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Wolf vows to appeal ruling he overstepped powers on firing

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is vowing to appeal a state appeals court ruling that says he overstepped his powers when he fired the director of Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records.

The Commonwealth Court on Wednesday ordered Erik Arneson returned to the job with back pay and benefits.

Wolf spokesman Jeffrey Sheridan says the governor was within his rights to dismiss Erik Arneson and disagrees with the court’s decision

Wolf fired the longtime Republican Senate aide just days after he became the executive director of the Office of Open Records.

Arneson’s lawyers argued that lawmakers made it clear in the Right-to-Know Law that they wanted the job to be independent of the governor.

Wolf’s lawyers argued decades of state court precedent backed its position that the firing was within his authority.

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