The fall guy

My personal credit card and the county’s card look exactly alike."-Luzerne County Prison Deputy Warden Sam Hyder

A pretty weak excuse for using a county debit card at a strip club in Las Vegas while on a junket. The whole problem with the latest controversy over the debit card mess is that these guys have been using the cards for almost 2 years without ever having to produce a receipt. Human nature being what it is people will try get away with living the high life if somebody else is paying for it. Steve Urban points out that this and other trips were not authorized by the Comissioners or anyone else.

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Hyder is willing to fall on his sword to protect Majority DebitCardmissioner Greg Skrepnak but a few other people have some explaining to do:

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The total amount spent from each account, according to records, is as follows:

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Deputy Chief Clerk Bill Brace, $11,263.

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Commissioner Greg Skrepenak, $10,324.

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Deputy Warden Sam Hyder, $7,604.

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Human Resources Director Doug Richards, $4,526.

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County Clerk/Manager Sam Guesto, $3,630.

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The Bureau of Elections, $2,696.

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Former Commissioner Todd Vonderheid, $1,772.

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I wonder why they didn't give Steve Urban one?

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Now county Controller Maryanne Petrilla has started an investigation about 2 years too late. Before now she was busy doing audits of the row offices held by Republicans. She will be one of the new majority commissioners this January. Can anyone say "conflict of interest."

Some other law enforcement agency has to look at this situation. I just don't trust the Courthouse gang to investigate itself.

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The state Attorney General or the FBI should be looking into this.