Pittston Twp. Supervisor David Slezak needed his home's septic tank emptied.
So, Slezak, who doubles as the northern Luzerne County township’s roadmaster, “routinely” had a fellow employee pump out the tank on township time, the state Ethics Commission charges in a consent order filed last month.
Besides that, over four years, Slezak ordered township employees to build walls in his home’s garage, paint the garage and his home’s first floor, install garage ceiling fans, remove carpet and install tile flooring in the home, repair his pickup truck’s door and fix his backhoe, the order says.
Each time, the employees were on township time, too, according to the commission.
Slezak also submitted timecards for working as roadmaster when he was actually attending supervisor meetings, the commission says.
All that violated the state Ethics Act, which forbids public officials from using an office to benefit themselves.
Slezak, a supervisor since Jan. 2, 2018, and roadmaster since Jan. 4, 2021, was not immediately available for comment. A township clerk said he was unavailable because he was in a meeting.
Slezak agreed to payback
Under the consent order, Slezak admitted the commission’s findings and agreed to repay $6,888. The commission’s investigative division agreed to recommend the commission take no further action and to make no recommendations to law enforcement agencies. But the order warns Slezak the order would be turned over to the state attorney general’s office as a matter of routine.
Attorney general’s office spokesman Brett Hambright declined to comment.
“We cannot confirm existence or non-existence of investigations,” Hambright said in an email.
The order was finalized April 16.
What Slezak did
According to the commission:
- As roadmaster, Slezak oversees the operations of the township's five-person public works department. The township employee handbook says employees may not ask another employee to clock in or out for them and could face discipline if they do. Slezak regularly had a fellow public works employee clock him in and out.
- Between 2022 and 2024, Slezak “routinely directed” a fellow employee to pump out his septic tank, even though the employee is not a licensed septic hauler. This happened about every other month at least twice a year after rain or snow. Each time, it took about an hour, and the employee pumped the sewage onto part of Slezak’s property. The commission valued the employee’s time at $520.
- In 2021, Slezak directed an employee to “frame/construct walls in the garage” at his home. That took about eight hours with the work valued at $183.52.
- In 2022, Slezak and two township employees spent about 16 hours painting the first floor of Slezak’s home. The work was valued at $1,256.96.
- In 2022, two employees spent about four hours installing ceiling fans in Slezak’s garage. The work was valued at $184.
- In September 2022, Slezak and an employee spent about 30 hours removing carpet, preparing the floor and installing a file floor at Slezak’s home. The work was valued at $1,756.80.
- In 2023, Slezak and an employee painted Slezak’s garage while on township time. The employee spent about seven hours there, Slezak about three. The work was valued at $289.40.
- In 2023, between June 14 and 30, all three employees spent about 15 hours sanding, preparing and painting a door for Slezak’s 1999 Ford Ranger pickup truck. They did the job in the township garage. The work was valued at $1,024.65. They bought paint, sealer, a spray gun and other materials at a local hardware store for $323.33, and charged it all to a township account. Because they charged it to the township, they didn’t pay $19.40 in sales tax because governments are tax-exempt.
- In February 2024, Slezak and two employees, using township-owned welder and cutting blades, repaired Slezak’s backhoe in the township garage. The work was valued at $829.98.
In all, the work totaled $6,388.04 in value.
That wasn't all, though.
Between January 2021 and September 2025, Slezak attended special supervisor meetings or executive sessions 32 times without punching out as roadmaster. The hours he got paid as a roadmaster while doing his job as a supervisor were valued at $1,591.48.
Combined with the work done by township employees, Slezak received a total illegal benefit of $7,979.52, the commission said.
The commission said Slezak also did not report his township income or his status as a supervisor on his annual financial interest statements for 2021 and 2022.
He earned $88,407.80 in 2021 and $85,748.68 in 2022.
