HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell’s office released the Governor’s letter to Mitchell Rubin. The text is as follows:
Dear Mr. Rubin:
I am in receipt of your letter of March 21 in which you indicated you are taking a leave of absence from your duties as a Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
However, I am, effective today, removing you as a Commissioner. I do so for the following reasons:
1) You have received a target letter from federal authorities for your conduct delineated in the recent trial of United States v. Fumo;
2) Counts four and five of the indictment in U.S. v. Fumo alleged that you and your company, BNR Preferred Revenues, received $150,000 from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for which no work was ever done;
3) At trial in U.S. v. Fumo no evidence was produced to demonstrate any work done by BNR in return for that compensation; and
4) The jury returned a guilty verdict against Senator Fumo on counts four and five. Said verdict required that the jury found no evidence of work being done by BNR in return for said compensation as a predicator for mail fraud.
Under these circumstances and others it is inappropriate for you to remain as a commissioner.
Notwithstanding my conclusion, I want to thank you for your years of service to the Commission.
Sincerely yours,
Edward G. Rendell