SUNBURY - The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) issue continues to escalate with suggestions of involvement of "investigative agencies" and a reminder to county employees of their "ethical and moral responsibilities to report any wrongdoing."
"We can assure the public that these matters will not be swept under the rug and that the appropriate investigative agencies will be notified," Northumberland County Chief Clerk Gary Steffen said in a media release on behalf of Northumberland County commissioners Tuesday afternoon.
Last week, the commissioners informed CASA Director Judy Jones and a part-time case manager that they had until Jan. 20 to find a new office.
The move was not politically motivated and the commissioners received "unsolicited reports and complaints concerning the interaction of county agencies" with Northumberland County Judge Charles Saylor, Steffen said.
The commissioners are not infringing upon the independence of the judicial system and Saylor's claims last week about their political motivations are "hyperbole," he said.
"We are mindful about interfering with the judiciary and it's not our purpose to comment about Judge Saylor personally or professionally. Our actions regarding the removal of CASA from the courthouse office was precipitated by a need to protect the integrity of a county agency that is part of the executive branch," Steffen said.
Vendetta
Meanwhile, Saylor maintains his theory that Michael Robinson, who serves as solicitor for Children and Youth Services, influenced county commissioners Vinny Clausi and Merle Phillips to remove the CASA office from the courthouse as a vendetta against him for a previous court ruling.
"There are absolutely no wrong doings. Someone made a complaint. Children and Youth Services did not like my ruling and they took the matter to the commissioners. That's highly improper," Saylor said Tuesday.
The agency wants someone to "rubber stamp" anything they do, he said.
"They're trying to intimidate us. They're masking their own failings in serving the children of this county," he said.
Saylor said he has 10 years worth of experience and applies the rules of the court to the facts and circumstances of certain cases in his decisions.
"To run to the commissioners, and they kick out CASA because they don't want to be subject to the court's oversight, it's absolute a flagrant abuse of the agency and the commissioners," he said.
As of Tuesday night, Robinson had not returned telephone calls made to his Sunbury office seeking comment.
Clausi said Tuesday he would not offer any more explanation beyond the press release.
In the media release, Steffen said the issue was a personnel matter and any disclosure would be a violation of privacy.
Furthermore, he added, "The public has a right to know about the conduct of county officials and employees. However, it would not be prudent to divulge information that has not yet been thoroughly vetted by a neutral and unbiased investigative body. We will ultimately be respectful of any findings made by the proper authorities."
'Stay tuned'
A representative of the state Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts was unable to offer an opinion due to the timing of the release Tuesday afternoon.
In the meantime, Steffen said, the commissioners will carry out their responsibilities.
"We remind those who work for the county of their ethical and moral responsibilities to report on any wrong doing," Steffen said.
Clausi had little to say when asked whether the commissioners would release the details if an investigative agency offered conclusive results.
"Stay tuned," he said.
The national CASA program that provides volunteer advocates for neglected and abused children in the court system was established three years ago in the county by Saylor, who handles custody cases.
The program was launched with a grant from Parent to Parent Connections and has been funded with private donations and contributions from the national CASA organization and Northumberland County Bar Association.