Former chairman’s appeal rejected
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Former Washington County Democratic Committeeman Milan Marinkovich has until the end of today to present information on why his 2011 dismissal from the post should be overturned or his appeal will be denied, the state Superior Court ordered last month.
Marinkovich was removed from his seat on the committee in 2011 after a lengthy legal battle that mandated he turn over all financial records from 2002 to 2008 after he lost his re-election bid for the chairman’s post.
Marinkovich declined comment on the Superior Court’s decision and would not say whether he planned to file anything at the Washington County prothonotary’s office by the Friday deadline. Nothing had been filed in the prothonotary’s office by late Thursday afternoon.
The court found Marinkovich must write a letter on “why the appeal should not be dismissed” and send it to the prothonotary’s office addressed to both the trial judge and opposing lawyer.
“Failure to comply with this order may result in dismissal of the appeal without further notice,” the order reads.
James Jeffries, who is the lawyer representing the Washington County Democratic Committee, could not be reached for comment.
Marinkovich spent 40 years on the committee before he was formally disqualified from service in October 2011. He was held in contempt in July 2011 by Washington County Judge John DiSalle for not turning over the required documents and failing to show for court hearings.
Current committee Chairman George Vitteck took over the top position from Marinkovich in January 2008 and requested financial reports from the previous years when Marinkovich headed the committee. Marinkovich never turned them over and claimed they had been destroyed, sparking the legal battle.
But a month later, the court ordered that records, including checkbooks, canceled checks, bank statements and all other documentation be seized and given to the committee. The committee recovered two computers, a committee checkbook and extra checks, deposit tickets and one bank statement.
DiSalle found that Marinkovich violated the elections code and misappropriated committee funds. However, Marinkovich has claimed DiSalle’s ruling against him was politically motivated because Marinkovich actively campaigned against DiSalle when he ran for judge in 2005.
The committee disqualified Marinkovich from serving after DiSalle’s ruling.