Kulick testifies he met with Conahan, D'Elia

By Dave Janoski, Projects Editor
Published: July 1, 2009

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Conahan

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Sharkey

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D'Elia



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Robert J. Kulick testified for nearly two hours today about meetings he held with former Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Conahan at a hearing over allegations that Conahan engaged in case fixing in a defamation verdict against The Citizens' Voice.

Kulick testified that he and crime boss William D'Elia held numerous meetings with Conahan and that D'Elia claimed Conahan had assured him that the outcome of the defamation case would be postiive for the plaintiff, who was an associate of D'Elia.

Kulick claimed he had met several times with Conahan to ask him to intervene in several court cases involving friends of Kulick.

Kulick said that several of his meetings with Conahan, which often took place at Perkins restaurant in Wilkes-Barre, were photographered by an undercover state police trooper.

Waitresses who work at that restaurant are expected to testify later today that they witnessed meetings there between Conahan and D'Elia.

Earlier today, D’Elia has invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify about allegations that he conspired with two former Luzerne County judges to rig a $3.5 million defamation verdict against The Citizens’ Voice, attorneys in the case said today.

D’Elia, who is serving nine years in federal prison for money laundering and witness tampering, was transported to Lehigh County to testify at this morning’s hearing on the newspaper’s bid for a new trial in the case. But he invoked his right against self-incrimination through a letter from his lawyer, attorneys said.

Also taking the Fifth in writing were Conahan and former county court administrator William T. Sharkey Sr.
The newspaper’s attorneys claim Conahan helped fix the defamation verdict in a suit filed by a friend of D’Elia’s, Mountain Top businessman Thomas A. Joseph. Conahan intervened with Sharkey to assign  the case to Mark A. Ciavarella Jr., another former judge who is Conahan's co-defendant in a kickbacks  case, the attorneys claim.
Joseph sued The Citizens’ Voice over its coverage of 2001 federal raids at properties owned by D’Elia and Joseph. Ciavarella awarded him $3.5 million following a non-jury trial in 2006.
The state Supreme Court named Lehigh County President Judge William H. Platt to hold a hearing on the newspaper’s claims, which began today.
In court this morning, Platt heard testimony from Patricia Benzi, a security guard at the Luzerne County Courthouse who said she delivered envelopes from D’Elia to Conahan at the courthouse 10 to 20 times from 2003 through 2006, when D’Elia began his prison term.
Benzi, of Kingston, said she never opened the unmarked envelopes, which were taped shut.
Benzi also testified she attended a December 2005 party hosted by D’Elia associate Robert J. Kulick that was also attended by Conahan, D’Elia and Ciavarella.
Kulick is expected to testify later today that he, D’Elia and Conahan met regularly to discuss pending court cases and that D’Elia claimed he had been assured  by Conahan that Joseph would get a “positive” outcome in the defamation trial.
Conahan and Ciavarella have pleaded guilty to accepting kickbacks in a separate case and face 87 months in prison.
Benzi said she met D’Elia and Kulick through her estranged husband, a builder who performed several jobs for the two men.
Under cross-examination, Joseph’s attorney presented Benzi with a list of invitees to the 2005 party at Kulick’s   that contained the names of other county judges. Benzi testified that Conahan and Ciavarella were the only judges she saw at the party.

Check back to www.citizensvoice.com for updates throughout the day.

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24 posted comments

ALL I CAN SAY IS GO FEDS!!!!!!!!! YOU MAY TAKE A BOW.
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RAM7,  09/15/09 09:18
I hope they can still be around for Christmas! That was a dilly of a party.
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Judge Smails,  08/31/09 04:02
The Citizens Voice is very biased in their news coverage of this case and it is not worth reading. Bad reporting. Bad coverage.
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Danny K.,  07/04/09 06:45
this will never end. Ciavarella still has family members and cronies in the courthouse who preach his innocence, after the guilty plea and all. This is how history repeats itself, over and over.
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Mark,  07/02/09 07:02
Conahan and Ciavarella, what an embarrassment. I'm sure there will be more to come in the near future because of these two crooks. How many other defendants were cleared because of pay-offs.
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Rich,  07/02/09 10:28
Who were the other county judges ???
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Joe,  07/02/09 06:28
Former coal cracker:
"This stuff is unbelievable, I am ashamed to tell people that I was born and raised in Hazleton.
------------------------------------
Regardless of how unbelievable it is, you should be ashamed to tell people you were born in Hazleton!
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BB,  07/02/09 12:53
Gatekeeper You know who the real Godfather is dont You????
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lonegunmen,  07/01/09 10:44
This smells like Louie De Naples...all over again
As long as Rendell is in office no democrap has to worry.
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Gatekeeper,  07/01/09 10:18
sharkey and Big billy have more chins than a chinese phonebook and sharkey's hat is about two sizes too small for his big head. these guys are a joke.
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lonegunmen,  07/01/09 05:29
Hey yo if this keeps on going we can make a movie out of this. The commisioners should put a patent on this so the County can get up more money to steal. THE NEW UNTOUCHABLES.
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bob,  07/01/09 05:25
If Walter was elected, this would not be happening. This is very BAD business practices. This nonsense must stop. We need all the Invoices.
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Mark Mon.,  07/01/09 04:14
The judges plead the 5th because they werent offered any deals by the prosecution. They should have gotten 20 years in Jail. This whole crew are a bunch of coward, crooks. D'Elia is your typical wannabe mafioso guy. If you get caught, just rat, backstab, or try to kill your friends.

Hey Kids, this is what happens to you if you join the Mafia!! Is it worth it!

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Frankie Pav's,  07/01/09 04:01
How is it that these people are still allowed to have freedoms that people of lesser crimes and lesser money values have been put in jail sooner and longer? Who else is on the take here? Are the likes of these scum Ciavarella, Conahan, Powell, allowed to keep their law licenses?
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ScottG,  07/01/09 03:24
Mike, Mark and Walter agree that this should not be allowed. I know all three men and have run with Billy a few times
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Mark M.,  07/01/09 03:23
I thought Conahan's plea agreement required him to cooperate with law enforcement. I know this is a civil case but it sure seems to me like some laws were broken. Taking the fifth should not be an option if Conahan was "cut a deal". Word on the street is that the odds of Conahan ever going to jail now stand at 50/50. Someone should check with Louie and get an update.
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Larry,  07/01/09 03:17
Sharley needs a bigger hat (or a smaller head)! This stuff is unbelievable, I am ashamed to tell people that I was born and raised in Hazleton.
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Former coal cracker,  07/01/09 03:14
Once it's more than a few people involved, it's conspiracy and racketeering... RICO. More charges helps to lean on them and catch all the rats. Keep casting out the net, keep leaning on them to turn in more and more people... Let's end this culture of corruption.
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Jeff,  07/01/09 03:13
For the millionth time....WHY are these scum still walking around free? Maybe the Feds should be investigating the sentencing judge, HE's the one giving them time. Your average citizen would have been cuffed and shackled the minute the words "Guilty" were spoken.
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Sam,  07/01/09 03:08
I do not know why they are not charged with RICO
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lou,  07/01/09 03:04
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