Today, Endorsed Democrat Melissa Hartman sent a letter to the Erie County Ethics Board requesting that they investigate the hiring of Mickey Kearns’s cousin as First Deputy Clerk. Erie County Democratic Chair Jeremy Zellner announced on the June 12, 2022, episode of Hardline on WBEN that he learned of the familial relationship through documents he received through a FOIL request. Kearns gave his cousin a $20,000 pay increase, and he now receives a salary of $116,854.
Melissa Hartman stated, “The position of Deputy County Clerk is inscribed in state law to act in place of the County Clerk if he or she were to leave that office or be incapacitated. It is disgraceful that Mickey Kearns has filled that position with a family member instead of an experienced Clerk employee or an experienced administrator. Therefore, I have asked the Ethics Board to investigate this hiring.”
The Board of Ethics has the ability to conduct investigations, inquiries, and hearings into ethics violations. The Board investigations may include interviews and requests for information from the person filing the complaint and the respondent. If the person refuses to cooperate, the Board can subpoena the information they need.
Hartman concluded, “At the same time he has hired his cousin to a managerial-confidential position and gave him a significant raise, Kearns has been at odds with CSEA Local 815 because he routinely breaks the County’s collective bargaining agreements. As a result, taxpayers may not only have to pay for Kearns’s cousin’s large salary but also for the payout from the many union grievances his poor management has caused. This is yet another example of Mickey Kearns helping his friends and family benefit from his position while average folks get taken advantage of.”
The Erie County Democratic Committee has endorsed Hartman, and the Erie County Republican Committee has endorsed Kearns. However, because Kearns is a registered Democrat, he is able to run in the Primary Election against Hartman. The Primary Election will be held on June 28, and early voting begins on June 18.
