After the disagreement on the change order, Orbital’s president repeatedly contacted the Turnpike’s Engineer, the grand jury stated.
In voicemails recorded in December 2009 pertaining to the ongoing dispute with Orbital, the company’s president allegedly stated:
“I’m going to have to meet with Brimmeier and I don’t want to have to tell Brimmeier that you and I aren’t getting along. He hates hearing that. Now . . . call me man because I want to know what we are going to do and there is no damn committee here so let’s just figure out what we are doing.”
In another message, according to the grand jury, Orbital’s president indicated that he learned of two new generator projects coming up with the Turnpike Commision in the Pittsburgh area and that he wanted the work because of the losses Orbital experienced.
The grand jury wrote that "Hatalowich and others directly ignored the advice of their own employees and offers this as an example of the power exerted by Turnpike officials to benefit a preferred Turnpike firm."
Orbital Engineering did not return calls for comment. It wasn't immediately clear if turnpike officials and politicians charged by the grand jury had had entered not guilty pleas to the charges and allegations made against them.