and payment requests to the controller's office."
Skrepenak did not want the controller's office to ask for the debit-card receipts. Last December, Skrepenak disclosed that he used his county debit card to make unallowable purchases. He used the card to pay hotel charges in York for his three children.
Time Line: Petrilla and Skrepenak history, The Citizens Voice
"Skrep calls Petrilla a 'dictator'" Times Leader
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