$10,000 from Allegheny Township sent to Armstrong County fire department
ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — The Allegheny Township Board of Supervisors has opened an investigation into how thousands of dollars from its bank account made it to a fire department across county lines.
The money from Allegheny Township was sent to the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company in Amstrong County last year.
During a meeting on Monday, board chairman Jamie Morabito held up a copy of the check, showing $10,015.67 leaving an Allegheny Township account and going to the fire company on Aug. 13, 2023.
"This money should have never left this township, and it will be returned," said Morabito.
The check was marked for deposit for the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company's Toys for Alle-Kiski Fund. It was signed by supervisor Mike Korns, then supervisor John Rennick Steele and then township manager Greg Primm.
But Morabito said the township board never voted on that check at a public meeting, and township solicitor Craig Alexander says according to state law that's illegal.
"It was handled by two supervisors, one supervisor was left out," said Alexander. "And that is illegal under the second-class township code. All action has to be conducted before a majority vote at a public meeting."
Sources said the money was released to a former Allegheny Township employee who was one of a handful of people in charge of an annual Christmas toy drive that started in 2014.
After the meeting, Korns admitted he may have made a mistake.
KDKA-TV's Jennifer Borrasso: "When you move money from any account, don't you have to make a motion to do that?"
Korns: "If the money wasn't township money, and it was not township money, I don't know that we had to. But if it was township money, yes. But I said I didn't know that when I signed the check. I didn't realize what was going on. But the fact of the matter is it is not township money, so I don't believe there had to be a motion to do that."
Borrasso: "What about disclosing it to the public?"
Korns: "That probably should have been done, just in full disclosure."
Allegheny Township's solicitor plans to ask the fire department to return the money. No one is facing any criminal charges.