PITTSBURGH — One day after Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala made his first public comments about an investigation into the administration of former Mayor Ed Gainey, current Mayor Corey O’Connor is reacting to some of the new information.
On Wednesday, the District Attorney, when questioned about the investigation, actually referenced O’Connor.
“When Mayor Corey O’Connor began looking at his budget, he found several other sources that the accounting just didn’t make sense,” said Zappala on Wednesday afternoon.
11 Investigates Chief Investigator Rick Earle asked O’Connor on Thursday about the DA’s remarks.
“I think he’s using a comment when we were just generally talking about the budget, nothing specific to that extent, so you know, we said we saw some budgetary gaps,” said O’Connor.
At a news conference on Wednesday on a different subject, Earle asked Zappala about the ongoing investigation.
Zappala confirmed that he’s looking at $335 million in COVID-19 relief funds, no-bid contracts and taxpayer money allocated for at-risk youth programs that never made it to the youth.
Earle asked O’Connor if he knew what the DA was talking about.
“I don’t know what he’s referring to with that. For us, it’s when you get a warrant, you follow the law. We pass over information, and that’s what we did,” said O’Connor.
Zappala served a sealed search warrant on City Hall last month requesting dozens of contracts and specific records.
The DA also acknowledged on Wednesday that the FBI is looking at this as well.
Earle: Have you spoken with them? Have they been to your office? Have you talked to anybody with the FBI?
O’Connor: I wouldn’t know. Obviously, we worked with them for the (NFL) draft. If somebody’s looking for specifics, we have not gotten a warrant on that, but again, whatever form of government comes to our office and asks for information, we are going to cooperate.
The FBI had declined comment.
11 Investigates does not know any more specifics about the DA’s investigation, because the search warrant remains sealed for another 30 days.
Zappala said he sealed it because he doesn’t want to tip off any potential targets of the investigation and he doesn’t want to embarrass anyone included in the affidavit who may not be charged.
Former Mayor Gainey has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said he welcomes the investigation and has nothing to hide.
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