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Trumbull engineer retracts stand
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Trumbull County Engineer David DeChristofaro
By ED RUNYAN
WARREN
An attorney for Trumbull County Engineer David DeChristofaro has filed a document with the Ohio Personnel Board of Review, retracting DeChristofaro’s earlier position that he fired an employee on his first day in office because there was insufficient work or pay for her.
Atty. Charles Richards of Howland filed a notice with the OPBR on Monday. It says Richards has learned since first being hired to defend DeChristofaro in a lawsuit filed by former employee Nicole Klingeman that the “no funds, no work” defense given for her firing is “inapplicable.”
The filing says the OPBR should give Klingeman her job back and award her back pay dating to Jan. 5, 2009, the date she was fired.
Richards said Tuesday that no agreement has been reached with Klingeman to put her back to work at the engineer’s office.
Atty. Subodh Chandra of Cleveland, who represents Klingeman in a federal lawsuit, said in a news release Tuesday that the Monday filing indicates DeChristofaro misled the public and misled the OPBR in October 2009.
“DeChristofaro has now effectively admitted that he gave false sworn testimony to government agencies,” said Chandra, a one-time candidate for Ohio attorney general. He called for DeChristofaro to resign.
DeChristofaro, reached by telephone Tuesday, said he would not resign.
Asked whether he incorrectly stated the reasons he fired Klingeman, DeChristofaro said: “I followed the direction of my legal counsel, as I continue to do,” and referred other questions to Richards. Richards said he could not comment on what DeChristofaro has told him because of his attorney-client obligations.
Neither Richards nor DeChristofaro have said what the actual reason for Klingeman’s firing was, but Chandra has maintained that it was because Klingeman supported former engineer’s employee Randy Smith in his bid to succeed his former boss, John Latell, as county engineer.
DeChristofaro defeated Smith in the Democratic primary election.
Klingeman was one of three people DeChristofaro fired on his first day in office. DeChristofaro recently settled with one of the others, Amanda Latell, for $175,000. Negotiations are ongoing with the third person, Matt Dohy.
Latell and Dohy are daughter-in-law and son-in-law of the former county engineer.
Comments
with the Trumbull County Engineer in trouble, it seems like it is a time that Mahoning, Portage and Geauga County Engineers should help volunteer any Trumbull County areas while the Trumbull County Engineer is under hot water at this time
If DeChristofaro did misuse the power of his public office for illegal personal gain, whether monetary or not, he should be removed from office. His resignation should be compulsory, not voluntary. His actions were criminal. His intent was despicable. He will end up costing Trumbull County far more than he claims to save through reducued personnel costs.
Ain't the public trough just wonderful. You can't fire anyone for any reason without the tax payers being required to fork over $175,000. These people were nothing more than Latell hires to keep his family unemployment low. They all get do nothing jobs then when someone comes along and fires them they walk away with a rather large sum. Who said golden parachutes were only for executives.
And the Mahoning Valley corruption continues!
Two wrongs don't make a right, unless it's government in action in this area.
1. Why did Latell have his relatives, not 1 but 2 on the payroll? Even if they were hired in a completely legal manner, it still gives the appearance of impropriety.
2. Why did DeChristofaro fire the supporters of his political opponent? If this was retribution against employees that were hired in a completely legal manner, then he should resign. He works and/or worked for the Cafaro people, maybe he took a play from their playbook.
And the annoying beat goes on.
Is DeChristofaro the guy who worked for Cafaro corp?
I remember in the election it was a nasty race and one of the candidates was Cafaro employee. Don't remember who the other guy was.
Do you really think I should, JJ?
Do you think Anthony would LET me fire them.
Oh boy, I would even built them a road an Mall property if the boss let me fire them.
It may be great having a Government job , but it can be a little bit confusing when I have to ask Anthony for permission to do my work.