SUNBURY - Police were called to the county courthouse to investigate an incident Wednesday morning between the two Republican candidates for county prothonotary in next week's primary election.
No criminal charges are expected to be filed in connection with the 9:45 a.m. incident involving Justin Dunkelberger, of Point Township, and Jamie Saleski, of Coal Township, who both claimed politics prompted the disturbance.
Saleski, who is a clerk in the civil division of the prothonotary's office, said Dunkelberger walked into her office and asked to speak with her shortly after being on a WKOK radio program known as "On the Mark." She said Dunkelberger stood across the counter from her and began speaking in a low tone of voice. She claimed Dunkelberger accused her of having people in her campaign call in slanderous statements to the radio station about him and spreading innuendos about him in the community.
Saleski said, "He told me I had people calling in about a judgment he has in Northumberland County, which he claimed was paid off. He spoke quietly so other people in the office didn't hear what he was saying. After I told him I didn't know what he was talking about, he warned me to watch what my people say about him."
Saleski said she then asked Dunkelberger, "Is that a threat?" She said he replied, "No, that's a statement."
Saleski said Dunkelberger then walked out of her office into a lobby area, where she claimed he became louder before being told by Prothonotary Kathleen Strausser that her office wasn't the place to carry on his conversation.
When Dunkelberger was leaving the office, county security guard Larry Saleski, who is Jamie Saleski's father-in-law, was at a vending machine nearby when he heard Dunkelberger getting louder and cautioned him to lower his voice. Larry Saleski said Dunkelberger complied with his request and agreed that he should leave. Saleski said Dunkelberger patted him on the shoulder before walking out of the courthouse without incident.
'Old-time politics'
Strausser, who is not seeking re-election, said she couldn't hear what the conversation was about, but recalled Saleski asking Dunkelberger, "Is this a threat?"
Strausser said Dunkelberger then walked out of the office with Saleski behind him.
"I was close to pushing the panic button to get someone in the sheriff's department to come up to the office," Strausser said. "I then told Justin that this isn't the place for that kind of discussion. He then left the office."
Strausser and other office personnel said they heard Dunkelberger get louder as he walked out of the civil division of the office into the lobby area. Several people not employed by the county were in the office as well when the incident occurred.
"Something like this shouldn't have occurred in this office," Strausser said. "There is no judgment in this office against Justin. This is just old-time politics and another day in Northumberland County."
Saleski asked, "Do the citizens of Northumberland County want someone who intimidates people to hold this office?"
She added, "I can't help who calls in things to the radio station. I'm just trying to do my job and I get crap for it."
Out of proportion
Dunkelberger claimed Saleski was the one who got loud.
During a telephone interview with The News-Item late Wednesday afternoon, Dunkelberger said the incident, which he claimed lasted 30 seconds, is being blown out of proportion and wreaks of politics.
He said, "I left the radio show and went directly to the prothonotary's office because I wanted to talk to Jamie about slanderous complaints being made about me through telephone calls and e-mails sent to the radio station. I believe people working on Jamie's campaign are behind these complaints, which are totally inaccurate and untrue."
He added, "I didn't threaten her in any way. I agreed with Kathy Strausser and the security guard that this wasn't the place to discuss the matter and I left the office. She (Saleski) was the only one who got loud and followed me out of her office into the lobby area. Calling the cops over a simple incident like this is ridiculous. I've seen worse happen on a T-ball field."
Dunkelberger, who is a Point Township supervisor, CEO of Penn Wind LLC and sits on the county planning commission board, said, "This is nothing more than a continuation of Northumberland County politics filtering down from the commissioners' office into the other offices. This a political maneuver to slander me days before the primary election."
Shoch called chief
Dunkelberger accused Commissioner Richard Shoch, a fellow Republican, of "blowing up" the incident because he called police over the matter.
He said Shoch has endorsed Saleski for the position, while fellow Commissioner Vinny Clausi, a Democrat, has endorsed him for the post. Shoch and Clausi have been at odds with each other over various issues for more than a year.
"Why would an incident like this justify the cops coming and why would Shoch call the cops if it wasn't political?" asked Dunkelberger.
Shoch said he was notified about the incident by someone at the courthouse who doesn't work at the prothonotary's office.
"I went to the courthouse because I didn't want the situation to get out of hand," Shoch said. "Jamie, who was standing in front of the courthouse when I got there, said she couldn't get through to anyone at Sunbury Police Department, so I called Chief Steve Mazzeo directly on his cell phone. The police then came over and took a statement from Jamie. I didn't witness the incident, so I don't know what was said. As a commissioner, I felt obligated to do something."
Shoch said he spoke with Dunkelberger after the incident and claims the candidate told him in hindsight that going to Saleski's office probably wasn't a good idea.
Dunkelberger said he and Shoch have had no problems with each other in the past.
Saleski said she confided in Shoch when he came to the courthouse after considering her other options.
"When you have two commissioners (Clausi and Stephen Bridy) who support him (Dunkelberger), what kind of help am I going to get?" she asked.
District Attorney Tony Rosini said Sunbury police told him they were still conducting interviews about the incident, but said he didn't think criminal charges were warranted.