After Lottery Abuse, PA Liquor Control Board Considers Changes

PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is considering changes to its policies after its employees were able to score bottles of rare liquor leftover from public lotteries, according to the agency and media reports.

Members of the board and upper level employees purchased bottles in 2019 and 2020 that are hotly pursued by bourbon enthusiasts, including Pappy Van Winkle Collection and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

The public was never given the chance to buy these bottles, PennLive and the Philadelphia Inquirer report.

According to a Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission investigation, board member Michael Negra did not violate the state's Ethics Act in the purchase itself.

"(Negra) obtained information not obtainable from reviewing a public document or making inquiry to a publicly available source of information as a result of his public position, and used that information to purchase alcohol that was limited in quantity and not available to the public, due to insufficient clear and convincing evidence of a pecuniary benefit," the investigation report stated.

However, the commission ruled that Negra and others did not report all income in their Statements of Financial Interest from 2018 to 2020. Negra was ordered to pay $500 to the state.

Further, Negra and others may not purchase liquor from the PCLB "outside of the process by which a Commonwealth resident may purchase such items," the commission ruled.

Further changes to PCLB policy remain under review.

The state runs its Limited-Release Lotteries to auction off the rarest liquors.