Upper Darby Sunshine Act Suit Gets Judge — The 2023 lawsuit against four Upper Darby Council members for violating the Sunshine Act has finally been assigned to a judge in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.
Hearing it will be George Pagano.
Being sued by township resident John DeMasi are Hafiz Tunis, Michelle Billups, Sheik Siddique and Andrew Hayman. The quartet sought to remove Brian Burke as council president following the fiasco concerning then Mayor Barbara Keffer and former Administrator Vince Rongione.
The vote to remove Burke had not been on the agenda.
Township legal officer Sean Kilkenny advised the board it was acceptable, DeMasi says. A few months earlier Kilkenny advised just the opposite concerning Rongione’s firing.
Kilkenny is also the Montgomery County Sheriff. He holds solicitor posts and or has contracts with numerous Democrat-controlled school boards and municipalities throughout the region.
After Rongione was finally removed, Rongione was appointed as Delaware County Register of Wills to fill the unexpired term of Rachel Ezzell Better, who won a seat as judge on Common Pleas Court.
Kilkenny then gave Rongione a job at his law firm, despite his county job.
Rongione is now seeking a full term. He will be running against Upper Darby Councilwoman Meaghan Wagner, who often butted heads with Kilkenny at Upper Darby Council.
Hayman resigned his seat after moving to Montgomery County. Tunis is not running for re-election.
