Turnpike CEO: Corruption charges don't reflect current employees

Photo by Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office

(Harrisburg) -- The Pennsylvania Turnpike's new CEO is asking the public to remember the corruption charges against former employees are not a reflection of the road system's workers or its practices.

Mark Compton has been on the job for about two months.

He says the agency he's experienced is far different from the activities laid out in the "pay to play" case.

"Make no mistake about it, the charges, if they're proven to be true, those actions cannot and will not be defended," Compton says. "I must tell you, this is not a reflection on our current employees."

Compton says the Turnpike has taken numerous steps in the past two years to reform and modernize its operations -- including adding a Chief Compliance Officer and making the procurement process more transparent.

State prosecutors have charged one former lawmaker, five former Turnpike officials and two businessmen with perpetuating a "pay-to-play" culture of corruption at the Turnpike.