Corbett to nominate top aide as Allegheny Co. judge

Gov. Tom Corbett has announced he will nominate chief of staff Bill Ward to a vacancy on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.

The governor's general counsel, Stephen Aichele, will take over as chief of staff on Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported this morning that Ward would leave his job amid worries by top state Republicans that the governor has an image problem.

Ward, 60, is from Mt. Lebanon, and he said in a press release that the move would reunite him with his family.

“My current role in government has been both professionally challenging and personally rewarding,” Ward said. “A position serving on the bench in Allegheny County will allow me to be reunited with my family in Pittsburgh while continuing to serve the commonwealth.”

Ward is a former federal and state prosecutor. He served as the top deputy to Corbett in the attorney general's office in the 1990s.

He will serve as a special adviser to Corbett until his confirmation by the Senate.