An Allegheny County Common Pleas judge on Wednesday granted a request by the district attorney’s office to extend the seal on a search warrant seeking information from the City of Pittsburgh for 30 more days.
The order, signed by Judge Jill E. Rangos, will keep the search warrant and affidavit served upon Pittsburgh officials in March under wraps through mid June.
A request to unseal the document made by Pittsburgh media in April was unsuccessful.
The DA’s office served the search warrant on the city on March 23. At the time, it was placed under a 60-day seal.
At a hearing on the sealing on April 29, Deputy District Attorney Jon Pittman told Rangos the city had still not turned over all the documents that were being sought.
He asked that the paperwork remain under seal to protect the integrity of the investigation, as well as the reputation of those identified in it in the event no charges are filed.
Rangos agreed at that time to keep the documents sealed.
Later that day, District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said at a news conference that the information being sought related to funding for programs serving at-risk youth in minority communities.
During those same comments, Zappala also expressed concerns about no-bid contracts entered into by the city while Ed Gainey was mayor, as well the use of federal covid-19 relief money.