Marcella Covello alleges she was targeted because she knew of "ongoing corruption and wrongdoing within the county."
TRENTON -- Mercer County's purchasing agent has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the county and its chief financial officer, alleging impropriety in several recent contacts and retaliation against her for questioning them to superiors.
Marcella Covello, a 16-year county employee, says in the suit she was subjected to a hostile work environment, was harassed by several county park commission employees and verbally threatened by county Chief Financial Officer David Miller - the only individual named as a defendant.
"This blemish-free career woman suffered retaliation from defendants for no other reason than making sure the public contracts laws are followed rather than continuing more corruption within the county." the suit says.
In April, the county confirmed that the state Attorney General's Office executed a search warrant at two Mercer County Park Commission facilities as part of a public corruption investigation.
The focus of the investigation was the nonprofit Friends of Mercer County Parks, which then park commissioner Kevin Bannon helped found, according to the county.
Bannon was fired in June as the investigation continued. No charges have been announced by state authorities.
Parks director fired as corruption probe continues
Covello's suit - filed Sept. 12 in Mercer County Superior Court - does not say if she's had any contact with state investigators.
The suit does give a synopsis of developments in the state investigation, and says: "It is against this corruption investigation backdrop that we must examine the situation of (Covello.)"
The suit then details several recent contracts and other transactions that Covello questioned, and was later threatened for scrutinizing.
Mercer County spokeswoman Julie Willmot said the county does not comment on pending litigation. She did say, "Mercer County will vigorously defend the allegations."
In her suit, Covello says the county freeholder board recently and unanimously appointed her to a five-year term through December 2020 - at an annual salary of $93,000.
But the "unlawful actions of upper management of Mercer County" have derailed her career and forced her to seek medical treatment and her current stress-related leave was caused by the workplace hostilities.
The suit says Covello "has been aggressively targeted as a whistleblower who is a threat to this administration to publicly disclose more of the ongoing corruption and wrongdoing within the county of which she is aware."
In the suit, Covello makes the following allegations:
* Covello says Miller directed her to move forward a Mercer County Festival Grounds bid project contrary to her recommendations in January 2016. The instruction came after Bannon allegedly grilled a county engineer about Covello.
* Bannon purchased $26,870.84 in furniture through the parks commission in March 2016, but it was actually destined for Hopewell Valley Open Space. Bannon had rented the second-floor of the parks commission's Baldpate Mountain building for the organization.
* In March 2016, Covello told Miller she would not sign a purchase order for an electrical contractor to do work at a Trenton Board of Education location for the Mercer County Board of Elections because the contractor was not approved. When Covello told Miller about it, he allegedly responded, loudly: "Don't you know that bidding is more costly, more time consuming, and agencies don't want to deal with the process?"
* In April 2016, Covello says she cancelled a contract at the Mercer County Dempster Fire Training Center when she found a manufacturer was going to provide free panels for the burn building, and she referred it to the county's legal department because the arrangement was unlawful. Miller did not back her in her concerns.
* Covello also says in the suit that when Miller and Mercer County Chief of Staff Kelly Ganges informed her of the state investigation on April 26, one of them told her not to speak to the state Attorney General's Office.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.