Treasurer of political committee with ties to Pittsburgh’s Democratic mayoral nominee charged

PITTSBURGH — The treasurer of a political action committee with ties to Pittsburgh’s Democratic mayoral nominee is facing a campaign finance charge.

Leeretta Payne is accused of failing to document $60,000 in campaign contributions to the political action committee African Americans for Good Government.

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Allegations surfaced earlier this year about thousands of dollars in undocumented contributions and spending.

During the past five years, the PAC received contributions from Democratic mayoral nominee Ed Gainey’s political committee.

Channel 11′s Rick Earle interviewed Gainey after he won the Democratic nomination. He said at the time he had nothing to do with the PAC.

Court documents list the PAC’s headquarters at the same address as Payne’s home.

Gainey is not facing any charges. Ed Gainey’s campaign released a statement to Channel 11 following the announcement:

“We were not aware of these charges until receiving your email and have not seen the details of the allegations, so we aren’t able to comment on the charges at this time. Like many other elected officials, Rep. Gainey supported the efforts of African Americans for Good Government to increase Black voter turnout in our region, but he was never an officer of the PAC and has never played any role in it’s bookkeeping or campaign finance filings,” the statement read.

Payne is charged with a misdemeanor.

Channel 11 sits down with Ed Gainey, poised to become first Black Mayor of Pittsburgh