The State Ethics Commission has ruled that Wilkinsburg Mayor Wilbert Young violated the Ethics Act by using borough employees, facilities and equipment to conduct personal business.

	Post-Gazette Wilbert Young

The commission's fact-finders said on multiple occasions Mr. Young, who owns several real estate companies and works as an independent Realtor, asked a police secretary to type and edit personal letters, sometimes on official letterhead.

The commission said he unintentionally violated the Ethics Act by using a cellular phone for unofficial purposes and used work computers for personal matters.

Mr. Young accepted a consent agreement on the charges, and the commission fined him $4,000.

"Ninety percent of what was on my computer that wasn't work-related was my kids' homework," Mr. Young, mayor since 1998, said yesterday

"Usually if I was out at a council meeting or out of town I would have my kids e-mail me and I would correct their homework. If I knew it was a violation of policy, I wouldn't have done it. I acknowledge that I did do it and I apologize."

The investigation began when someone filed a complaint with the ethics commission, although executive director John Contino said yesterday he could not identify whom.

That launched a yearlong probe. The investigators' findings take up 14 pages.

Wilkinsburg Councilwoman Sandra Roberts said she felt the panel was "very lenient with him."

"Everybody knew he was doing it, but only some members spoke up about it. I, myself, used to question the phone bills because his phone bills were more than some people's mortgages," she said.

Councilman John Thompson, who chaired the borough's finance committee for about three years, said he was "alarmed" at the phone bills Mr. Young submitted.

In-fighting among council members has been heating up over several months. Mr. Thompson landed the Democratic Party endorsement and defeated Mr. Young in the mayoral primary in May.

Council then stripped him of some of his duties last month for unauthorized use of funds.

Mr. Young said he believed the ethics probe was rooted in criticisms aired by Ms. Roberts and Mr. Thompson.

"There's abuse if you take a public office and try to gain from it. I've gotten no gain," he said.