Nov 23, 2019 3 min read

The state attorney general’s office will handle the prosecution of Washington County Clerk of Courts Frank Scandale, the press secretary for Josh Shapiro confirmed Friday.

Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi, a retired state trooper, said Thursday that the case, which is based on approximately $96,000 missing from the clerk of courts office, would likely be prosecuted by the attorney general’s office, but it was not immediately clear at Scandale’s arraignment who would be representing the commonwealth.

Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry has been assigned to the case, wrote Mark Shade, Shapiro’s press secretary, in response to an email inquiry.

When conducting an audit of the row office’s 2018 records, county Controller Michael Namie discovered money had not been deposited in PNC Bank and that accounts did not reconcile.

This came to light in mid-July when the county commissioners revealed at a hastily called news conference that there was money missing from the clerk of courts office.

According to the affidavit of probable cause accompanying the charges filed against Scandale, money continued to disappear during two months even after the situation was made public.

Defendants who owed fines and costs told the state police investigator their payment history was not accurately credited, a money order had not been cashed, and transactions were incorrectly voided in August and September of this year.

Although police did not reveal a motive, one sentence of a four-page affidavit of probable cause accompanying the criminal charges filed Thursday against Scandale references five liens placed against him from 2015 to 2019 totaling $64,288.

The largest of these was filed with the prothonotary in 2016 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service for $46,911. The form reports this amount accumulated during tax periods ending Dec. 31, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Scandale, 51, of Canonsburg, would not discuss the charges of theft, failure to make required disposition of funds received, and misapplication of governmental entrusted property as he left his arraignment Thursday, but he has entered a plea of “not guilty.”

His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for next month.

“After the preliminary hearing, formal arraignment typically will be scheduled within four to six weeks,” said Michael J. DeRiso, one of two attorneys representing Scandale.

“At that time, the deadline for motions begins under the rules of criminal procedure and we will formally request discovery,” which is the evidence against Scandale.

President Judge Katherine B. Emery said Thursday that she was attempting to verify if Scandale was barred from entering the courthouse row office.

DeRiso said Friday afternoon, “He lost the election. I can’t imagine he would want to show up there.”

The base salary for row officers in Washington County is $87,815, and DeRiso assumed Scandale would continue to be paid through the end of his four-year term. “He is still innocent until proven guilty,” the attorney said.

“Just because he’s charged with something doesn’t make him ineligible to go to work or collect a paycheck.”

Newly elected officials take their oaths of office on the first Monday in January.

Before the election, the Washington County Republican Party wrote to Gov. Tom Wolf and members of the state Senate asking that Scandale be removed from office. Attorney Lane Turturice, representing Republicans, said he had not received a reply from the governor.