Former elections director speaks out
CRANBERRY TWP — Aaron Sheasley, the county’s former elections director, claimed in an interview that his termination was for “vague” reasons he believes are wholly separate from his job performance.
The county, through a contracted labor attorney, said Sheasley’s version of events is “not accurate.”
Sheasley said he was asked on April 1 to attend a meeting with county commissioners at a coffee and cigar club in Cranberry Township. When he arrived, however, he claims an attorney for the county was present, but not the commissioners.
“It was made clear to me in that meeting that he was there on behalf of the commissioners,” Sheasley said of the attorney, whom he declined to name but said was not county solicitor Wil White.
The lawyer, according to Sheasley, told the then-director he was there to discuss Sheasley’s “resignation.” Sheasley said he “did not resign” and offered to stay through the May 17 primary election.
“It would never occur to me to leave my position a month before an election, any election,” he said, saying doing so would feel “irresponsible.”
But the county had different ideas, according to Sheasley. He was told his employment was terminated, that he was not to return to the Butler County Government Center as director of elections and that he was not to have any contact with his staff.
Shortly after the meeting, Sheasley said, he received a letter via certified mail formally notifying him of his firing. Sheasley declined to share the letter with the Eagle.
“It appeared to me (to have been) very quickly put together,” he said of the letter, claiming it was “very short and contained very little specific information.”
Christopher Gabriel, a public sector employment attorney representing the county, disputed Sheasley’s characterization of events.
“Mr. Sheasley knows the reasons for his employment separation, no one demanded he sign or agree to anything and nothing about the process through which his service to the county ended was wrong,” Gabriel said in a statement provided to the Eagle. “Butler County will not comment on this matter further.”
Gabriel said the county, as a public employer, “has limitations on what it is able to say publicly about any personnel matter.” Leslie Osche, county commissioners chairwoman, said the county does not publicly discuss personnel issues.
Sheasley said he couldn’t imagine any reason the county would fire him, saying his tenure at the Bureau of Elections was successful.
“We did a lot of great things together,” he said.
Across Pennsylvania, according to Sheasley, the turnover rate for directors of elections is “very high,” partly as a result of county elections offices coming “under attack” in recent votes. But Sheasley said he didn’t want to be part of that statistic, saying he intended to stay on at his position as long as possible.
“I had hoped, some day, to retire from this position,” Sheasley said. “It’s troubling, but also perplexing.”
