A lawsuit involving a former Pennsylvania Turnpike employee who claims he was wrongfully terminated for exposing alleged corruption has gotten the attention of a U.S. representative and the state attorney general.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-PA, wrote a letter urging state Attorney General Tom Corbett to “investigate the potential for criminal charges” in reference to a lawsuit filed in 2009 by plaintiff Ralph M. Bailets against the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and two of Bailets’ former superiors at the Commission.

Bailets, according to Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania Docket 265-MD-2009, says he was wrongfully terminated after raising issues about waste and alleged corruption within the Turnpike offices. The lawsuit was made public in a Jan. 25 article by Toll Roads News.

In the lawsuit, Bailets accuses his former superiors of perpetuating a “pay to play campaign contribution scheme,” allegedly duplicating billable hours and allegedly exploiting electronic tolling discounts for personal gain.

Rep. Thompson said the seriousness of the claims prompted his letter to Corbett.

“The severity of the accusations made within the complaint are so egregious, that I am compelled to ask that you investigate the criminality of the claims against those named in the complaint, and additionally those in charge of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, for any misuse of Turnpike (taxpayer) funds,” Thompson wrote.

Thompson added that “motorists using the Pennsylvania Turnpike deserve to know that their toll dollars are not being squandered on political patronage and personal gain.”

A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission told Land Line that the agency is declining an opportunity to comment because the matter involves pending legal action.