Fired Staffer Sues State Ethics Comm'n, Claims Retaliation Over Lawyer Moonlighting Complaint
Corrected: Two Georgia attorneys reportedly were operating a private law practice at the same time that they held full-time positions as staff lawyers at the State Ethics Commission.
And after another employee blew the whistle on the alleged moonlighting on state time and using state resources, she was the one who was fired, says Jennifer Ward, formerly the commission’s human resources and budget director, in a complaint filed in Fulton County Superior Court.
Thomas Plank Jr., who was now a legal counsel at the agency but was acting director of the commission and fired Ward during that tenure, said he didn’t fire her in retaliation for her complaint, but otherwise declined to comment. His partner, Yasha Heidari, is no longer with the commission and said he and Plank did nothing wrong, recounts the Daily Report in an article reprinted in New York Lawyer (reg. req.).
Representing Ward is partner A. Lee Parks Jr. of Parks Chesin & Walbert, who expresses doubt about this explanation. “I don’t see how they could operate a private practice and be full-time state employees,” he tells the legal publication. “Most law firms I’m familiar with don’t operate at night.”
Corrected July 16 to correctly state that Thomas Plank is a former and not current acting director of the commission.
