Rift between Vicites, Cavanagh grows wider
The simmering rift between Fayette County Commissioners Vincent A. Vicites and Sean M. Cavanagh grew wider Thursday, with Vicites restating his belief that Cavanagh is “working closely” with Democrat Party Chairman Fred L. Lebder – a claim that Cavanagh derided. Cavanagh said that for the second straight meeting, Vicites and his political associate Joseph Malaspina publicly tried to link him to Lebder, the former commission chairman and one-time Vicites ally.
Vicites left no wiggle room about his position, plainly stating: “You are working closely with Fred. There’s no doubt about it … I just said that I think you’re working with him, which I believe is true.”
Cavanagh wasted no time counter-attacking, calling Vicites’ assessment “inaccurate” and noting that he didn’t start the mudslinging.
“Your problem is, you’re the one who wants to be the next Fred Lebder,” Cavanagh told Vicites. “Just for the record, you and your boy (Malaspina) cast the first stone … You said at the last meeting that I’m Fred Lebder’s boy, which is a joke. I ain’t nobody’s boy but (my mother) Michelle Cavanagh’s.”
Cavanagh continued distancing himself from Lebder and, in the process, Vicites, baring personal thoughts that his fellow commissioner’s carefully cultivated “squeaky-clean” image belies a cutthroat political nature.
“Your war with Fred Lebder is not my war,” Cavanagh told Vicites. “I don’t fear an 82-year-old man (Lebder). I really think you’re trying to provoke me, so I will bounce you as chairman. (But) if I bounce you, it ain’t going to be because of an 82-year-old man. It’s going to be (because of) you.”
Professing exasperation at the turn of events and proclaiming himself as uninterested in political jockeying on public time, Commissioner Ronald M. Nehls thrice tried to get the meeting adjourned, to the point of getting up out of his chair and appearing ready to leave the room.
“Gentlemen, I have no interest in this. I thank you all for your attendance,” Nehls said to the audience at one juncture. Vicites prompted another Nehls response when he slid his gavel toward Cavanagh and said, “If you want to be the chairman of the board of commissioners, go ahead. Take me out,”
Nehls said that he thought he was elected to attend business meetings and added, “If I’m wrong about that, then take me out as a commissioner.”
Cavanagh also defended audience member Jeraldine T. “Jerry” Mazza against Malaspina’s charge that she is “another one of Fred Lebder’s people.” For the second consecutive meeting, Mazza asked Vicites to remove his appointee Malaspina from the county’s voter integrity panel on which she serves.
Mazza said that Malaspina, a Democrat committeeman in the Washington 2 precinct, had improperly circulated nominating petitions for committee people in two other township precincts. Noting that she thinks Malaspina’s signature on those court-nullified petitions amounts to “perjury,” Mazza said he should be removed from the fraud-fighting group of volunteers.
Defending himself during his turn at public comment, Malaspina said he thinks Mazza is “confused” and noted that she should be careful in making assertions because no criminal charges have been filed against him.
“I want to know what law school Mrs. Mazza went to,” said Malaspina. “The only reason you’re getting up here (to talk), Mrs. Mazza, is you’re another one of Fred Lebder’s people.” He also urged Cavanagh to “tell the truth” ostensibly a reference to his status with Lebder.
Cavanagh defended Jerry Mazza and her husband Ralph, who also regularly attends commission meetings.
“I will tell you this: they are not Fred Lebder’s people,” said Cavanagh. “They’re two of the people who are responsible for exposing voter fraud in this county. She’s one of the people who have made Fayette County a better place. She’s been coming to commissioner meetings long before you ever started coming to meetings”
Cavanagh also said that while he’s not as prolific of a speaker at state Rep. H. William DeWeese (D-Waynesburg), he has proven his independence and effectiveness with a “corruption-busting” track record that targeted the Fayette County Housing Authority and widespread voter fraud in the county.
“I’m the guy who, when he sees something wrong, smokes it out,” said Cavanagh.
Vicites said he thinks Malaspina is a “good man” who made an honest mistake, and noted that Cavanagh and Nehls can remove him from the voter panel any time they want, as the majority rules. Nehls said he would consider doing that if other members of the panel feel it’s warranted.
When the discussion turned to the status of county employee Thomas L. Williams, whom Cavanagh said does not appear to have the college degree he stated on his resume, Vicites said he’s only known Williams for five years and that Nehls has known him “a lot longer.”
Nehls said he’s known Williams for “about six years,” and when the discourse between Vicites and Cavanagh drifted into Williams’ fate and conjecture about lawsuits, Nehls said, “Why do I have to sit here? I really don’t think I get paid for it.”
All that took place before county Controller Mark Roberts entered the meeting room. Roberts, who had waited in the hallway until the public comment period at the end of the meeting, assailed Cavanagh for comments the commissioner had earlier made regarding a memorandum Roberts authored.
That memo dealt with a warning about a $750,000 deficit in county transportation funds. “All I did was send a memo. It’s not my fault that it was publicized,” said Roberts, who added that Cavanagh and Human Services director Michelle Shumar have “known about this matter for some time.”
Shumar said Tuesday that her office projects that $800,000 in state reimbursements will come in to the county on a delayed basis, which is how the transportation programs are set up.
Roberts said he would keep his comments within the allotted two minutes, but would leave the room if Cavanagh went over that same limit in his response. He also noted that he would not stick around for any “incessant rambling” from Cavanagh.
Cavanagh told Roberts that he doesn’t like his style and “it’s no secret that the Cavanaghs and the Robertses don’t like each other.” Cavanagh said that Roberts had hurt himself with his most recent memo, as well as prior inaccurate statements he’s made as controller.
“I don’t like working with somebody like you. I don’t think you have ethics,” Cavanagh told Roberts.