Charges over Allegheny Township toy drive money dropped, but supervisors remain divided over what happened

Summary charges were dropped against an Allegheny Township supervisor, a former supervisor and the former manager of the township stemming from a $10,000 check they signed last year for a Christmas toy drive.

The charges, filed in August against Supervisor Michael Korns, former Supervisor John Rennick Steele and former township Manager Gregory Primm, accused them of violating the state’s second-class township code.

But they were dropped Thursday, Sept. 26, at the request of township Solicitor Craig Alexander.

Officials should not have released the toy drive money without a vote, Alexander previously told TribLive. He didn’t respond to messages seeking comment Monday about why the charges were withdrawn.

Korns called the charges bizarre and illegal and told TribLive he is weighing whether to pursue legal action of his own. Primm and Steele said they’d like their legal costs covered.

Before the charges were dropped, the men were set to appear in court Wednesday.

“People lied here,” Korns said. “I would love to find out who conspired to do this. … I have 45, 50 years of putting together a reputation at two different employers and now as a supervisor, and whether it’s determined actionable or not, I feel I’ve been defamed.”

Steele said he’s ready to put this situation behind him.

“I am certainly relieved that Allegheny Township came to understand that nothing was done improper here. I am dismayed that my 36-year reputation in my field was under scrutiny,” Primm said. “I have worked hard to always do what was in any community I have worked for their best interest which first and foremost requires me doing my job with integrity and under legal guidelines.”

Primm left his job as the township’s manager in 2023 for a similar post in Lower Burrell.

In August, a series of vague citations were filed by Brenda Troup, a contracted code enforcement and zoning officer, that accused the men of removal of funds.

It’s unclear why Troup issued the citations — a task typically reserved for law enforcement. Requests for comment from Troup and Allegheny Township police Chief Dan Uncapher went unanswered Monday.

Multiple sources have confirmed these citations were related to a $10,000 check signed by Korns, Steele and Primm in August 2023 and given to the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company. Supervisors never voted to move the money.

Korns also was cited for borrowing a stack of hearing transcripts and removing a TribLive article posted to a bulletin board in the township’s administrative building. He admitted to both acts, but insisted they weren’t illegal.

Supervisors Jamie Morabito and Jeff Pollick voted in June to investigate the $10,000 donation to the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company. Korns voted against it.

Morabito said he remains convinced the check constituted a violation of the second class township code, and wants to get to the bottom of it.

Pollick said it’s time to move forward, but he said he remains troubled by how Korns, Steele and Primm handled the money.

“The money went precisely where it belonged and that was with the toy drive where all the donations were designated,” Primm said. “It was never township money. We held it in our escrow account for the Toy Drive.”

Related:

• Allegheny Township supervisor, 2 former officials face charges over toy drive money
• New Allegheny Township manager to start in July
• Allegheny Township enacts information policy after alleged removal of newspaper article from bulletin board
• $10K in toy drive money prompts investigation in Allegheny Township

Leechburg firefighters still have the $10,000, which was collected through donations from the Kiski Area School District as well as local business, service organizations and residents.

The school district has since withdrawn from Toys for Alle-Kiski Kids to start its own program, Toys for Cavs.

The fire company’s board of directors will make a recommendation Tuesday night on when and how to distribute the funds.