More lawyers lose pension benefits
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- July
- 22
DiNapoli just announced that he revoked one attorney’s membership and rescinded service credit of four others in the state pension system. The actions came as part of a continuing investigation of attorneys who are being reported as employees of school districts and municipalities and have been receiving pension benefits as a result. Â
Lawyers who are the subject of today’s announcement are all from upstate, but the problem is statewide, the comptroller said. Previously, DiNapoli rescinded the two Long Island attorneys’ pensions and suspended the membership or retirement service credit of 18 others.
  “This issue affects every level of local government across the state … We’re going to make sure taxpayers aren’t stuck paying for pensions for people who shouldn’t receive them,” DiNapoli said in a statement.
  Attorney Bruce McKeegan had his membership revoked. He lost three years of service credit from the Delhi Central School District and 1.7 years of service credit from the Town of Andes. Both are in Delaware County. McKeegan did not have an office with the school district or set work hours. The town did not keep time sheets for him or specify how he should perform his work, according to DiNapoli’s office.
  The lawyers who had their service credit rescinded did not have set work hours, permanent offices in the district or timesheets documenting their work, DiNapoli said:
  —Richard Frye was incorrectly reported as an employee with the Whitesboro Central School District in Oneida County from 1980 to the present.
  —Jeffrey Martin was reported as an employee of the Holley Central School District in Orleans County and received 2.3 years of service credit. Before asking the district to report him as an employee, he contracted with the district for 17 years.Â
  —Joseph Lavorando was incorrectly reported as a part-time employee of the Beekmantown Central School District in Clinton County for 18 years and full time for the past three years.
  —Paul Callahan was incorrectly reported as a part-time employee over a 25-year period. He resigned from the district in March.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 12:07 pm by Cara Matthews.
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School district and most municipalities hire attorneys through a bid process. These firms are large and gives the municipality the expertise of the attorney group. They are NOT salaried employees on the payroll for a budgeted position. Shame on these attorneys.
Now…are schools getting BACK THE MONEY THEY PAID OUT FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS OF RETIREMENT BILLING THEY WERE CHARGED???????? TAXPAYERS SHOULD BE OUTRAGED.
SECONDED!
and don’t stop there. let us hope they keep digging and digging and digging throughout the whole state right down to the tippy tip tip of NYC !
Agreed!