Amid allegations of corruption and abuse of power in the highest ranks of Allegheny County Sheriff Pete DeFazio's office, at least one part of the sheriff's operation is impeccably clean, a fleet of 70 vehicles.

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From January to October, sheriff's employees took advantage of 1,194 car washes at an Exxon station on East Carson Street, next to Station Square, according to county records.

The county Public Works Department picked up the bill of $2,985. It also paid $2,058 to cover 819 washes for vehicles from all other departments during the same time period.

The county's entire fleet consists of about 660 vehicles, including those used by the sheriff's office. The Exxon station, owned by Mon Valley Petroleum in McKeesport, charges $2.50 per wash for county cars.

Deputies routinely drive long distances to transport prisoners across the state and deliver court papers, and they are under orders to keep their cars clean, said John Bacharach, sheriff's solicitor.

"They're not really supposed to be driving around in dirty cars," he said. "I don't really see anything wrong with that."

Last year, however, Public Works Director Tom Donatelli expressed concern about budgetary constraints in a letter to Chief Deputy Dennis Skosnik.

"I know that your department takes pride in the appearance of your vehicles, but, if possible, it would be very helpful if you could encourage your people to limit their vehicle washings to a [maximum] of once a week," Mr. Donatelli wrote on Feb. 9, 2004.

Seven months later, he sent Chief Skosnik a second letter, highlighting the problem of increasing gas prices and the need for cost-cutting measures.

Yet, county records show, the sheriff's office still uses the Exxon station car wash far more often than any other department.

On Nov. 23, a federal grand jury indicted Chief Skosnik on 12 felony counts related to abuse of office, including bribery, money-laundering, mail and wire fraud and tampering with a grand jury witness.

Before the indictment, he was especially diligent about cleaning his county-owned sport utility vehicle, even though his duties were largely administrative and usually kept him in the office. Between January and October, Chief Skosnik's car, an unmarked dark gray 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer, was washed 46 times.

County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, the public face of the county, had his 2000 Jeep Cherokee washed 28 times over the same time span.

Sometimes, Chief Skosnik or a deputy took the TrailBlazer in for washes several times a week. On June 29, the car was washed twice.

The county paid $115 for those washes.

Chief Skosnik has been on leave from the sheriff's office since Aug. 11 because of heart problems. Until the beginning of last month, he continued to drive his county SUV, logging 7,800 miles and building up a $1,600 gasoline bill. He also had the car washed six times.

The sheriff's office has since instructed employees not to take vehicles with them when they go on an extended vacation or sick leave.

Until about five years ago, the county used a machine at its South Side garage to wash most vehicles. But officials had trouble keeping track of who was using the machine, Mr. Donatelli said.

When the county's car wash broke down, the Public Works Department reached a deal with Mon Valley Petroleum, owned by Hartley King, of Kings Family Restaurants, to pay $2.50 per car wash at the Exxon station.

The station's normal price for a basic wash, which excludes hot wax or undercarriage cleaning, is $5. County employees must show identification to a station attendant and sign a sheet before taking their vehicles through the automated car wash.

Donald Bowers, general manager of Mon Valley Petroleum, said his company's employees had not encountered problems with the arrangement.

County police officers also wash their approximately 85 vehicles frequently, but they usually use a station on Washington Boulevard near their Point Breeze headquarters.

"They should keep their cars clean," Superintendent Charles Moffat said. "I know sometimes that's impossible."

The police department covers the cost of most of its washes, while the sheriff's office passes its bill to the Public Works Department.

Budget problems are not unusual for Sheriff DeFazio. From 1999 to 2002, his office went over budget by a total of $5.3 million.

Last month, Acting Chief Deputy Joseph Rizzo told County Council that the office could face shortages under its 2006 budget of $11.4 million.

And legal problems in the sheriff's office have continued to mount. In September, Capt. Frank Schiralli was found guilty of falsely telling a grand jury that he never kept lists of deputies who bought tickets to fund-raisers for the sheriff. Another sheriff's employe, Lt. Cmdr. Richard A. Stewart Jr., was indicted along with Capt. Schiralli.

But Sheriff DeFazio, who hasn't been charged, still tries to set an outward example of neatness, from washing his car to shining his shoes almost every day.

"Without mentioning names, I know a lot of politicians that dress nice and their shoes look horrible," he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2003. "That's almost as bad as when someone smiles and it looks like they haven't brushed their teeth in seven months."

His car, a 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer, was washed fewer than 20 times at the Exxon station from January to October. That's because he normally uses a car wash near his home in Baldwin Borough and pays the bill himself, according to his solicitor.

"I guarantee you, his car is always clean," Mr. Bacharach said. "Anybody who knows the sheriff knows that he is meticulous about his appearance. He's not the type of person who likes to drive around in a dirty car."