Beaver County taxpayers have shelled out another $25,000 to cover litigation costs racked up by Sheriff Tony Guy in a second lawsuit brought against him by former deputies. Public funds and a taxpayer-funded insurance policy are bankrolling a settlement agreement for defamatory and retaliatory statements allegedly made by Guy as part of his 2019 reelection campaign.
Former county sheriff’s deputies Paul Clark, Curtis Larrick, and John Fratangeli filed the litigation in October 2019, alleging Guy violated their settlement agreements from prior lawsuits brought against him in 2016. The original lawsuits alleged Guy fired them when first taking office and further disparaged them as retaliation for openly supported Wayne Kress, Guy’s Democratic opponent.
The county settled the original lawsuits brought by Clark and Fratangeli in May 2017, for what sources in county government said was a combined sum of between $20,000 and $25,000. It settled the lawsuit brought by Larrick in August 2018 for what sources said was $85,000.
