At least one of the other three men vying to replace former prosecutor Robin Piper thinks it’s all political. Butler County Assistant Prosecutor Jason Phillabaum said commissioners’ decision to appoint a specific candidate for the office was a political attempt to dilute the central committee’s vote. He referred to it as evidence of another back-room deal involving the commissioners’ office.
The Butler County Republican Party Central Committee is slated to vote Feb. 8 on a successor to Piper. In addition to Gmoser and Phillabaum, former assistant prosecutor Lance Salyers and West Chester Twp. Police Chief Erik Niehaus have declared their candidacies for the post.
Phillabaum sent a letter to commissioners Monday afternoon urging the board to appoint a non-candidate as interim prosecutor.
“To inject a person from outside the office (and who is involved in the political process) would inject politics into the prosecutor’s office, and it would be injecting politics into justice,” Phillabaum wrote.
Piper expressed similar sentiments in a letter sent to commissioners Monday as well.
“To place one of the potential candidates in charge of the office will cause confusion and increase the stress level, which is not conducive to smooth operations during this transactional time,” Piper wrote.
But Gmoser said there will be no politics in the prosecutor’s office during his seven-day interim term. He said many assistant prosecutors and staff members are also members of the central committee.
“I made it clear to all of them, we are not going to involved in office politics,” Gmoser said. “I let it be known, their politics are their own. They are to vote there own conscious.”
But Phillabaum, who is on vacation until after the central committee vote, said, “Appointing a candidate just injected politics into justice and many in the central committee will see this as another back room deal designed to circumvent and dilute their vote.”
Commissioners Chuck Furmon and Cindy Carpenter defended their decision to appoint Gmoser, saying they don’t think it will impact the central committee’s vote.
Salyers agreed, saying he’s not concerned about one of his competitors getting commissioners’ appointment.
“Being appointed the steward of an office for seven days is not going to make a difference,” Salyers said. “The commissioners exercised their authority as they saw fit.”
Salyers said the members of the central committee are adults capable of making decisions for themselves.
Niehaus could not be reached for comment.
Despite rumors, Gmoser made it clear Tuesday he did not seek commissioners’ appointment, directly or indirectly.
“It’s not a decision I had anything to do with,” he said. “But I would never turn down public service when asked to serve.”
He also didn’t deny that he hopes the central committee will allow him to keep the corner office on the top floor of the Government Services Center. The 65-year-old Hamilton defense attorney was an assistant Butler County prosecutor during the late 1970s and 80s and spent the summer of 1981 as acting prosecutor.
Carpenter said it was largely that experience that earned Gmoser her vote.
Gmoser said he planned to return any pay he received for his week on the job to the county.
“It is an honor to serve,” Gmoser said
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