First, it was on hold.

Then it was thought to be over.

Now, the Pennsylvania legislature appears ready to resume the investigation into whether Schuylkill County Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr. should be impeached for sexual misconduct.

The House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts last fall gathered evidence and listened to testimony, but ended the legislative session without finishing its task.

As lawmakers got back down to business in January, four of the six subcommittee members were no longer on it, and it seemed the inquiry had run its course.

On Thursday, State Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-123rd District, along with representatives Joanne Stehr, R-107, Hegins; Dane Watro Jr., R-116, Kline Twp.; and Jamie Barton, R-124, East Brunswick Township, introduced a resolution to resume the investigation.

House Resolution 44 would, if approved, authorize the House Judiciary Committee to “designate the Subcommittee on Courts to take testimony, review documents or other materials and interview witnesses for the use of the Judiciary Committee; be authorized and empowered to make recommendations to the Judiciary Committee; send for individuals and papers and subpoena witnesses, documents and other materials under the seal of the subcommittee chairperson; administer oaths to witnesses; take testimony; and prepare and file pleadings and other legal documents.”

Details

On Thursday, Twardzik said the resolution would allow lawmakers to “continue process of investigation.”

“To continue process, we need to get the resolution approved, then appoint a special committee,” he said.

The new committee would build on the foundation of the first one.

“That committee would look at the work that’s been done - and it was an extensive amount of work over the past 18 months - and continue the process.

“It’s been such a slow start, everything’s been a slow slog,” Twardzik said.

Impeachment, the only way to remove an elected official from office, is rare.

Twardzik said legislators need to take the impeachment process slowly and carefully.

The next step after approval would be for state Rep. Tim Briggs, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, to review it, and “hopefully, have a chance to sit down with members of the old committee. So much effort has been put into this,” Twardzik said.

Despite the recent partisan finger-pointing over which party was responsible for the delay in resuming the investigation, Twardzik said “this is not politics; it’s not a Democratic or a Republican issue. It’s a non-partisan issue, a battle to find the truth. The investigation that has been done … they can take a look at that good work” and continue.

“I would hope they’d work off previous committee. That was a lot of time, work and tax dollars,” he said.

It’s too early to estimate a time line of the approval process, Twardzik said.

“People are frustrated with the slow process, but it’s a serious process. We want to make sure the information is truthfully presented.

“It brings us no happiness to have to continue this battle, but we’re responsible to the community, and this is the process it has to go through,” Twardzik said.

Lawmakers’ thoughts

Rep. Paul T. Schemel, R-Franklin County, chaired the original subcommittee.

“I’m glad this process is moving forward, and I look forward to the House Judiciary Committee continuing what it started last session,” he said.

State Sen. David G. Argall, who introduced the original resolution to start the investigation in January 2022, also weighed in.

“I’m grateful that Representatives Twardzik, Barton, Stehr, and Watro reintroduced this resolution. A detailed investigation by the Schuylkill County solicitor and human resource office determined that they would have recommended firing Commissioner Halcovage if he was an employee, so the House should proceed with this effort as soon as possible,” he said.

The beginnings

Four women who work at the courthouse in March 2021 filed a federal sexual harassment lawsuit against Halcovage in U.S. District Court, Scranton.

The women, identified in the suit only as Jane Doe 1,2,3, and 4, accuse him of sexually harassing them since he first took office in 2012.

An addition, filed in October, 2021, alleges some county officials failed to stop the harassment and subsequent retribution against the women, and helped try to cover it up.

Halcovage, who is seeking another term on the board, has denied the accusations.

An investigation in the spring of 2020 by the county Human Resources Department found that Halcovage violated the sexual harassment, conduct and disciplinary action, and the physical and verbal abuse policies.

The report stated that had he been an employee instead of an elected official, he would have been fired for the transgressions.

The matter was sent to the state Office of the Attorney General, which did not file charges.

United States Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson, who is presiding over the suit, has indicated information gathering in the lawsuit would continue into July.