Weinstein fires back at Lamb, alleging violations in city controller's office

Allegheny County Treasurer John Weinstein, a Democratic candidate for county executive, fired back at one of his opponents after a week of his campaign taking criticism over alleged ethics violations.

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb, also a Democratic county executive candidate, said he was surprised and angered that Weinstein tabled a proposed ethics rule for the county’s retirement board that was meant to increase transparency in board’s members’ decisions. Weinstein is president of the retirement board.

Weinstein on Friday called Lamb the “epitome of hypocrisy,” alleging that one of Lamb’s employees in the controller’s office was violating city code by living outside the city in Washington County’s Peters Township.

City employees must reside in the city, except for police officers and firefighters, according to city law. Weinstein said the employee, Gina DiNardo, worked as an administrative assistant for Lamb and also was employed as a paraprofessional and cafeteria playground monitor in Peters Township.

“This person was actually double dipping,” Weinstein said at a news conference inside the Allegheny County Courthouse in Downtown Pittsburgh. “It took the controller more than a decade and a half to take action on this. How can we trust someone to lead Allegheny County when this city’s fiscal watchdog (Lamb) clearly can’t keep his own house in order.”

Lamb said when he learned about DiNardo working another job in Peters, he dismissed her.

“The public deserves to have a government they can trust,” Lamb said. “When a government employee in my office violated the established rules, they were immediately dismissed.”

Weinstein also claimed that DiNardo was voting at an address in Oakland and is a registered Allegheny County Democratic committee member in the city’s 4th Ward, in Oakland.

He said there are potential voter fraud violations at stake.

Lamb said Weinstein is not taking accountability for some of his recent actions, alluding to Weinstein’s vote to table a proposed ethics rule on the county’s retirement board. He urged all county officials and candidates to sign what he called his pledge of good governance.

Weinstein pushed back on the notion that his news conference was a response to a back-and-forth between him and Lamb. He said he sent the proposed retirement board ethics bill to committee and that “no one said they were against it.”

“The ordinance was written improperly. It went to committee to have the solicitor redraft and rewrite it,” Weinstein said. “And that has nothing to do with perpetrating fraud in (Lamb’s) office.”

Weinstein said the matter needs to be investigated further and is calling for the District Attorney to open a criminal investigation.

At a press conference later in the day Friday, Zappala appeared to be confused about what alleged crime had been committed.

“I don’t know. I’d have to see what’s being alleged,” Zappala said. “But if (Lamb) felt strongly she should be terminated, obviously we’ll take a look at it.”

Weinstein’s press conference comes in the shadow of other county executive candidates — such as former County Councilman Dave Fawcett and state Rep. Sara Innamorato — calling for campaign finance restrictions and gift bans for county employees after allegations have risen against Weinstein, suggesting he participated in backroom deals in order to maintain power and position on the county’s Alcosan board.

Weinstein has denied these allegations and called them “deliberate smear tactics.” On Friday he called these allegations “political innuendo” and a product of Election Day getting closer.

On Friday, he said that Lamb’s campaign is flailing and criticized him for failing to receive significant political endorsements.

“His campaign is on life support. I am not surprised when people do desperate things when it is campaign season,” Weinstein said.

The primary election will be held on May 16.

Paula Reed Ward contributed to this report.