NEWS RELEASE

Posted: Oct. 31, 2002

STATE GOP: GORDON RETALIATION BLATANT

WILMINGTON -- Republican Party Chairman Everett Moore expressed disgust over recent revelations that New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon and Chief Administrative Officer Sherry Freebery “reassigned” their executive assistants to the Bear Library when they agreed to testified before a federal grand jury investigating the county. 

The two aides, Lynda Maloney and her sister Marie Rendina, demonstrated sound judgment by hiring their own attorney after being subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. Two days before they testified, they were both reassigned to the Bear Library – they started their new assignment the day after their testimony was heard. Mrs. Maloney has worked for the county for 13 years and has served as executive assistant to Sherry Freebery for more than five years. Mrs. Rendina has worked in Wilmington’s City/County Building for Tom Gordon for more than three years. 

“This kind of blatant retaliation is the political equivalent of exile to Siberia,” Chairman Moore said. “I had no idea Tom Gordon and Sherry Freebery could be this vindictive.” 

New Castle County spokesperson D.J. Guthrie Carter was quoted in Delaware Grapevine  saying there was nothing punitive in transferring Lynda Maloney and Marie Rendina from their administrative positions to stocking shelves. 

“E.A.s [executive assistants] get reassigned all the time,” she said. “All of us have done something other than our current assignment.” 

“They actually expect us to believe that?” Chairman Moore asked. “This reassignment was clearly meant as both retaliation and as a warning to other county employees.” 

Chairman Moore said the actions taken by Gordon and Freebery are particularly reprehensible because of their targets. 

“Lynda Maloney is a respected member of the community,” Chairman Moore said. “She was a pillar of support for her late husband, especially while he served as Mayor of Wilmington. Her hard work and principled ethics are well-known by many in the state.” 

Chairman Moore called on New Castle County Council to rein Gordon in to protect other county employees from his wrath.

“This cannot be allowed to continue,” Chairman Moore said. “This is clearly a situation where people who believe in good government need to take a stand.”

RETURN TO MORE NEWS RELEASES

RETURN TO COVER PAGE