WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania State Police officials say they are investigating reports that a trooper made a racial joke earlier this year on a social media site.

WILK-FM talk radio host Steve Corbett alleged in an opinion column Thursday in The (Wilkes-Barre) Times Leader that Trooper Thomas Kelly acknowledged having referred to the joke involving a reference to "black ice" in a Feb. 9 Facebook post.

But Corbett said Kelly, the Wyoming barracks spokesman, said "I'm not racist" and also acknowledged in an off-air conversation that the joke was "in bad taste" and showed poor judgment. He noted that it was made under an alias rather than his own name and said he didn't' feel he should be reprimanded because "it is private."

Kelly, who also is director of Camp Cadet, an annual summer program for young people from around the region, declined comment to reporters.

State police spokeswoman Maria Finn said officials "are aware of the situation with Trooper Kelly and our internal affairs bureau is investigating."

"It is our policy to not comment on pending investigations or personnel issues," she said in a statement Saturday.

Wyoming barracks commander Capt. James Degnan also declined comment, citing the policy on personnel matters, but said Kelly's job assignment has not changed and he remains the barracks' public information officer.