Spotlight PA and LNP first submitted a request for legal records in January 2022, when Wolf was governor. The request was filed with the Office of General Counsel, which often handles legal matters specific to the governor’s office and state agencies. The news organizations asked for invoices and other financial documents for spending on outside law firms from 2019 through 2021.
In response, the general counsel’s office provided copies of 45 invoices submitted by six outside firms that totaled $367,538.
But in every invoice, officials redacted the subject line, making it impossible to understand why they were spending taxpayer money. They also blacked out portions of the invoices describing the work conducted by the private lawyers.
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In hiding those critical details, the general counsel’s office argued the information was exempt from disclosure due to, among other things, attorney-client privilege. During oral argument before Commonwealth Court last September, the office also asserted that two of the legal invoices sought by the news organizations included details that would “reveal the institution, progress, or result of investigations.”
One of its lawyers also suggested the two invoices were “protected by an order of the court,” according to the ruling, and urged Commonwealth Court to review them privately.
Leadbetter said the court had done so, and concluded the redacted information did not meet the threshold of revealing the progress or result of an investigation. She also noted that there was no evidence of a court order prohibiting its release.
The senior judge also revealed details about the subject lines in the two invoices. One law firm represented witnesses in two separate grand jury investigations — one run by the state, the other by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Pennsylvania’s Middle District — as well as an investigation by the State Ethics Commission.
The ruling does not provide any further detail.
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Leadbetter directed that those subject lines be unredacted. She also directed the Office of Open Records, which had previously sided with the Office of General Counsel in the case, to review in private all remaining subject lines that the administration redacted to determine whether those too have to be disclosed.
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania.
FILE – Powerball logo displayed on a phone screen and coins are seen in this illustration photo.
PHILADELPHIA – A Powerball ticket sold in Pennsylvania matched five numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing, winning $1 million, according to lottery officials.
What we know:
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The Pennsylvania ticket was one of several nationwide that matched all five white balls. The ticket did not include the Power Play multiplier.
Because no one matched all six numbers, the Powerball jackpot continues to climb. The next drawing will feature an estimated $1.5 billion jackpot, with a cash option of $689.3 million.
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Winning numbers (Dec. 17, 2025)
25 – 33 – 53 – 62 – 66
Powerball: 17
Power Play: 4x
The Pennsylvania Lottery has not yet announced where the winning ticket was sold.
What’s next:
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The next Powerball drawing takes place Saturday night, Dec. 20. The estimated jackpot is an astounding $1.5 billion.
The Source: This article is based on official Powerball drawing results.
More than $22 million in “Money Match” checks were mailed to nearly 100,000 Pennsylvanians, the treasury said.
In a news release on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Treasury said people should be on the lookout for the checks, which are part of the Pennsylvania Money Match program. Treasurer Stacy Garrity said to cash or deposit the checks “promptly.”
The first Pennsylvania Money Match checks, totaling more than $1.7 million, are now on the way to Pennsylvanians’ mailboxes. Pennsylvania Money Match is a new program that allows Treasury to return certain unclaimed property to rightful owners automatically, which was approved unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor last year.
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“I want Pennsylvanians to know that this is a real check, it is real money, and it belongs to them,” Garrity said in the news release. “And as always, I still encourage everyone to regularly search for unclaimed property online, as many claims will not qualify for the Money Match process.”
With the mailing of the year’s last batch of checks, more than $50 million will have been returned automatically to Pennsylvanians.
What are Money Match checks?
The program allows the state treasury to automatically return unclaimed property valued up to $500 owned by a single individual. Before the program was created in 2024, residents themselves had to seek out unclaimed property.
“I’m thrilled to continue this program as we work hard to get more money back to its rightful owners,” Garrity said in the news release.
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However, if the property has multiple owners or is valued higher than $500, Pennsylvanians still need to file a claim.
What is unclaimed property?
Unclaimed property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, rebates and insurance policies, among other things. It can also include the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.
According to the state treasury, more than one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed some of the $5 billion in unclaimed property in the treasury’s care, and the average value of a claim is more than $1,000.
Unclaimed property scam
On its website, the state treasury has a warning about scammers using text messages to target potential unclaimed property claimants.
The department “never reaches out to people in regard to any program, including unclaimed property, via unsolicited text messages.”
A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Friday at 10:06 a.m. until 1 p.m. for Warren, McKean, Elk, Cameron, Clearfield, Cambria and Somerset counties.
“Temperatures will drop below the freezing mark through midday with rain showers quickly changing to snow showers. Blustery winds may dry off roads and other paved surfaces, but any residual water from previous rain or melting snow could freeze up and result in slick spots through the afternoon,” explains the weather service.
