Pocono News Section

DA Wants Waste Authority Head Ousted

DA Wants Waste Authority Head Ousted - Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 11:14PM EST

Reported by: Joe Holden
Thursday, May 1, 2008 @ 11:14pm EST

STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY- The chairwoman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners tells the I-Team, the district attorney has filed paperwork in court requesting James Lambert be declared unqualified. It goes on to request he be ousted from his position as executive director of the Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority (MCMWMA).

Lambert is a convicted felon who in 2005 pleaded guilty charges related to a federal civil corruption investigation in Trenton, NJ. He was hired in October under what other Monroe County leaders have defined suspicious circumstances. He is on probation through March, 2009.

After an extensive WBRE News investigation, the I-Team learned Lambert had "friends" who have admitted to keeping their mouths shut about his criminal record, helping him advance through waste authority ranks and land the position of executive director. Records show his salary at the authority nets in the high $60,000 range. He was promoted to director in October.

The waste authority, through its solicitor, has maintained Lambert's position is not of the capacity of a public official. The district attorney disagrees. County commissioners, too, believe the position is at the level of a public official. The disagreement by the DA is the basis for this court filing. A courtroom showdown could be forced. Lambert has refused to comment on all details. A majority of members on the waste authority stand by Lambert and the decision to retain him as executive director.

Continuing coverage on the James Lambert Investigation airs Friday evening on WBRE News.