Fired legislative staffer sues Pa. House
Stephen A. H. Keefer charges he was wrongly dismissed during an investigation into bonuses.
HARRISBURG - One of the seven legislative staffers forced from their jobs in November amid the continuing Bonusgate investigation has sued the state House of Representatives for wrongful termination.
In a lawsuit filed in Commonwealth Court on Tuesday, Stephen A.H. Keefer, the former director of information technology for House Democrats, alleges that he was fired "in a knowing and conscious effort to divert attention of the investigation away" from lawmakers he did not name. The suit does not elaborate on that point, and efforts to reach Keefer's attorney were unsuccessful.
Keefer, of Lebanon County, is seeking unspecified damages as well as more than $27,000 in unused vacation, personal and sick time that he says was promised to him when he was fired but has since been denied.
For more than a year, Attorney General Tom Corbett has been investigating whether legislative aides were given government bonuses as a reward for political campaign work they performed.
To date, a grand jury has focused mostly on House Democrats, who had given out $1.9 million in bonuses to 717 staffers at the end of 2006 - an election year in which they wrested back control of the lower chamber.
Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D., Greene) has said he forced the staffers from their jobs after learning about a damning string of e-mails linking the seven to the bonus-for-campaign work scandal.
Keefer said in the suit that as a top staffer he "gave his full attention, loyalty and devotion . . . and performed all tasks assigned to him in a good and conscientious manner." Yet, he alleged, he was summarily dismissed "without cause, consent or notice."
He also alleges that Democratic leaders are reneging on promises to pay him $27,430 in unpaid benefits.
Keefer's termination letter signed by DeWeese and offered as an exhibit in the case said: "If there is any unused leave owed to you, you will receive a check reflecting payment for any additional earned-but-unused leave according to the provisions contained in our Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual."
Tom Andrews, DeWeese's press secretary, declined comment yesterday.
"We have no comment on pending litigation," he said.
Mike Manzo, DeWeese's former chief of staff and the highest ranking of the dismissed aides, said yesterday that he, too, was assured he would get a check.
But, Manzo said, caucus lawyers called him days later to tell him that officials had changed their minds. Manzo, who now works at a Harrisburg lobbying and public relations firm, believes he is owed about $80,000 in accrued state time but is not considering a lawsuit.
"When you work in a job like that you always count on having that money coming to you as a buffer when you leave," he said. "Not getting it is sort of tough to overcome."
Separately, House Democratic lawyers unsuccessfully tried to block Keefer and another of the seven fired aides, Lauren McClure, from receiving unemployment benefits. In recent weeks, state labor referees have ruled in favor of the two former aides and allowed the benefits.