Some 18 months after the state attorney general was asked to review potentially fraudulent expenses for which Mayor Gabriel J. Campana sought reimbursement, answers linger without a resolution.

State agents said Thursday they could neither deny nor confirm an investigation exists.

City finance director William E. Nichols Jr. said the audits of the city have been completed and nothing has been found to be “unreasonable.”

Then Lycoming County District Attorney Eric R. Linhardt reviewed the mayor’s reimbursement receipts and expenses after they were forwarded to his office by City Council and Controller Margaret Woodring in fall 2016.

Among examples of the potentially illegitimate expense reimbursements, according to Woodring, are Campana’s payment for attendance at a Pittsburgh Pirates’ game in April 16, 2016, and gasoline expenses.

In the baseball matter, Campana said he would go to PNC Park in Pittsburgh to compare what the viewing deck there looked like for one proposed at Bowman Field.

However, records of city transactions for the deck indicate the design and funding had been achieved before the mayor’s attendance. Nevertheless, tickets for a baseball game that he and a family member attended, as well as receipts for gasoline, food and parking, were covered by city taxpayers.

“I heard after I received my reimbursement that someone complained about the business trip,” Campana said. “I wrote a check and ended up paying for the trip.”

Another receipt involved a stub showing the cost of materials for “economic development” but actually was training for school leaders and strategic planning and administration.

Campana had not informed anyone and quietly applied for a position as superintendent of the Montoursville Area School District, according to a Right-to-Know request made by the Sun-Gazette.

Additional reimbursements included those for camera equipment, attendance at banquets, books for supplying a library on the third floor of City Hall and expenses related to attending a St. Patrick’s Day special event in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.

Soon after he visited the parade, the city-sponsored special event was cancelled.

Campana claimed Thursday “this is old news … it’s all been dismissed” and “it is drummed up as part of a conspiracy by council and the two commissions making recommendations for a city-manager to replace a strong mayor.”

Such widened attacks upset council Vice President Randall J. Allison, who said council spent many hours reviewing the materials and thoughtfully considered them before deciding on the need to turn them over to the district attorney.

“His is a complete mischaracterization of what council and the controller and district attorney reviewed,” Allison said of the mayor.

Linhardt said in a letter in 2016 that some of the receipts appeared to be illegal but that he would rather agents at the state level determine it.

“I signed onto the council letter alleging fraud,” Woodring said, adding the “totality of what was turned in amounted to alleged fraud.”

Campana again this week referenced that Woodring signed off on the expenses. Her responsibility is to authorize payment of money out of the city treasury and satisfy the legality of the payment, according to city code.

Nicholas Grimes weighed in on the matter on Thursday.

As treasurer, Grimes keeps accounts that clearly exhibit items showing city receipts and expenditures.

He said he appreciated the cooperation of city officials, including the council, controller and mayor, as well as the efforts of the state agents.

“If we find any fraud or inappropriate spending, then we did our job,” Grimes said.

A spokesperson for the state Attorney General’s office said updates will be provided at a later date.