One of the most serviceable toll highways used by travelers to and from Pa. is the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Under the management of Pennsylvania’s Turnpike Commission, its highway has limited access covering the distance of 360 miles or 580 kilometers across the state. Turnpike designation starts at the border of Ohio in the Lawrence Highway that ends at the New Jersey border in the Delaware River where it is continued as New Jersey Turnpike.
Today, Pa’s Turnpike makes news as Joseph Brimmeier; former Pennsylvania Turnpike CEO was arraigned for charges from allegations that he was part of a pay-to-play scheme involving contributions for political purposes and rigged bids.
State Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced in a public presentment made last Wednesday that eight men were charged by a grand jury which included former state Senator Bob Mellow who is currently serving a federal corruption case.
The defense counsel of Mr. Brimmeier claimed that his client is innocent of all the charges. He said that the presentment was not fair as it showed a one-sided view of the operation at the Turnpike. The lawyer is confident that when the facts will come out, it will exonerate his client, Mr. Brimmeier from all the charges and the allegations that are stated in the complaint. He said that his client will be able to present his side of the case at an upcoming preliminary hearing.
After Mr. Brimmeier was released on a $100,000 bail, he gave no statement to the reporters.
The following were included in the Wednesday arraignment: Melvin Shelton, a former Turnpike employee; George Hatalowich, former Turnpike chief operating officer; Mitchell Rubin, former Turnpike commissioner; Dennis Miller, Turnpike vendor; and Jeffrey Suzenski, consultant to a vendor.
The presentment was contained in 85-pages which paints a scenario of bid-rigging & subjectism in choosing the bidder. The papers showed that bids were rigged and given to those who contributed funds to the campaign, offered personal gifts and free travels to locales like Budapest, Cozumel, Las Vegas and Vienna.
According to Ms. Kane, the grand jury had found enough evidences of corruption to charge only the men mentions, not the politicians, except Mellow, who are all beneficiaries of the scheme.
If you have received a traffic ticket, please contact an experienced PA TURNPIKE TICKET LAWYER. Protect right to drive legally.
Source: En Wikipedia Org.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Turnpike)
Source: Post Gazette Com
(https://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/former-turnpike-ceo-brimmeier-is-arraigned-in-harrisburg-679322/#ixzz2NcimRnJU)
Source: Penn Live Com
(https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/03/understanding_the_charges_in_t.html)