Lehiigh Valley Live: Clerks Accused of Abusing OT in DA's Office Have Been Fired

Late last month, I told you that three of the top clerks in Northampton County's DA office were being investigated for overtime abuse, which was discovered by Human Resources officials when they were preparing a response to a right-to-know request for staff salaries from one of the local dailies. It appears that the county investigation is over. Lehigh Valley Live is reporting that the three clerks in question have been fired. 

According to the article, one of them earned $44,475 on top of her base salary of $58,366 in 2024. Another was paid $30,946 in addition to her $50,941 salary. A third picked up $15,572 added on to her salary of $61,490. 

This money will certainly be deducted from their pensions so that taxpayers are made whole. The state AG's office declines to say whether this trio is under criminal investigation. 

At last week's meeting of County Council, Controller Tara Zrinski let it slip that her office is conducting an audit at DA Steve Baratta's request. 

These employees have a right to file grievances and dispute whether they were abusing overtime. 

One of these alleged abusers - in fact the one who pulled down the biggest amount of overtime, injected herself into the DA's race between Terry Houck and Steve Baratta with claims of racism, and Baratta used these accusations to muddy up Houck during the campaign. 

In my original story, I received numerous comments from at least one member of this triumvirate, claiming "a political WITCH HUNT!! The DA should use his common sense! It appears more of a political attack on the DA office so it can cripple and get rid of his hard working dedicated public service working employees! The chain of command to claim they were not aware of signing OT is utter nonsense! How is OT payroll sign off going through so many channels? These women are victims of poor incompetent leadership oversight and being persecuted!" 

Now, these Clerks were attacking the man they helped elect. 

I received a different perspective from another clerk in that office, who tells me "[t]hey would berate people in front of everyone and played people against each other so that many of the young girls left. She would scream at me and others. ... She [top OT abuser] would come into the office, sit in her office and pray and sing so that everyone could hear her. The DA's race -  isn't that funny how they went around and lied about Terry [Houck] also he was kind enough to give her a shot at being the manager." 

$80,000 in Overtime Abuse By Top Clerical Staff Suspected in NorCo DA's office.

Three of Northampton County DA Steve Baratta's top clerical staff are currently on paid administrative leave. Human Resources is investigating whether the $80,000 in overtime they claimed over the last year was inflated in what amounts to possible theft by deception. If this is substantiated, the Attorney General will be notified. All because of a simple right-to-know request. 

Early this year, one of the local dailies filed a right-to-know request, seeking the salaries of every county employee. It's a good space filler. In the past, I've been critical of LehighValleyLive, which likes to publish what local government workers are paid, by name and wages. I've argued that just because you can file a right-to-know for this kind of information does not mean you should. Sure, I'd support publication of the highest salaries paid but consider publication of how little money is paid to most public employees is a bit intrusive. I was wrong. It is precisely because of such an inquiry that county officials discovered that top clerical officials in the NorCo DA's office may have been receiving overtime to which they had no right. 

One of these top clerks authorized the OT paid to two others. Her own overtime must be approved by the DA or First Assistant, but she may have disguised what she was seeking. The amount paid to her in 2024 was nearly as much as her own salary. 

She also claimed about $8,000 in OT in 2023, but administration officials concluded this extra work might have been necessary as the result of a transition from former DA Terry Houck to current DA Steve Baratta. 

I happen to know and respect all three of these clerks. If these allegations are true, it is very disappointing, especially in an office charged with the responsibility of enforcing criminal law. 

Because this is a personnel matter, there is no point in asking Executive Lamont McClure or District Attorney Steve Baratta exactly what is happening. But I've substantiated this story from current and former employees whose names must remain confidential. 

It is important to note that these are county employees but are under the direct supervision and control of the District Attorney, an independently elected office.