Philly Register of Wills Tracey Gordon is accused of firing an employee for not donating to her reelection campaign

A former clerk in Philadelphia Register of Wills Tracey Gordon’s office says she fired him after he refused to contribute to her campaign.

Lawyers for Nicholas Barone, who was fired in January, disclosed those details in a court filing Tuesday and said the register of wills and the city Law Department have not responded to subpoenas since late January.

That latest court filing comes as Gordon, who was elected in 2019, is seeking a second term and facing three challengers in the May 16 Democratic primary.

A law firm representing Gordon last week asked a judge to toss the subpoenas, calling them “an inappropriate fishing expedition” because they were sent before Barone filed a full complaint with the court laying out his case.

Barone in January filed a document announcing his intent to sue but has not filed a full complaint.

Barone’s lawyers seek his employment file, any correspondence with Gordon and top deputies about his performance or firing, and any communications Gordon had with staffers about fundraising for her campaign.

Malik Boyd, a spokesperson for Gordon, said her office “has, at all times, complied with its obligations and responsibilities with respect to this lawsuit” and the subpoenas.

“We look forward to defending this matter in a court of law and are confident the lawsuit will be dismissed as unfounded,” Boyd said in a statement to The Inquirer.

James Goslee, Barone’s lawyer, declined to comment.

Barone is suing Gordon personally, and not the Register of Wills Office.

Barone’s lawyers, in Tuesday’s filing in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, said he “believes he was wrongfully terminated from his employment because of his refusal to make financial contributions to Tracey Gordon’s campaign for reelection.” They call that a violation of the First Amendment and of Barone’s civil rights.

Barone’s termination letter was included with the filing and does not offer any explanation for why he was fired from his post as a records clerk, which paid $40,000 per year.

Barone had worked at the office since January 2019, so he was already on staff when Gordon took office in January 2020.

Gordon’s three Democratic primary challengers are John Sabatina, Elizabeth Hall Lowe, and Rae Hall.

Gordon, in a campaign finance report filed this month, said she raised $20,763 in the first three months of 2023 and had $24,268 in the bank. Sabatina reported raising $170,468 in the same period, with $96,725 in the bank.

Hall has not filed a campaign finance report this year. The Board of Elections said it did not have a current report for Lowe.