Wolf: Open records chief can return - for now
HARRISBURG - The ousted chief of the Office of Open Records can return to his job - for now, Gov. Wolf said Monday.
HARRISBURG - The ousted chief of the Office of Open Records can return to his job - for now, Gov. Wolf said Monday.
Wolf dropped his attempt to stay a Commonwealth Court decision from last week that found the governor had overstepped his authority when he fired Erik Arneson, the office's executive director, earlier this year.
But Wolf stressed that he will continue his appeal of that ruling to the state Supreme Court - he is just allowing Arneson to return to the position in the interim.
"Openness and transparency is a top priority for me as governor, and in taking this step, I hope and expect that Mr. Arneson will join us in achieving these goals," the Democratic governor said in a statement.
Arneson was appointed by outgoing Republican Gov. Tom Corbett to head the office of Open Records.
Upon taking office in January, Wolf immediately questioned the eleventh-hour appointment and decided to fire Arneson, a longtime top aide to Senate Republicans.
Philadelphia lawyer Matt Haverstick, who represented Senate Republicans in fighting Arneson's ouster, said Monday: "This is recognition by the Governor's office that they are wrong on the law and that they know Erik is entitled to the job."
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