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Youngstown law director ousts top aide
YOUNGSTOWN
A second senior assistant law director will leave his post today as part of “significant changes” in the prosecutor’s office, said the city’s law director.
Senior assistant law director John Marsh was told Thursday that today will be his last day on the job, said Law Director Anthony Farris.
The decision comes about a week after senior assistant law director Bret Hartup and city prosecutor Jay Macejko were dismissed.
“We’re not attempting to attribute any fault to [Marsh]. This is not related to any investigation. It’s just our belief that we need to make significant changes in the prosecutor’s office and that entails a change in personnel,” said Law Director Anthony Farris.
Former assistant law director Dana Lantz was chosen to replace Macejko as city prosecutor last week.
No replacements have been named yet for Hartup or Marsh.
“If you change one or two people, you don’t change the status quo. We want Ms. Lantz to be able to put her own stamp on this office,” Farris said.
Farris said he and Lantz likely will make recommendations to Mayor Charles Sammarone next week.
“Ultimately, it is [the mayor’s] decision,” Farris said.
Macejko and Hartup were at the center of an investigation into a controversial text message that was sent in 2009 and became a key component of an internal city investigation into the fallout from a federal discrimination lawsuit, filed against the city by Bassil Ally, an assistant city prosecutor.
City officials would not say the text message was reason for the firing of Macejko and Hartup.
During a news conference last week, Sammarone said he dismissed Macejko because: “The actions displayed in the prosecutor’s office do not meet my standards.”