The first time I met Peter Paul Olszewski Jr., was when I was in high school. I had an after-school job pumping gas at a local gas station where Peter Paul and his father Peter Paul Sr. had house accounts. The elder was still a practicing judge in Luzerne County and Jr. was a fledgling attorney.
Peter Paul Jr. was a tall, strapping young man who towered over my 5′ 9″ frame and was as personable as a Labrador puppy. His father was a respectable member of the bench and I was happy to see Jr. follow in his father’s footsteps. I wasn’t friends with Peter Paul Jr., but every time I saw him in public I was always greeted with a “hello, how are you.”
I was shocked to learn through the newspaper, that Peter Paul Jr. had been drug into the circus surrounding former Luzerne County judges Mike “Don’t Drop the Soap” Conahan and Mark “Scootch” Civarella. These two clowns ran a three-ring spectacular known as the “Kids for Cash Scandal.” Both of them are going to be spending plenty of time behind bars for accepting millions of dollars in kickbacks for putting juveniles in detention centers that they allegedly had financial interest in.
Peter Paul Jr. comes into play when a photo was released to the media showing him partying with Conahan as well as convicted drug dealer Ronald Belletiere at the judge’s Jupiter, FL condo which was allegedly purchased with kick-back money. Going back to the 1980’s and 1990’s rumors were circulating that Conahan had ties with drug dealers, but no action was ever taken against Conahan.
Peter Paul Jr. says the photo was given to the media in an attempt to “embarass” him. Excuse me Jr., can you say “Duh?” Regardless whether or not you were privy to Conahan and Civarella’s million-dollar scheme, the fact remains that while you were on the bench you were breaking bread and sharing the wine with a convicted drug dealer. Shame on you!
Jr. is now going to be in the fight of his life to retain his seat on the bench during a time when Luzerne County residents have had enough of crooked politics and jackass politicians. If I were a voter in Luzerne County, Peter Paul Jr. wouldn’t get my vote and I’m afraid he shot himself in the foot. He could have had a promising career like his father, but I’m afraid it’s over. All because of the company he kept.