Ethical Questions Surround Shimkus
By Scott Schaffer

A state lawmaker won't answer questions from the News Station about some serious questions regarding his honesty and ethics.

With the bonus-gate scandal still fresh in Harrisburg, the last thing any lawmaker needs these days are accusations of lies, or improper use of state tax dollars but those are exactly the questions hanging over the head of Democratic State Representative Frank Shimkus.

State Representative Frank
Shimkus refuses to comment
on allegations he either lied
under oath or pocketed nearly
$1,000 in taxpayer-funded per
diems.

It's not the first time Shimkus' honesty has been questioned.

Commonwealth court threw him off the Democratic ballot in the spring primary, ruling a mistake on his nominating petitions was, "not an honest mistake or an unintentional one, but one made with care and thought, with the intent to deceive the public."

Now Shimkus is on the Republican ballot for reelection, and new questions are raised by his opponent, Democrat Kevin Murphy, questions that Frank Shimkus refuses to answer.

The Murphy campaign alleges Shimkus either lied under oath or improperly pocketed nearly $1,000 in taxpayer-funded per diems.

Per diems are bonuses of $152 that state lawmakers can collect for days when they're at work in Harrisburg.

According to the state, Shimkus, in one term, has collected more than $35,000 in per diems tax free, on top of his salary and benefits.

The questions come about after a commonwealth court case before the spring primary. Shimkus lost that case and his name was thrown off the Democratic ballot however his testimony in court remains a matter of public record.

Shimkus testified under oath that on December 16 or 17, 2007, he fell down the steps while shoveling snow at the church in west Scranton where he serves as a part-time pastor.

He told the court the fall wrecked his knee and smashed his head. He testified doctors placed him on crutches and told him no driving.

That's what he said under oath.

State records show Shimkus was driving, because he crashed his state- issued vehicle along I-81 on December 21, just days after his alleged fall.

He didn't tell the court about the accident. Rather, he testified that roughly a week after his first fall, around December 24, 2007, he fell again, this time at his home in Throop.

That fall, he told the judge, aggravated his injuries from the first fall, gave him a second concussion and required a four-day stay in the hospital.

Again state documents seem to contradict the sworn testimony.

Expense records show that the same time he said he was badly hurt and hospitalized, Shimkus was healthy enough to make it to Harrisburg and collect two per diems, on December 26 and 27, 2007.

In court, Shimkus testified the two falls left him so disoriented he had to live with his fiance for five or six weeks, essentially all of January, 2008, because he required care.

Expense records show during this time period, Shimkus was again well enough to get to Harrisburg and collect four more per diems. On January 3, 4, 9 and 13, even though the House was not in session.

Newswatch 16 tried numerous times to reach Shimkus for an explanation.
Norm Jones finally caught up with him at the capitol and asked him about the Murphy report.

"I have no comment on that at all," Shimkus responded.

Jones continued the questioning by asking, "Just the fact that he's insinuating that you're either taking taxpayer dollars on the per diems or, you know, perjuring yourself in front of the court."

"I have no comment. I haven't seen what he said," Shimkus answered.

When asked if he would make a statement about the comments in the report, Shimkus said, "I will not." When Jones asked why, Shimkus said, "He's turning this into a media circus and I'm gonna have nothing to do with it."

Shimkus never produced any medical records in court to back up his testimony about the falls and the hospital stay.

He also never appealed the commonwealth court decision so its findings are considered law.