Letter to the editor: Dishonest Westmoreland County leadership

A year ago, Westmoreland County Republican Committee Chair Bill Bretz held an unauthorized endorsement meeting to not allow residents to choose their commissioner in the primary. I called out county Commissioner Doug Chew four times at the meeting as dishonest. Bretz proceeded to sue me and candidate Paul Kosko three times all the way to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and lost three times. The committee members then handed out endorsed slate cards, but many of them told voters, “These are all your Republicans on one card making it easy to vote.” They lied and deceived the voters. Bretz should be voted out as chair, but he and his “gang” control the proxy votes.

When I started my investigation on Chew in March 2023, he responded by filing three amended financials in March, May and June disclosing 58 donations for $21,195 he received between nine and 42 months earlier. He has never reported Pennsylvania GOP in-kind contributions for mailers, polls and slate cards at the polls valued around $45,000. He also lists two unpaid debts for $16,180 as “items not yet invoiced but ordered, estimated price.” What does that mean?

Did Chew ever donate the 60% of his salary that he promised? The answer is no! Is it any wonder that they have mismanaged the county? You get what the WCRC gives you, like a 32.5% property tax increase that they surely knew before the election was coming due.

John Ventre

Hempfield