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Fired official sues Governor Wolf

The recently fired director of the Office of Open Records filed a lawsuit against Governor Tom Wolf in Commonwealth Court on Monday. Erik Arneson was appointed ...

The recently fired director of the Office of Open Records filed a lawsuit against Governor Tom Wolf in Commonwealth Court on Monday.

Erik Arneson was appointed by former Governor Tom Corbett at the end of his administration. He was one of the last-minute appointments Governor Wolf overturned last week.

But Arneson says his position is independent and appointed for a six-year term so it’s illegal for the Governor to fire him.

“If the director of that office needs to live in constant worry that the governor can fire them for any reason at all, they can’t make impartial decisions when it relates to the governor’s office,” says Arneson.

The suit, filed by Arneson and state Senate Republicans, alleges that the Governor violated separation of powers and the Right To Know law by firing him.

The Governor responded to the lawsuit in a statement. He said one of Arneson’s first actions had been to replace a qualified chief counsel with a Corbett staffer.

“By removing Mr. Arneson, I am standing up against an effort to destroy the integrity of the Office of Open Records and turn it into a political operation,” Governor Wolf says.

Arneson’s attorney is seeking an injunction hearing this week to have the Governor’s dismissal overturned.

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