DEP Secretary E. Christopher Abruzzo and DEP Deputy Chief Council Glenn Parno resigned Thursday as a result of what is being referred to as the Porngate scandal.
From the Office of the Governor 7:25pm.
Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett today issued the following statement regarding personnel developments resulting from the distribution of inappropriate emails by former Office of Attorney General staff:
“On Thursday, September 25, my administration requested a full and complete accounting of email transactions associated with the distribution and transmittal of inappropriate content using government resources and between individuals within and outside the Office of Attorney General between 2008 and 2012. This afternoon, information concerning Chris Abruzzo, Glenn Parno and Frank Noonan was received. Information concerning Randy Feathers was not provided and is expected to be provided in the coming days.
“Earlier today, I accepted the resignation of Chris Abruzzo. This evening, I accepted the resignation of DEP Deputy Chief Counsel Glenn Parno, effective immediately.
“Information received regarding State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan’s account indicates that he did not participate in opening, originating, forwarding or replying to any message. It is important that Commissioner Noonan remain focused on the critical public safety mission he is leading in the manhunt for Eric Frein and that there is no disruption in the work underway in this case.
“As I have said, I do not condone or tolerate comments or behavior degrading to individuals, written or otherwise. This type of activity does not belong in the workplace and I find it inexcusable.
“I call upon the Attorney General to release to the public, in a complete and unbiased manner, all of the information on all individuals associated with this issue. Such action is in the best interest of the public and will serve to regain trust in those who work in public service.”
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The first casualty of the Porn-Email scandal referred to as Porngate.
As released by the Office of the Governor 1:28pm October 2, 2014.
Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett today accepted the resignation of DEP Secretary E. Christopher Abruzzo, effective immediately. Secretary Abruzzo made his decision based on the best interest of the important mission of the Department of Environmental Protection.
“I thank Chris for his dedicated service to the people of Pennsylvania,” Gov. Corbett said. “Our environment and natural resources are better protected today due to his leadership, as well as the hard work of the men and women of DEP.”
Dana Aunkst, Executive Deputy Secretary for Programs, has been designated as Acting Secretary. Aunkst is a 22-year veteran of the department and a resident of Cumberland County.
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Archive video Senate Appropriations Committee February 18, 2014.
From left to right.
Deputy Secretary Jeff Logan.
Secretary Chris Abruzzo.
Dana Aunkst, Designated Acting Secretary as of October 2, 2014.
Most regulation and legislation happens after an event.
As long as I was going to be at DEP.
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Archive video June 23, 2014.
Attorney General Kathleen Kane and Special Deputy Attorney General H. Geoffrey Moulton discussing emails recovered during the investigation of Gerald Sandusky.
A true computer forensic genius.
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Published Friday September 26, 2014.
On Thursday several capitol reporters met with employees of the Attorney General's office and were shown selected emails containing pornographic images shared on state computers.
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The TRIB LIVE News
Attorney General Kathleen Kane's office would not release the email attachments but allowed reporters to view them after the Tribune-Review and other newspapers appealed her denial of open records requests.
Kane, a Democrat in office since 2013, selected emails from 2008 to 2012 shared on state computers in the office. As two officials stood watch, a technician displayed the images on a laptop, identifying each as being received by certain officials.
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The Philadelphia Inquirer.
At least eight prominent state officials - including the head of the state police, Pennsylvania's top environmental regulator, and a former spokesman for Gov. Corbett - were among commonwealth employees who sent or received hundreds of sexually explicit photos, videos, and messages from state e-mail accounts between 2008 and 2012, according to documents made available Thursday by the state Attorney General's Office.
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The agent clicked through Powerpoint slideshows depicting nude women and said they had been found in the accounts of former Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley, former deputy attorney general Patrick Blessington and former executive deputy attorney general Richard Sheetz.
The agent then played videos showing adult women, and sometimes men, engaged in various sexual acts. These, he said, had been found in the email accounts of Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Christopher Abruzzo, State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan, former Secretary of Legislative Affairs Christopher Carusone, state Board of Probation and Parole member Randy Feathers and former environmental prosecutor Glenn Parno.