The former chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Mitch Rubin, has been charged with obstruction of justice during the investigation of former State Senator Vincent Fumo of Philadelphia.
According to court documents, Mr. Rubin failed to fully and honestly answer questions when he was interviewed by federal investigators in March 2006 about his personal and professional relationship with Mr. Fumo.
Beginning in 1999, the state Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee (SDAC), which was chaired by Mr. Fumo, entered into a contractual relationship with B&R Professional Services, Inc., which provided court reporting, process servicing, and document services to attorneys. At the time, Mr. Rubin was a 50 percent shareholder in the company.
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The SDAC paid B&R Professional Services $30,000 annually for their services, and renewed the contract four times, with the last extension expiring in September 2004.
Beginning in 2003, federal authorities began a grand jury investigation into Mr. Fumo's use of public money for private investments. As part of that investigation, they attempted to determine if the $30,000 annual contract awarded to B&R Professional Services was a legitimate use of Senate funds for the performance of public business.
That led to the March 2006 interview with Mr. Rubin, where, according to court documents, he attempted to "influence, obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice...by withholding material facts and other information".
If convicted, Mr. Mitchell could face up to ten years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, according to the United State Attorney's Office.
Mitchell Rubin served on the Turnpike Commission beginning in 1998, and was elected chairman of the five-person Commission in February 2003.
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In 2005, Mr. Rubin married Ruth Arnao, a former aide of Mr. Fumo's who was convicted last year in connection to Mr. Fumo's use of public funds.
Mr. Rubin was named in court filings in August 2008, as a "ghost" employee of Mr. Fumo, who was "paid $30,000 per year for five years in return for no work at all."
Mr. Fumo was convicted on 137 counts of corruption in March 2009, concluding a nearly decade-long investigation. He is currently serving a term of 55 months in federal prison. A week after Mr. Fumo's conviction, Governor Ed Rendell fired Mr. Rubin as Turnpike Commission Chairman, saying it was "inappropriate" for him to remain at that post.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Pease and Robert Zimmer are prosecuting the case. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office said they were unavailable for comment.
Eric Boehm is a reporter for the Pennsylvania Independent. He can be reached at Eric@PAIndependent.com
