Pa. Attorney General’s office investigating Carbon clerk of courts office
Carbon County’s clerk of courts office is under investigation by the state, officials confirmed today.
Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein confirmed that the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is investigating the clerk of court’s office.
In addition, the county’s insurance carrier, the Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool, is also conducting an audit of the office.
“There is very, very little we can say at this point,” Nothstein said.
He provided no other comments at this time due to it being an ongoing investigation.
Earlier this month, the county commissioners entered into an agreement with Lehigh County to use two staff members, Jill Herschman and Jordan Kocher, to help the office catch up with its extreme backlog of cases. Herschman and Kocher will be paid $15 per hour and will be under contract with Carbon from Monday through Dec. 31.
At that time, the commissioners aired their frustrations over the mess in the clerk of courts office.
The Carbon Clerk of Courts was William McGinley, who held the office for 28 years until his retirement on May 1. McGinley was re-elected without opposition last November and was only four months into his new term at the time.
The state has yet to approve the Democratic Party’s nomination to fill the vacancy created by McGinley’s retirement. The nomination of Francine Heaney of Nesquehoning remains in the queue waiting to be approved by the governor’s office and state Senate.
Until the appointment is approved by the state, second deputy Julie Harris will remain the acting clerk of courts.
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