Mary Frangipanni's Political Notebook

Former Republican State Senate staffer Margaret Stuski is suing her old boss, ex-State Sen. Bruce Marks and his law firm of Specter, Gadon and Rosen for legal fees she claims are owed to her for her work on Marks' lawsuit against Bill Stinson.

Stuski may also file a wrongful termination suit against Marks and the GOP members of the State Senate. She is accusing Marks of unjustly firing her in June, 1994, from her chief of staff position after the two argued over Marks' handling of his vote on House bill #185.

Papers are expected to be filed by Stuski's attorneys at the firm of Bongiovanni and Berger later this week. Stuski is seeking $79,712.50, which she says includes unpaid fees and court costs. Stuski claims Marks owes her for 455.8 hours of legal work she did on his case against former 2nd District State Sen. Stinson in Federal Election Court. Marks sued Stinson, a Democrat, for election fraud.

Stuski, an attorney and longtime GOP committeewoman from the Northwood section of Philadelphia, worked for two years as deputy director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection under former Attorney General Ernie Preate,and later became a lobbyist in Harrisburg for the Community Bankers Association. According to Stuski, she became acquainted with Marks when he approached her lobbying firm for donations for U.S. Senator Arlen Specter; Marks was head of his Finance Committee.

When Marks lost to Stinson that November and demanded a recount of the votes, Stuski says Marks asked for her help for two reasons: She is fluent in Spanish and able to communicate with members of the Latino community (who were also plaintiffs in the case), and because she knows election law.

Stuski agreed to help Marks, and her employer, the Community Banker's Association, approved — keeping Senate Republicans in leadership benefitted the lobbying firm.

When Marks won in federal court, all bills for the attorneys involved in the case were submitted to the court.

Judge Clarence Newcomer knocked her fee down to $50,000 citing that Specter, Gadon and Rosen had overbilled the court, which passed the judgment onto city taxpayers.

On July 31,1995, the City of Philadelphia paid $999,999 to Specter, Gadon and Rosen. After Stuski's attorneys spent months calling the law firm requesting payment, Specter, Gadon and Rosen offered her much less than the $50,000 Judge Newcomer had awarded. According to Stuski, who cannot divulge the proposed settlement, she refused the amount and insisted on being paid what she was owed.

Marks said this is not his problem

"That is between her and the law firm," said Marks last week. "I had asked her to bill her fees to the law firm like the other attorneys involved in the case. I imagine though, that she is dissatisfied with the amount they are paying her, but again, that is between them, I had nothing to do with it."

After the court declared Marks Senator, Stuski says that he asked her to stay on in the Senate office. Stuski agreed to stay and help Marks get elected to a full four-year term, but just until November and only if she could serve as his chief of staff. According to Stuski, Marks agreed. She also maintains that he knew she wanted to return to Philadelphia eventually run for office herself.

In June, 1994, during the vote for the Ryan Commission Recommendations on Assault Weapons — House bill #185, that the Stuski-Marks relationship changed. According to Stuski, Marks received a call from Jon Mirowitz, who was running against State Rep. Bill Reiger (D-Phila.), to ask him to vote in favor of the bill. Marks agreed, says Stuski, and asked her if she knew which way Sen. Vincent Fumo was going to vote. Stuski told Marks that according to Fumo's staff, his plans were to lead the floor debate in favor of the bill also. Marks immediately decided to take the opposite position, says Stuski, because he wanted the press coverage to help him get re-elected.

Later, says Stuski, she criticized Marks for not fulfilling his promise to Mirowitz and Marks fired her.

After Marks fired her, according to Stuski, Chief Counsel of the Senate Steve MacNett told her she could stay on in the Senate, who then assigned her to the Rolf Larsen impeachment case.

The day after after Marks lost the election that November to Democratic challenger, Tina Tartaglione, Stuski says MacNett fired her also, giving her no reasonable explanation.

"I never hired or fired her," Marks responded. "She was hired by the Senate and paid by them. They later retained her for the Rolf Larsen case and let her go after I had left office."

Marks declined to comment on any discussion with Stuski involving bill #185 and Fumo.

According to Stuski, she almost went through personal bankruptcy after everything was over but has re-grouped. She is now part-owner of Team Dodge on North Broad Street and corporate council for BLM Group. Stuski changed her party affiliation to Democrat, has moved back to Philadelphia, found a new job and intends to run for office soon.

Marks moved to Lower Merion, he says, to improve the quality of his family's life. He is currently involved with the re-election campaign of Congressman Jon Fox. "I have no reason to stay in Philadelphia," says Marks. "The voters made their decision."

What A Guy

Guy Ciarrocchi, former GOP activist has a new career with the Catholic Church. Ciarrocchi, whose last political stint was to run against State Rep. Robert Donatucci (D-Phila.) a few years back, has taken a position with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as their director of public affairs. Ciarrocchi has left his position as director of finance for State Sen. Melissa Hart (R-Allegheny); his wife Christine, had considered running against Councilwoman AnnaVerna last year but dropped out, citing conflict with her new employer.

Oops

In last week's column it was incorrectly reported that John O'Connell has assumed some of the responsibilities of Florence Cohen who recently retired from the chief of staff position for her husband, Councilman David Cohen. It is Julie O'Connell, John's wife, who serves in that capacity.