The City of Bayonne settled a federal whistleblower lawsuit with a former City Hall employee for $125,000 last month, documents show.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“The NJIIF shall deliver to counsel for Plaintiff a check in the lump sum amount of $125,000 (the “Settlement Sum”). The check in payment of the Settlement Sum shall be made payable to ‘the Trust Account of Bruno, Gerbino, Soriano & Aitken as attorneys for Patrick J. Leonard,'” the seven-page settlement agreement says.
Leonard’s suit had been lingering since July 2016, alleged various illegal business transactions by the city and that he suffered the administration’s wrath for reporting them.
For example, Leonard said he told the state Division of Local Government Services that three council members were illegally receiving health benefits from the city in June 2015.
Less than two months later, Council members Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski, Sal Gullace and Gary La Pelusa ceased receiving health benefits from the city.
He also claimed that former Business Administrator Joe DeMarco essentially ran the city and only gave contracts and jobs to a small group of politically connected people.
At a fiery speech at a council meeting in October 2015, he came out hard against DeMarco and the culture at City Hall, even claiming that he saw the then-business administrator take a $5,000 bribe.
As part of the settlement, DeMarco will receive $3,000 from Leonard to resolve a countersuit alleging defamation.
“Plaintiff...
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