MONEYSAVER November 08, 2019
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NEWS
McKean County judge says fellow jurist is orchestrating claims against him
By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER
BRADFORD, Pa. — McKean County President Judge John Pavlock faced a flood of complaints against his performance in the past week, calling it a thinly veiled scheme by County Judge Christopher Hauser and Hauser’s allies to force him out of office. For his part, Hauser says it is “absolutely untrue. I am shocked. I have no desire to hold his position as president judge. What possibly would this gain me? More work.” In late October, The Bradford Era received a copy of a request sent to the state Judicial Conduct Board to investigate Pavlock, who faced a 10-year retention vote on Tuesday. The unsigned complaint alleged women who worked for him were paid less than men and were not promoted. Further complaints against Pavlock were listed in a letter sent to The Era. While the letter wasn’t signed, several court officials corroborated the complaints contained within it. The letter claims Pavlock has abused his power, covered up allegations of sexual harassment, isn’t doing his job and isn’t reporting the true cost of a garden in Smethport that is worked by inmates of the county jail. “I did not write the letter. I don’t know who did,” Hauser said on Sunday. Also over the weekend, Judge William F. Morgan, a retired
Judge Christopher Hauser
Judge John Pavlock
Pavlock explained that 10 years ago, when he was seeking the bench, he faced off in a hotly contested race against Hauser. “When Judge Hauser was elected as our 2nd Judge, I thought that our prior race was behind us and was ready to move forward,” Pavlock said. “Regretfully, Judge Hauser was not able to move forward. At times the animosity subsides and I truly believed we had moved forward, but then it would resurface.” Hauser said on Sunday that to his knowledge Pavlock “has done nothing in the performance of his judicial duties” to warrant removal from the bench. “I know of no complaints regarding his decision making.” But Hauser pointed out that other people who worked for the county had made comments to The Era “that things aren’t as they should be at the courthouse.” In his response, sent earlier
senior judge of Warren and Forest counties, sent a lengthy statement to The Era saying the allegations against Pavlock are politically motivated, unfair and untrue. According to Morgan, “The reader of the recent articles must look at his record and of his performance as a judge in order to see through the accusations and realize that his honesty and integrity cannot be questioned.” Rita Porterfield, former law clerk to Hauser, has spoken to The Era regarding allegations against Pavlock, saying the complaints are true. At least four others involved in McKean County’s government or court system did as well, but declined to give their names on the record. In Pavlock’s response to the Era, he accuses Porterfield, who now lives in southern Pennsylvania, of being a mouthpiece for “those that type ‘anonymous’ at the end of their false claims.”
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in the day on Sunday, Pavlock addressed specific complaints alleged by Porterfield and the letter, including his alleged interference in Porterfield getting a pay raise. “When (Hauser’s) clerk, Rita Porterfield, did not get the raise she immediately demanded, he assumed it was me preventing it — although I actually lobbied the salary board to grant her one,” Pavlock said. “When there was an opening for a deputy court administrator and five candidates applied, (Hauser) was furious that his longtime personal secretary was not hired. “He and others would not, and have not, accepted that the best candidate for the position was hired,” Pavlock continued. “So the regrettable answer to the question of why this is happening, now, mere days before the retention election, and not months and years ago when these asserted failures were occurring, is that there is an effort here by Judge Hauser and those that support him, including his very close personal ally and friend, Rita Porterfield, to put Judge Hauser in charge.” Regarding a claim of lowering a female law clerk’s salary after she had been offered, and accepted, a position, Pavlock said, “Judge Hauser had made an offer to hire a law clerk without first advising me of that amount or obtaining approval from the salary board for it. It would have been thousands of dollars more than what any other law clerk
had ever been paid in McKean County.” However, Pavlock agreed to request a rate of pay for the clerk that was higher than what the male clerk was being paid, he explained. Pavlock addressed an allegation about a male employee being allowed to retire when discrimination complaints had been raised against him. First, the judge said, he cannot address specific personnel issues. Outside of that, he said, “I can’t tell anyone they can’t retire.” “However, as indicated before, if complaints of discrimination are raised, they are fully investigated and action is taken,” he said. Regarding the 3G Garden, supervisor Mike Barnard said the garden’s staff and Adult Probation are the ones doing reports. And participants in the program have done work at the courthouse and other county sites to save money, and have done many more tasks as well. Morgan also defended the program: “As to the complaints made regarding the garden to which incarcerated persons and probationers are assigned, the purpose is not to train them in the specific farm and garden work. Instead, the purpose is to train people who have never had employment on how to devote themselves to accomplishing tasks and taking on responsibilities and to help them to realize the satisfaction that comes from successfully performing in employment.”
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