Corbett hires firm that employs Rendell to advise on asset sales

Remember when selling state assets was the much-maligned idea of a Democratic governor?

You may recall Gov. Ed Rendell's  ill-fated bid to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to raise $12B for transportation needs.

Now Republican Gov. Corbett has hired the firm that employs Citizen Rendell - anda banker who advised Gov. Rendell on privatizing the turnpike - to help the state look into, you got it, selling state assets.

The investment bank, Greenhill & Co. of New York, was hired by the Corbett administration for $150,000 (for a three-month contract) to explore privatizing assets, such as selling toll roads or the contracting out the state lottery, according to a Bloomberg report.

Gary Miller, a spokesman for Corbett, told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review that Rendell's involvement in the firm "had no bearing on the decision to hire Greenhill.

"Gov. Corbett decided to go with the company he thought would work most aggressively for taxpayers," Miller said.

Miller said he didn't believe Rendell would be working on the Pennsylvania project for Greenhill.

Greenhill hired Rendell in February because of his expertise in infrastructure needs.

Among the state assets apparently not on the table this time around: the Turnpike.

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