D.A. Zappala Seizes ICA Documents To See If Any Crimes Have Been Committed
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Dozens of boxes were hauled out of the local office of the ICA, or Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority Wednesday, as local detectives executed a series of search warrants issued by Judge David Cashman at the request of Allegheny County District Attorney Steve Zappala.
Also subject to search was the ICA's financial transactions at PNC Bank.
"There's a great deal of money -- you're talking tens of millions of dollars -- that flows through the ICA to the city on an annual basis; so yeah, it's a serious matter," Zappala said on Wednesday at a press conference.
The search comes after the ICA terminated the contract of its sole employee for many years, Henry Sciortino, on reports that Sciortino had failed to maintain proper records of ICA transactions and finances.
Zappala said the potential crimes under investigation include: "tampering with records, misapplication of entrusted property or property of government or financial institutions, unsworn falsification to authorities, tampering with public records or information, obstructing the administration of law, financial interest violation under the Ethics Act."
Zappala said Sciortino failed to list an outstanding judgment on his ethics filings.
"There's a judgment against the executive director, who is the lone employee of the ICA by the way. There was a judgment for $850,000 approximately. You have to list that in your financial statements, and that was never listed," Zappala said.
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KDKA political editor Jon Delano asked the D.A. if Sciortino was the only target.
Delano: "Could this go beyond the executive director, beyond Henry Sciortino, and in some way implicate members of the ICA for failure to do what they should be doing?"
Zappala: "I haven't seen that. Again, I've looked at the legislation, and the responsibility primarily falls on the executive director, but we'll sort through that."
