An unexpected ethical breach has surfaced in Madison Township, Pennsylvania, where a former township supervisor, Andrew Nazarenko, is facing scrutiny for his actions involving township funds. The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission concluded that Nazarenko used his position to channel benefits to his family, specifically through a window purchase deal.
According to the commission’s findings, Nazarenko, who is no longer serving as a supervisor after losing his re-election bid, signed a consent agreement acknowledging his breach of the state Ethics Act. This act prohibits public officials from utilizing their roles for personal or familial gain and mandates the filing of accurate financial interest statements.
The consent agreement, finalized on April 16, resulted in a $750 fine for Nazarenko. The commission’s decision was publicly released on Wednesday, although attempts to contact Nazarenko for comments were unsuccessful.
Details of the Consent Agreement
The investigation revealed that Madison Township had $279,310 available in coronavirus relief funds. During a December 2022 work session, township supervisors discussed potential uses for these funds, and Nazarenko proposed the idea of replacing windows in the municipal building.
Nazarenko’s subsequent actions included engaging with his daughter, employed by Pella Windows, and initiating contact with a manager at Pella to submit a bid for the project. Evidence of his involvement was found in an email chain where Nazarenko forwarded communication from the Pella manager to other supervisors.
In March 2023, the township supervisors decided to solicit bids for the window and door replacement project. However, the agreement noted, “Nazarenko did not contact other window retailers for additional quotes.” As a result, Pella Windows was the sole bidder, with a proposal of $161,919.99.
Prior to the approval of Pella’s bid, an incident occurred where Nazarenko allegedly stated, “I have to shred this now,” before discarding an email evidencing his involvement with his daughter’s company. Despite this, in the following month, the supervisors, including Nazarenko, voted unanimously to accept Pella’s bid. The project cost later increased to $174,009.99 after a change order was approved by the board in March 2024.
The report states, “Nazarenko admitted to commission investigators that he should have abstained from these board actions.” It was noted that Nazarenko was aware of the abstention requirement, as he had abstained from similar potential conflicts in the past.
Under the terms of the consent order, the commission’s investigative division agreed to recommend that no further action be taken and no recommendations be made to law enforcement agencies. However, the order also indicated that the matter would be forwarded to the state attorney general’s office as part of standard procedure. The attorney general’s office did not provide any comments on the investigation.
