Hartman Requests Ethics Board Investigate Kearns For Hiring Cousin

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.

Related articles

‘Remarkable’: Reporter stunned by dramatic detail of Minnesota lawmaker shooting



CNN's Tom Foreman called new details coming out about the night Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, were shot and seriously wounded during an alleged political attack, "absolutely remarkable."

Fifty-seven-year-old Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with shooting the Hoffmans, and killing Speaker Emerita of the MN House Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, Mark.

Federal investigators revealed this week that the suspect visited the homes of two other legislators on the same day.

"Unbelievable the details we're getting out of the hospital from these folks here. It really is remarkable," Foreman exclaimed.

"What they are saying now is that they went to their door at two in the morning. They hear this pounding on the door. They say they went to the door with their adult daughter, Hope, who was with them also," Foreman recounted.

"They saw, according to them, this gunman at the door who shot John Hoffman nine times. His wife Yvette, was pushing the gunman out the door as he shot her eight times. She got him out the door. The daughter, Hope, locked the door and called 911 and got help to the house. Remarkable that these people survived this and made it through their serious conditions."

Foreman remarked that "the fact that this family was able to do that at two in the morning out of a dead sleep, absolutely remarkable."

Foreman read from a statement the Hoffmans released Thursday saying, "We are grappling with the reality that we live in a world where public service carries such risks as being targeted because someone disagrees with you or doesn't like what you stand for as a society, as a nation, as a community, we must work together to return to a level of civility that allows us all to live peacefully. The future for our children depends on that."

Yvette Hoffman was released from the hospital Thursday while her husband continues to be treated for his injuries.

Watch the clip below via CNN or click the link here.

The only way to welcome Sabretooth to the office on National Mascot Day! 👏 #hockey #mascot #nhl

Subscribe to the Buffalo Sabres YT Channel: https://bit.ly/2G1G8eT For...

Satellite photos: See before and after images of bombing at Iran nuke sites

(NewsNation) — Newly released satellite imagery Sunday shows damage...

Trump GOES NUTS in Public in AM as WAR GETS WORSE

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Donald...