Village may pay Friedland's legal fees

By TOM RUE

MONTICELLO - After an executive session stretching over three nights, by press time Monticello village trustees had not decided whether to cover mayor Robert Friedland's cost of defending against a suit filed by losing mayoral candidate Shirley Feldberg which seeks Friedland's ouster over a February phone conversation between the mayor and police chief Michael Brennan in which Friedland demanded his son be hired as a police officer.

Trustees adjourned after a late-night executive session on July 18 -- still unable to reach agreement after a second night of wrangling, and adjourned again to July 19.

Friedland said Public Officers Law requires the village to pick up his fees in the suit since village attorney Martin Miller may be called as a material witness -- giving him a conflict of interest. Trustees put off a decision in order to ask acting village attorney Richard Stoloff whether he is willing to represent Friedland for no extra fee.

He receives a flat $7000 per year.

Goshen attorney Gary Greenwald has offered to represent Friedland for $2500 to $3500, Friedland said -- which he claimed is 30% below his usual fee. "If the board refuses to pay my legal expenses, they stand a chance of being sued," Friedland asserted.

Feldberg's attorney, Mark Schulman, also threatened to sue officials personally if they do indemnify Friedland, pointing out the expense is not contained in the budget.

Friedland objected to Schulman interrogating him at the meeting despite his being represented by counsel.

Greenwald could not be reached for comment.

Marc Friedland, 25, was next in line on the civil service list, excluding those ineligible due to residing outside the village, criminal history, or other factors, investigator James Hargrove found.

But Brennan told the mayor he preferred to hold the job for a minority applicant, despite Marc Friedland's passing score. Administration of a new civil service test will be given since no minorities are on the current list.

Friedland replied -- in the taped conversation -- with a remark which insulted minorities. According to a report by WVOS, Brennan later leaked the tape to The Times Herald-Record. Since then, Friedland has been the subject of ongoing attacks by Schulman and other political adversaries over the scandal.

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