WILKES-BARRE - Luzerne County Controller Walter L. Griffith Jr. declined to comment Friday after being arraigned on felony electronic-surveillance charges.
But Mr. Griffith's actions and his attorney's comments indicate he's not pleading guilty, he's not quitting and he's still running for a second term.
Mr. Griffith was released on $10,000 unsecured bail. Magisterial District Judge Martin Kane scheduled a preliminary hearing for 9 a.m. Thursday.
"We will respond to the charges in the appropriate forum, which is in the courtroom and not in the news or the newspapers," defense attorney Mark Bufalino said, addressing the media after the arraignment in the parking lot outside Judge Kane's office. "But in this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and he stands by that."
Mr. Griffith, 58, of Trucksville, is charged with illegally recording three conversations without the consent of nine people involved in the discussions, arrest papers show. He faces three counts of illegally intercepting communications, a third-degree felony, and each count is punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Mr. Bufalino responded to a media question about the state attorney general's office filing the charges Thursday, five days before the primary election. Mr. Griffith has a Republican primary opponent, Karen Ceppa-Hirko.
"The timing is obviously a little curious, but we will leave that up to the good judgment of the people of Luzerne County to make their own decisions with regards to that," Mr. Bufalino said. "What we are faced with here are responding to charges, not to the calendar."
Democrat Kathleen Kane won a four-year term as state attorney general in November. Mr. Bufalino was chairman of the Luzerne County Democratic Committee in 2009, when Mr. Griffith won his term as controller by defeating Democrat Bob Morgan and independent candidate Wil Toole.
Kane spokesman Dennis Fisher did not respond to emails seeking comment on the timing of the charges against Mr. Griffith.