The Philadelphia Register of Wills office was described as the “patronage of the Oasis”, which acts outside the civil service system based on merits.
“Political Favorite”, as the former candidate put it, in which the leaders of the Democratic Party and the donors of the campaign send their friends to work.
Or, according to the words of one government supervision authority, “an avid appendix of the city’s government.”
And it was before things became messy – and costly. The city is currently in the face of an avalanche of lawsuits regarding the practices of employing an office in recent years. However, patronage Employment continues.
A relatively unclear office, the WILLS register issues marriage licenses and processes records related to heritage from the first floor of the town hall. For 40 years he was led by Ronald R. Donatucci, leader of the Democratic Department from Southern Philly.
But in 2019, Donatucci was defeated in Democratic Primary by Tracey Gordon, a former deputy commissioner of the city. Then Gordon, after only one term, was removed in 2023 by the democrat of John Sabatina Sr., real estate lawyer and leader Northeast Philadelphia Ward.
Taxpayers find out how costly the patronage can be – especially when repetitive changes in leadership appear in such a highly politicized office.
Until now, the city has paid $ 400,000 to four former employees of Gordon who claim that they were released for not transferring money to a re -election campaign or supported it in a politically.
And legal costs can still grow under Sabatina.
Over the past four months, 10 former WILLS Office employees have sued the city, claiming that Sabatina released them illegally when he took office in January 2024 to make room for his supporters.
Inquirer of City Records analysis shows that Sabatina – which as a candidate criticized “Poor practices of employing and shooting” Gordon – since then they have brought dozens of up-to-date employees, including three democratic departments; 10 people of the Committee; Wives of two other committees; daughter of a deceased member of the city council; and the granddaughter of the former State representative.
»Read more: The employee’s lawsuit is aimed at aiming at the Philly Register of Wills office again
This means that so far at least half of Sabatina has something to do with the Local Democratic Party. Many also come from the north -eastern part of Philly Philly.
Sabatina and city lawyers refused to comment, citing lively court disputes.
In court files, the city denied the offense, saying that the decisions of Sabatina staff “were not motivated by such a racial, retaliation or other political motive.”
But Timothy Creech, a lawyer representing nine employees dismissed Sabatina, said that the last employment decisions seem to show differently.
“It’s quite glaring,” he said. “Location created by Donatucci will persevere.”
History of patronage
At the end of last year, he employed 102 people in the Wills Office register, with an annual budget of around $ 5.2 million. Most taxpayers interact with employees only if they get married or die relatively.
The office is a remnant from the times when Philadelphia had a separate government of the Fountains, and the position remains independently selected, along with other so -called government offices, such as sheriff and city commissioners.
Donatucci, who died in 2020, was a earnest lawyer of the venerable school patronage system in the office. He claimed that it was better than the civil service, which is based on the employment of the city on normalized tests and other professional certificates.
“If there was a problem with an employee who is recommended, say the leader of the ward, there is no one to call them a godmother or godmother and say,” better tell them to get worse, “Donatucci said for Inquirer in 2015. At that time, the 63-person pay for the office included six leaders of democratic branches and 21 committees.
The WILLS register has a wide freedom in connection with the employment and dismissal of office employees. However, lawsuits against Sabatin claim that because he runs the government, he violated their rights to the first amendment of freedom of speech and the association – in particular their right to support Gordon or anyone at all.
“The unpopular reason is that he wanted to bring people who were politically committed to him,” said Creech, who compares Sabatina to the boss of the party in the style of “Tammany Hall”, reference to reference to There was a political machine in New York. “Did he explain this department because they were terrible employees? Of course not. “
Michael Foreman, Professor Penn State Law, who teaches discrimination courses in employment, said only because a government official is entitled to fight employees, does not make him a healthy politics. Wholesale endings can lead to loss of institutional knowledge.
“You intend to set a precedent for the next person to do the same,” said Foreman. “Do you really want your government to work?”
“Local 98 wanted you to finish”
The Seventy Committee, the Government Group from Philadelphia, has been pressing for years to reform or eliminate three offices in the city-registration city, sheriff and city commissioners-and submits them to the government of the city or the judicial system.
“These are the basic services of the city. There is simply no reason for them to be elected separately – said Andrew McGinley, the Committee of the Vice President of the Seventy for external matters. “The cost of taxpayers is huge. It’s hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements, and they just unnecessarily transfer people to work. “
A lawsuit from 2023 filed by a democratic leader of the 57th Northern Branch Philly shows how the WILLS Office register and the city Democratic apparatus are intertwined and how it can cost taxpayers.
Patrick Parkinson was employed by Donatucci in 2016 to serve as a deputy and then released by Gordon in 2022, allegedly because he refused to transfer a donation to her campaign.
In his lawsuit, Parkinson said that Gordon also pressed to organize a meeting between her and the chairman of the Democratic Filadelphia Party Bob Brady, a former congressman, and “supported her politically” during this meeting.
It takes place during lunch at the local headquarters of the Democratic Party, Tete-a-Tete transformed into a screaming match between Gordon and Brady.
Text messages mentioned between the supporter of Parkinson and Gordon Kevin Price after this fiery meeting, introduced as evidence confirming in the Parkinson lawsuit, refer to the efforts of both Brady and even the international brotherhood of electrical employees Local Trade Union 98 to exert influence on office workers.
“Congressmen [Brady] He was nervous [Gordon] Because of fighting Ward leaders … Tracey feels humiliated and disregarded because you let another man shout at her and never try to protect her! “Price wrote to Parkinson in 2022. “She was behind [you] When the local 98 wanted you to finish! “
When Sabatina took the office in January 2024, Parkinson was employed for an administrative role in the amount of USD 93,000 per year, along with other departments leaders and the Committee, results from the files.
Then, in November 2024, the city paid Parkinson $ 120,000 to resolve its unlawful case on the basis of Gordon.
A single -party city
Ross Feinberg, a Republican who spoke against Donatucci in 2015, said that the WILLS register has no motivation to change. The huge edge of registration of voters in Philadelphia seriously limits the republican influence in the town hall.
“When there are no real controls and balances, this happens,” said Feinberg, who during his campaign held information conferences outside the Wills register, calling him to be abolished and submitted in the judicial system.
The City Council showed a slight appetite for the reform of government offices, which would probably require amendment to the home rules of the city’s home. And when the member of the Isaiah Thomas council summed up Gordon with questions about real estate titles entangled during virtual interrogation in 2022, she did not take it well.
Gordon for the first time told the council that he needed a break because she felt “harassed” and thrown by Thomas, Metro reported then.
Then, forgetting about the silence of the microphone, she said: “This guy is terrible. F— Go. “
CONFIRMATION
