Politics & Government

Turnpike Chief got new $40K Vehicle one Week Before Tolls Increased

Pa. Turnpike commission chairman William Lieberman got a brand new Jeep Cherokee last month at a cost of about $40,000.

By Eric Boehm | PA Independent

HARRISBURG – Next time you stop to pay a toll on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, remember how those dollars are being spent.

Following on the heels of an audit report revealing that the Turnpike Commission purchased new vehicles for the members of the five member panel that governs the agency, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday that commission chairman William Lieberman got a brand new Jeep Cherokee last month at a cost of about $40,000.

Find out what's happening in Levittownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He was given the new car exactly nine days before the turnpike increased tolls on motorists for the fifth consecutive year.

Here’s what the Inky’s Paul Nussbaum uncovered:

Find out what's happening in Levittownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Lieberman, a Pittsburgh insurance executive, received the 2013 Grand Cherokee on Dec. 28 to replace a 2012 Grand Cherokee that he had received a year earlier. That one cost turnpike users $38,448.

The year-old Cherokee was handed down to fellow Commissioner Pasquale “Pat” Deon, a Bucks County restaurateur and beer distributor (and SEPTA board chairman), to replace his turnpike-issued 2008 Dodge Magnum…

…A free car, for personal as well as official use, is a perk of being one of four turnpike commissioners, along with a $26,000 salary ($28,500 for Lieberman as chairman), a no-limit expense account, and a free pass on all tolls…

…By contrast, the commissioners of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority get no free cars, no salaries, no free passes for tolls, and no reimbursement for using their own vehicles, NJTA spokesman Thomas Feeney said.

Contact Boehm at Eric@PAIndependent.com and follow @PAIndependent on Twitter.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here