Len Bernardo’s $254,258 Dream Team post from June 19, 2012 provided some details on people hired by Terry Bernardo on taxpayers’ dime. Remember the skinny on Frank Reggero, Fawn Tantillo, and Lisa K. Mance?

1. Frank Reggero $50,000
Bernardo’s newly hired $50,000 per year Budget Analyst Frank Reggero appears as a current employee of the New York State Senate on at least three of the Senate’s biweekly payroll reports. On the other hand, Frank Reggero appears to be Terry Bernardo’s personal driver cum scribe.

2. Fawn Tantillo $51,093
Vice Chair of the Ulster County Independence Party, Fawn Tantillo – infamous for the Tantillo’s Law – was hired as Terry Bernardo’s confidential secretary.

3. Lisa K. Mance $45,915
Before she was arrested for DWI, Lisa K. Mance had been employed by the County Clerk’s office under the name of Lisa K. Fraser. A relative of Fawn Tantillo, she was re-hired as a county employee by Terry Bernardo. In a blatant manifestation of political cronyism, Lisa is attending political meetings as Bernardo’s note taker.

Yesterday afternoon all of the above were busy, busy, busy organizing the controversial birthday party cum fundraiser for Terry Bernardo – at the Accord Fire House.

The DOJ’s guidelines are clear: elected officials cannot command public employees to engage in political activity, and any request made by an elected official is considered a command. Public employees may not volunteer in any capacity in connection with a partisan candidate or partisan election, collect contributions or sell tickets to political fund raising functions or contribute anything of value to a party, committee, organization, agency, or person for political purposes.

The word “ethic” holds no meaning for Terry Bernardo (#4). The Chairwoman of the Ulster County Legislature is in the habit of asking public employees to fulfill her political needs.

– Jon Dogar-Marinesco