Resident alleges election director withheld records; commissioners to review documents

Devin Ryan Maresca, a Newcastle resident, told the Lawrence County Board of Commissioners during public comment that he had been blocked from obtaining older statements of financial interest and accused the county's election director, Tim Germani, of obstructing Right-to-Know requests and discouraging disclosure.

"I have a problem with our election director, Tim Germani," Maresca said, adding that he and other residents were given boilerplate denials and that he had reported the matter to the Office of the Attorney General. He described what he called "a pattern of abuse" and said local party leadership and state officials were aware of his concerns.

The matter drew an immediate response from the commissioners. The chair thanked Maresca for sending documents in advance, said the board would review the written materials and the comments made at the meeting, and promised the resident "a response from us in writing" after consulting with the county's primary solicitor, Mr. Madore. The chair also explained that, under county code, the three commissioners act as the county's Board of Elections except when a commissioner is a candidate, at which point judicial appointees serve in their stead.

Maresca said he had used Right-to-Know request procedures to seek statements of financial interest and that he was told some older forms were not retained while others were provided, a discrepancy he said was ‘‘selective’’ and troubling. He told the board he had provided the county solicitor and administrators copies of his correspondence and urged the commissioners to investigate oversight of voter services.

The board did not vote on or otherwise take formal enforcement action at the meeting. Instead, commissioners said they would review the submitted materials with the county solicitor and follow up in writing. The chair noted the county code provisions governing the Board of Elections' composition and responsibilities as context for the inquiry.

No additional evidentiary findings were announced during the session; the board's next procedural step, per the chair's statement, is an internal review with the solicitor and a written reply to Maresca.