Lunch-Gate Investigation Underway At Luzerne County Prison
By: Andy Mehalshick
Updated: November 29, 2012
Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County-- An investigation is underway into free lunches given to certain employees at the Luzerne County Prison. County officials received a tip from a source within the prison last week claiming that as much as $300,000 dollars worth of meals were delivered to supervisors and nonunion staffers. County Controller Walter Griffith wants an audit done,he told Eyewitness News, "We have to find out how many meals were given away and to whom. We also have to know how much taxpayer money may have been spent inappropriately." County manager Robert Lawton added, "At this point these are allegations without substantiation. An outside audit will tell us what we need to know. The public has a right to know the truth about what may have taken place there. I have since ordered these meals to be stopped. No more coffee for you..no more bottled water for you..no more meals for you if you are not an inmate at the Luzerne County Prison." Warden Joe Piazza did not return calls for comment but is expected to talk about the probe at a budget hearing next Tuesday December 4th.
