Nick Varischetti Leads ICA As Feud With Mayor Deepens Over Gaming Funds

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Meet 31-year-old Nick Varischetti.

Unknown to most city residents, he's the Republican Senate-appointed chair of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, or ICA, that wields great clout over city of Pittsburgh finances.

"The tools we have at the ICA are the budget approval process," Varischetti told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Friday.

The five-member board, appointed by legislative leaders and the governor, must sign off on the city budget and also distribute gaming monies owed the city.

"The ICA has exclusive control, written by state statute, to control those funds how we see fit to help the city," says Varischetti.

The city has now sued the ICA, claiming that it is unlawfully withholding $20 million in gaming money from the city.

"This little game they're playing with it could be dangerous to the long-term financial health of the city," argues Mayor Bill Peduto.

Varischetti, a native of Brockway, says the city must follow certain procedures to get the dollars released and that Peduto refuses to meet with him.

"The issues of arguments and debates could all be stopped if the mayor would just sit down, like we're sitting down, Jon. Let's talk. We don't need to waste taxpayers money on frivolous lawsuits to determine who has the power," the ICA chairman says.

Delano: "Do you know Nick Varischetti?"

Peduto: "I know Nick Varischetti through his political activity as a major financial contributor and fundraiser for the Republican party."

Delano: "Have you sat down and met with him?"

Peduto: "We tried to sit down for a year and a half with the ICA."

Peduto says he's given up on the ICA, which he calls a political tool and slush fund for Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg.

"They basically look at people who write big political checks and reward them with contracts in no-bids so that other companies don't even get an opportunity to bid on the work," adds the mayor.

Varischetti says he does consult with Republican senators who appointed him but, he notes, "No one is dictating to me by any means as to what I should do, and that will never happen, but I constantly try to update them on what is going on here in the city."

In the meantime, the feud over gaming revenues is back in court.

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