September 16, 2014
BATH, NY – Today in Steuben County Surrogate Court, North Hornell Village Trustee Frank Libordi and Larry “Hot Dog” Stephens, appeared in front of Steuben County Judge Marianne Furfure. Stephens is back as part of the lawsuit, which seeks to remove Ken Isaman from being Town Supervisor. Libordi and Stephens, who had no attorney to represent them, argued that Isaman may have had a conflict, in receiving residuals from the Sweeney Insurance Agency, for selling insurance.
In the courtroom, Stephens and Libordi maintained that it was allegedly a conflict if Isaman was benefiting from his job at the Sweeney Agency, while Isaman was serving as Steuben County Risk Manager. Isaman resigned from being risk manager on August 28th, shortly after the original lawsuit was filed by Stephens and Libordi, to have Isaman step down from either the risk manager’s job or the town supervisor’s position.
The lawsuit has been amended to have Isaman stop being Hornellsville Supervisor, because Libordi and Stephens believe that Isaman still may be getting paid by the Sweeney Insurance Agency. Isaman’s attorney Joe Pelych said that if there was a conflict, it should have been solved by the Steuben County Board of Elections in 2004. In the courtroom, Libordi kept saying that Isaman was getting residuals, and Judge Furfure said more than once, that there was no evidence for that, and that she cannot make a ruling based on a belief.
Libordi said that he cannot order the Sweeney Agency to provide the paperwork. Judge Furfure told Stephens and Libordi that they had no proof that Isaman was getting paid by the Sweeney Agency, and that she would not be able to rule on that issue The judge also said she will make her decision in writing. The County Attorney, Alan Reed, said Stephens and Libordi’s case has a lack of evidence.
Neither Libordi or Stephens would not comment on the case, but expressed their dislike of the radio station to our reporter outside the court, before the case was heard.
