Lower Saucon council members file disciplinary complaint against township solicitor

LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — Lower Saucon Councilman Jason Banonis said he had never before filed a disciplinary action against a fellow lawyer, but this time he and Councilman Thomas Carocci were “left with no choice.”

The two have reported to the Disciplinary Board of the state Supreme Court that new township solicitor Steven Goudsouzian — who was interim solicitor before a party-line vote of 3-2 on Wednesday — has allegedly been misrepresenting the township in several capacities since he took the role in January.

Goudsouzian replaced Mark Freed, who was brought on to replace longtime township solicitor B. Lincoln Treadwell but lasted only 16 days in the position.

Banonis and Carocci also moved to fire Goudsouzian, but that vote failed, 3-2.

Joinder brief

Back in April, Bethlehem Landfill attorney Maryanne Garber told council that Goudsouzian had filed a joinder brief on behalf of the township regarding pending litigation with the dump, essentially looking to join the plaintiffs in the fight against the previously approved expansion of the dump.

Banonis said that action came “without consultation, consent or public vote by Lower Saucon Council.”

The two also said the solicitor had met with “Hellertown” regarding both library and compost center litigation but wouldn’t share any specifics.

Filing the complaint wasn’t a matter of Banonis “grandstanding,” he said, but rather to do right by fellow taxpayers and residents.

“The solicitor position of the township has been adrift since this council decided, at the beginning of the year, to no longer retain Linc Treadwell, who’d been the solicitor for 23 years,” Banonis said.

“The problems that have come up during Mr. Goudsouzian’s status, limited status as interim solicitor, are very telling. And I think that they are reflective of the incompetence of this council.”

Carocci said, “We have the right to know what our solicitor is filing in the courts and, quite frankly, before he filed it, not after the fact.

“And we’re not being accorded that, really, basic right as a client and really had no choice. It’s tough to look the other way on that.”

Other allegations

Banonis also mentioned potential conflicts of interest pertaining to pending litigation between the township and Hellertown, since Goudsouzian used to serve as the borough’s solicitor for its Zoning Hearing Board.

He resigned from that position recently, though he said there were no conflicts from such a relationship.

The township council majority also had previously moved to waive any potential conflicts on behalf of Goudsouzian.

“That just shows a level of cavalierness to the rule of law, and his willingness to do whatever he wants to do but not be mindful of what he’s permitted to do under the direction of a majority of this council, which he did not have,” Banonis said, speaking of the joinder brief.

'Stooped to this level'

Councilwoman Victoria Ophthof-Cordaro said she remained “highly confident” in Gousouzian’s abilities as township solicitor, and that council and the public needed to take anything Banonis said “with a grain of salt.”

She said he filed the accusations without proper council authorization.

“I really do feel sorry for the two councilmen that have stooped to this level in their own professional lives as attorneys,” Opthof-Cordaro said.

“I think it’s inappropriate to conduct themselves that way, but they have chosen so, so much to do that.”

“[It’s] a wonder that anybody would want to be a solicitor here in this township because it’s ridiculous, the abuse that’s being given to not only our solicitor but to all of us up here,” Councilwoman Laura Ray said.

“It’s not appropriate, and we’re wasting a lot of time and money on this.”

Township resident Ann Marie Slavick said, to Opthof-Cordaro and others of the council majority, “We are onto you.”