Halcovage impeachment investigation on hold

Mar. 20—Months into the new legislative session, the state House of Representatives' investigation of Schuylkill County Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr. that could lead to his impeachment remains stalled.

The new chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Timothy Briggs, D-149, Montgomery County, has yet to act on having the Subcommittee on Courts restart the proceedings that began last year.

"Although the subcommittee was prepared to complete the Halcovage investigation and report a recommendation to the full committee, it is unable to do so until it is authorized to complete its work," Rep. Paul Schemel, R-90, Franklin County, former subcommittee chair, said in an email last week. "We are over three months into the new session, but this issue will remain unresolved unless and until the leaders of the Democratic majority in the House allow the subcommittee to continue its work."

A call to Briggs' Harrisburg office was not returned Monday. Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton, D-191, Philadelphia/Delaware, announced the majority chairs for the standing committees earlier in March.

Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Twp., and the Schuylkill County Republican Party chairman, expressed displeasure with the status of the process.

Argall said he is "very disappointed" the new House majority may be considering discontinuing the impeachment investigation, especially considering a separate investigation by the Schuylkill County solicitor and human resource office determined they would have recommended firing Commissioner Halcovage if he were an employee.

"The House should proceed with their efforts and decide whether he should be removed from office," Argall said. "I would strongly encourage Chairman Briggs to continue the investigation.

County GOP Party Chairman Howard Merrick said Monday it's time to act to get the process moving again.

"(The) citizens of Schuylkill County and the government need to remove the cloud that hangs over the county," he said.

The House adjourned in late January and reconvened in February, a move prompted by former House Speaker Mark Rozzi, D-126, Berks County.

Halcovage is among the eight Republican nominees for commissioner who will be on the ballot in the May primary. Argall, at a recent county GOP meeting, called polling numbers in response to questions about voting for Halcovage among the worst he's seen.

The process toward impeachment began in May 2021 when state Reps. Jerry Knowles, R-124, Rush Twp., who has since retired, Tim Twardzik, R-123, Butler Twp., and Joe Kerwin, R-125, Lykens, introduced House Resolution 99. It passed the House Judiciary Committee and the full House approved it 200-0 in November 2021.

Twardzik said Monday that he was disappointed the process has not yet started.

"It's a very important issue that we need to proceed with," he said.

His office staff has reached out to Briggs but has not yet received a reply.

On Jan. 11, 2022, the House Committee on Courts voted to consider the resolution, authorizing the subcommittee to act.

Proceedings began in September. On Sept. 19, the subcommittee voted 5-1 to issue a referral to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, citing information "which is of interest of a criminal nature," and voted unanimously to authorize more subpoenas.

At the time, Schemel said the committee believed there was "adequate evidence" to move forward with the investigation.

A representative with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office said in an email March 13 they could not comment on the status of "an ongoing investigation."

Meanwhile, Rep. Michael Zabel, D-163, Delaware County, who had been a member of the subcommittee and was the lone no vote regarding the referral to the AG's Office, said he would resign effective March 16 amid sexual harassment allegations.

If the committee finds Halcovage engaged in "impeachable" conduct, articles of impeachment can be prepared. If he is impeached by the House, the state Senate would conduct a trial, and if two-thirds of the senators vote for conviction, Halcovage would be removed from office. A majority vote — 102 of 203 — is needed in the House; two-thirds of the Senate is 50 members.

The county solicitor and human resources office found in June 2020 that Halcovage violated county policies on sexual harassment, conduct and discipline. District Attorney Michael A. O'Pake referred the case to the Attorney General's Office on July 8, 2020. That office closed the case Feb. 5, 2021, without filing charges. Details were not provided, although a spokesman at the time said the statute of limitations was among the considerations.

Halcovage has denied the accusations.

Halcovage, County Administrator Gary R. Bender, assistant solicitor Glenn Roth and two former human resource directors were sued in federal court in March 2021 by four female employees. The plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in October 2021 alleging retaliation for having filed the suit.

Halcovage's attorney, Gerard Geiger, said he was unable to make a comment Monday.

The employees' attorney, Catherine Smith, whose clients have testified, did not return an email for comment about the impeachment proceedings.

Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023