On Monday morning, former Schuylkill County Commissioner George Halcovage turned over several electronics that were County property.
The process was completed this morning and done “amicably,” according to Commissioners Chairman Larry Padora.
Among the items returned to County possession were a:
- Police radio and charger
- Cell phone and charger
- Mobile hotspot and charger
Padora tells The Canary that he put a plan in place on Jan. 2 to retrieve these items from Halcovage. The plan was made known to his fellow Commissioners, Boots Hetherington and Gary Hess, as well as County Administrator Gary Bender.
Service on these devices was stopped on or shortly after Jan. 2.
The County gave Halcovage a deadline of today, Jan. 22, to turn in the property after he reportedly told County officials to go through his attorney to get the property returned.
“George has lawyers. We have lawyers. You’ve got to make sure you’re doing it in the proper way. He had a representative turn it in today at the Courthouse,” Padora tells The Canary.
Before the end of his term in 2023, County officials barred Halcovage from entering the Courthouse in Pottsville after reports surfaced of an “incident” involving the former Commissioner.
We later learned the lawyer representing 4 Jane Doe plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against Halcovage for sexual harassment had retained another alleged victim. It can’t yet be confirmed if that “incident” and this new client are connected.
Some public outcry was made to get Halcovage to turn in the police radio, specifically, to which Padora says the Commissioners had plan in place since the new term started.
“There was a plan in place all along,” he says. “I want our equipment back. You’ve got to follow a procedure whenever a lawyer is involved. That’s pretty much it.”
Property photo: Submitted by Larry Padora
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Cheryl
January 22, 2024 at 4:10 pm
What’s all the tape on some of the equipment (if this is a photo of the items returned by Halcovage’s representative)? Were memory cards etc…removed? hmm….We are still not finished with all of Halcovage’s mess and the cost to Schuylkill County taxpayers.
Val
January 22, 2024 at 7:02 pm
Wow! Are those three things that a county commissioner usually provided with when he/she starts the job? Looks like a pile of garbage, what’s that creepy thing on the left with Scotch tape all over it? My favorite is “police radio and charger”! I guess from now on, if Halcovage tries to penetrate the courthouse after hours, Commissioner Hess can immediately call police from his own police radio that is timely charged:-))))