Commissioners settle case of former employee for over $50K
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — The Trumbull County Commissioners today voted unanimously to settle the case involving former commissioner Niki Frenchko, who claimed she was unlawfully arrested during a commissioners meeting almost three years ago.
The commissioners agreed to a settlement of $51,000, $49,500 of which will go to Frenchko's lawyers, which included Dave Betras. $1,500 will go to Frenchko and a group called Open Government Advocacy. In a statement after the vote, the commissioners said the case is now over.
Current Trumbull County Commissioner Denny Malloy issued this statement:
Rather than continue to unnecessarily expend Trumbull County taxpayer dollars in litigation brought by a former commissioner, the Trumbull County Commissioners settled the lawsuit so that the County can, finally, move on from that fiasco and continue to serve and advocate for the people of Trumbull County. It's sad that the County's elected officials and taxpayers had to spend nearly two years fighting alleged Sunshine Law violations brought by a former commissioner against the very Board of Commissioners that she served on. All this so she and her accomplices can personally pocket $1,500 of taxpayer funds while getting her attorneys paid almost $50,000. But it's now over and the new Board of Commissioners can continue to work to move Trumbull County forward in a positive direction.
Trumbull County Commissioner Denny Malloy
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In 2025, The Sentinel is providing a weekly round-up of the biggest topics in upcoming municipal meetings, giving our readers a chance to engage with their local officials on the projects, appointments and decisions that hit closest to home. These round-ups are written on Fridays, and will not include an agenda if one hasn't been posted by 1 p.m. Municipalities are not required by the Michigan Open Meetings Act to provide an agenda in advance of a meeting, but they are required to provide notice. Please visit your local municipality website for the most updated information. 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