Nov 13, 2025 By Garrett Neese 5 min read

A group of Fayette County residents have asked for a judicial audit of campaign finance filings by county Recorder of Deeds Jon Marietta, alleging he left thousands of dollars in donations unreported and did not disclose in-kind and other contributions from a political action committee.

The petition was written by former state lawmaker Matthew Dowling and co-signed by several other residents. The filing asks a Fayette County judge to order an audit of Marietta’s Oct. 23 campaign finance report to determine if all contributions were fully reported. The petitions can be filed within 90 days of the last day for filing required campaign finance reports.

“I feel that we need to hold public officials accountable for their actions and their spendings, so that they know that there are watchdogs, so they toe the line,” said co-signer Christina Becker, who ran against Marietta in the Republican primary for the recorder of deeds race.

Marietta won re-election in November, defeating Democrat James Santilli 52% to 48%.

Dowling’s petition points to a 30-day post-election report filed Oct. 29 by the MAGA Conservatives of Pennsylvania PAC which listed $7,000 in support — a $5,000 in-kind contribution for yard signs from Geno Gallo of Connellsville and $2,000 sent to the Fort Worth, Texas-based Simpli-Fi for advertisements. The support was not fully reflected in Marietta’s filing, the petition said.

Marietta’s Oct. 23 report had listed $521.15 in receipts, $567.30 in expenditures and $2,500 in in-kind contributions.

The petition said much of the signage omitted the legally required disclosure that it was funded by the PAC.

Marietta was aware of the signs, mentioning them on his radio show and appearing at sponsored events, according to the petition.

In a statement Wednesday, Marietta called the allegations in the petition “completely false and politically motivated.” He said his campaign finance reports had fully complied with Pennsylvania law, and that his campaign had operated fully independently of the MAGA Conservatives of Pennsylvania PAC.

“What’s really happening here is a group of disgruntled partisans-several of whom supported my Democrat opponent-trying to weaponize the courts to smear a conservative Republican who’s been cutting budgets and cleaning up county government,” he said, referring to the filing the group’s “latest stunt.”

Jeff Abramovitz of Acme, a co-signer of the petition, provided photos purporting to show both signs that lacked any disclosure and those where the PAC was listed in letters slightly less than one-eighth of an inch high. He believed that would violate election law requiring the disclosure to be “clear and conspicuous.”

“I’m not suggesting he’s not the rightful victor as based on the electorate of Fayette County, but I do think that when we are in elected positions, that we, more than any other person, should comply with the law,” he said. “And I think that Mr. Marietta as a campaign did things that were not appropriate, and being an elected officeholder, he should carry that torch in a manner that establishes that the law is the law, the rule of law is the rule of law.”

Marietta’s campaign finance filing also did not mention any payments to T.J. Kosin, who the petition said coordinated political content and campaign messaging for Marietta’s social media. This, the petition said, suggested either “unreported in-kind services or PAC-funded coordination.”

Furthermore, the petition said, PAC expenditures to the campaign of Brittany Kosin, Kosin’s wife, suggested “coordinated benefit and willful concealment.” Brittany Kosin ran unsuccessfully for Warwick Township supervisor in Bucks County. Additional coordination on top of the PAC’s listed support of $7,000 could push it over the legal contribution limit of $9,500, the petition said.

The petition asks the court to order a full judicial audit of Marietta’s report, and for Marietta to cover the costs.

It also asks the court to compel testimony from Marietta and other relevant witnesses, including Kosin, Gallo and Melany Patterson, the principal officer of the MAGA Conservatives of Pennsylvania PAC.

Additionally, the petition seeks subpoenas to vendors, radio stations, digital platforms and other entities involved in campaign advertising or content creation.

If the audit finds Marietta violated campaign finance law, the petition asks for the findings to be sent to the county district attorney or state attorney general for prosecution.

Campaign finance law can provide for minor sanctions all the way to removal of office for willful violations, or criminal penalties for willful falsification or concealment in the reports.

Abramovitz said he is not declaring that something wrong happened. But, he said the evidence shows sufficient information that the appropriate authorities should determine it was handled properly.

“My goal is not to have anybody removed,” he said. “My goal is to make certain that people do things correctly.”

While a judge determines the merits of the petition, Marietta said he will continue “serving the people of Fayette County … with the transparency, fiscal responsibility, and integrity they expect and deserve.”