By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – There are charges that the most recent hiring by the Erie County Water Authority was politically motivated.
Edward Kuwik, who is ending 22 years as a county legislator, was hired by the Water Authority for a salary of over $93,000 per year. Giambra is calling for an investigation into the hiring by Erie County DA Frank Clark.
Giambra says that the job was created for Kuwik in exchange for a vote in favor of the appointment of two water authority commissioners.
"If there was a deal that traded a vote for a job, that's illegal," Giambra said. "If there wasn't an illegal deal, it certainly is a conflict of interest, whereby the Legislature has the responsibility to confirm a commissioner who has the authority to hire and fire. There's an apparent conflict of interest there, if nothing else."
The job was not advertised publicly, and no one else applied for it.