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Feb 21, 2008 11:42 pm US/Eastern
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Former Wecht Asst.: Some Billing 'Troubled' Her
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Testimony continued today in the corruption trial of former Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht.
One of Dr. Wecht's former administrative assistants testified that some of the bills Dr. Wecht submitted for his private work troubled her.
Eileen Young has been on the stand for four days and testified about private work on county time and today the prosecution pointed out that some of Wecht's smaller charges to surrounding counties were for mileage, not for his private car, but for rather a county car.
Young testified that there were occasions when Wecht charged district attorneys or coroners from nearby counties who had contracted privately with him. For example, he charged 36 cents per mile when in fact, he drove to that county in an Allegheny County-owned car, using county gas, according to the prosecution.
Young told the prosecutor she was concerned with the billing.
"I asked, 'Why if you are driving a county car, are you billing for mileage?' He said, 'A lot of things that are incidentals don't get charged, I just choose to do it this way,' " Young testified.
Young also testified that his explanation satisfied her and during opening statements the defense said that regional county officials, who were billed that way, did not complain.
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