resigned under duress

[Sweetness]

Good Day Officers!
My friend is a police officer who exercised his right to support a political candidate last election, during off-duty hours, not in uniform, and not overtly.
The reigning mayor lost his bid for re-election. As a last show of power, the outgoing mayor and outgoing city council took political vengeance against him and demanded his resignation. Among the fabricated charges against him were patrolling at night with his lights out, running a stop sign, and writing reports in bad handwriting. He reminded his Chief of his right to go before the Council, but the Chief told him that if he exercised that right, the council would vote to fire him.
We consulted an attorney who said this was common, and told him he could likely win if he sued, but the up-front money was prohibitive. He tendered his resignation the next day.
He had in the works a job with the state. It was to come through any day now. Days turned to weeks, which turned to months. He had, in the interim applied at other LE agencies and private sector jobs. He also applied for unemplyment benefits. The local unemployment agency called him as a part of the investigation on a Monday. On Tuesday, he received a notice of denial of benefits. I suspect the local caseworker had already sent a denial to the State Capitol, and was simply doing a CYA.
He now has been hired by the State, and is afraid of appealing the decision for fear that it will somehow jeapordize his new job. Yet he has 12 weeks' of benefits he can legally and rightfully claim to pay bills accumulated while waiting for the State job to come through.
Can anyone out there put him straight???

[Piggy]

Probably an attorney could help. Too many variables for anyone here to make a decision.

[kels]

With the facts as presented, he has nothing to worry about.
Appeal the denial. The worst thing that happens is it is denied again.
LEOs have been faced these type of politics forever.

[jvale00]

In CA they have PORAC an organization that assists officers in difficult circumstances. Probably an attorney would be his best bet.

[Sweetness]

Thank you for your kind responses. In addition to this, there was politicking going on inside the police department prior to the election by candidates themselves, promises of employment for friends of officers were made in return for votes, and the patrol officers were all given a packet of campaign cards to be distrbuted during their shifts. My friend showed me the stack he was to distribute, and I was actually handed a card by a sheriff's deputy when he came by my house on duty.

[Stan Switek]

Its a known fact that if you openly support the person who ends up losing or you yourself run against an incumbant & lose, you are dog meat. Welcome to law enforcement.

[Sweetness]

I agree Stan, except he backed the winning horse. The incumbants (mayor and city councilmen) who lost forced him to resign as a last show of power.
The winner he backed (with $$$) seemed to forget him afterward.
The new mayor encouraged him to claim unemployment benefits and said the City would not contest it. When Officer Friendly received a denial of benefits, the new mayor told him to "just let it go". What a pal.

So anyway, he's now incurred more than $3,000 in unpaid bills (rent, utilities, loan to back the challenger, etc.), has just begun his new job with the State, has yet to receive his first paycheck, and is petrified about filing an appeal. He thinks somehow it will adversely affect his new position. :confused:
And he just pawned his GLOCK last week! :mad:

[wcso234]

Live by the Vote


Die by the Vote

[Stan Switek]

I would have refused to resign.

[Twelve Volt Man]

So anyway, he's now incurred more than $3,000 in unpaid bills (rent, utilities, loan to back the challenger, etc.), has just begun his new job with the State, has yet to receive his first paycheck, and is petrified about filing an appeal. He thinks somehow it will adversely affect his new position. :confused:
And he just pawned his GLOCK last week! :mad:

No offense to your friend, but why would anyone BORROW money to fund a local political campaign? Furthermore, if he took out a loan to fund the campaign, why not take out a loan to pay an attorney for a lawsuit that he "could ilkely win?" This just seems odd to me.

[Big Sexy]

BIG was unaware that these

Among the fabricated charges against him were patrolling at night with his lights out, running a stop sign

were enough justification to fire someone. Especially this poor excuse.

and writing reports in bad handwriting.

:confused: :confused:

[Retired Trooper]

He should not have quit. I also don't think that he will get nothing but possibly his job back where he will be miserable and quit again anyways. His best bet is to look to other agencies. This is common practice. When you play policitcs anything can happen.

[chiefhuntr]

BIG was unaware that these were enough justification to fire someone. Especially this poor excuse.

If this were the case in my office, I would be fired for sure.


On a side note, You might have him try doing his reports on a computer as the handwriting is not a factor when doing so.

[cntryboy0531]

Need to get a lawyer.

[Creeker]

He might want to consider helping out the next candidate, with a testimonial about how true blue this candidate has been.

I know Kentucky does some strange things, but I didn't think they were quite this backwards.

I'm thinking there's some things not in evidence.