Ousted Civil Service chief sues Romney, 4 others
William P. Monahan, the ousted chairman of the state Civil Service Commission, filed a federal lawsuit yesterday against Governor Mitt Romney and four of the governor's current and former staff, saying he was forced out of office and never officially resigned his job in 2003 following news reports about a real-estate deal he had with former Mafia boss Gennaro Angiulo.
In the lawsuit, Monahan claims that he was never given a proper hearing before his successor was named to the $80,000-per-year job. Monahan is seeking undisclosed damages, plus his old job, back pay, and pension. Named in the suit, filed in US District Court in Boston, are Romney's communication s director Eric Fehrnstrom , former press secretary Shawn Feddeman , and former staff members Nicholas Tzitzon and Spencer Zwick . Romney is named both as an individual and as governor of Massachusetts. All declined comment yesterday.
The lawsuit alleges that four weeks after his August 2003 appointment, Monahan was asked by a Boston Globe reporter about his purchase of a Theater District bar and restaurant in 1980 from Huntington Realty Trust, a real estate company owned by Angiulo, the top Boston gangster at that time. To buy the property, Monahan said he had taken a $180,000, 10-year loan from Angiulo. Monahan said he sold his interest in the Tremont Street restaurant in 1989.
The lawsuit alleges that after Monahan arrived home the day he talked to the Globe about the transaction with Angiulo and his brothers -- which he described as being ``at arm's length" -- Fehrnstrom and Feddeman called him, speaking in ``a loud, angry, abusive tone that made Mr. Monahan extremely uncomfortable."
Monahan said that as he was trying to explain the Angiulo transaction, ``Fehrnstrom and defendant Feddeman repeatedly interrupted him. They asserted that his explanation did not matter, that The Boston Globe would publish a story recounting his dealings with organized crime . . . and that the situation was embarrassing for defendant Romney."
The suit alleges that a short time later, Romney called Monahan. ``Bill, my stomach is turning," the suit quotes Romney. ``I just had a state trooper chase me down with a cellphone. I am very discomforted."
The lawsuit states that Romney also said: ``Bill, I don't want to do this, and I don't agree with them, but my senior staff is unanimous that I have to ask for your resignation. I don't want to do this, but I am outvoted." Romney later allegedly promised Monahan that he'd help find him work in the private sector.
In another phone conversation, with deputy chief of staff Zwick, Monahan said Zwick urged his resignation. ``You've got to protect the governor," he says in the lawsuit. ``You've got to take one for the team."
Throughout the conversations with administration officials, Monahan alleges he said he did nothing wrong and never offered his resignation.
The next day, the Globe ran the story that said Monahan had resigned and detailed the Angiulo business deal. Two days later, after continuing to show up for work, Monahan said the pass key to his office garage was disabled.
Monahan had previously filed an unsuccessful state suit in 2004 to block the appointment of his successor , claiming that he never officially resigned.
Mac Daniel can be reached at mdaniel@globe.com. 