Local police chief alleges political retaliation and investigation, termination

LEET TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A local police chief has been terminated following a months-long investigation that his attorney is calling “political assassination.”

Channel 11 has learned that Leet Township commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to terminate Michael Molinaro, who had been appointed as chief of police in early 2021.

In late 2021, Molinaro attempted to fire an officer who he had reprimanded multiple times for alleged “inappropriate behavior and insubordination,” according to a lawsuit Molinaro filed against the township last month.

“The inappropriate conduct was so pervasive and so serious that my client felt, in his role as chief of police of that department, he had no choice but to terminate this individual,” said Joel Sansone, the attorney representing Molinaro.

Yet in early 2022, the officer in question filed a complaint and was reinstated by commissioners.

A legal document responding to Molinaro’s suit, filed on behalf of the township on Monday, claims that Molinaro’s attempt to terminate the officer was “contrary to Pennsylvania’s First Class Township Code, as only the Board of Commissioners of Leet Township have the power to hire and fire employees.”

Molinaro was ultimately placed on leave, with pay, pending an investigation.

In Molinaro’s suit, he claims that the commissioners’ action was political retaliation, as he had supported the current commissioners’ opponents in the 2021 election.

“This is about my client having publicly supported the opponents of the new administration,” Sansone said. “The new administration comes into power, and they use that power to terminate a good and decent man.”

But in the counter legal document filed on behalf of the township, it claims that “the Township Board of Commissioners were unaware of Plaintiff’s alleged political opposition to any member of the Board, which opposition, if it existed, provided no motive for any sort of political retaliation and was ineffectual, in any event.”

That legal document goes on to make additional claims of misconduct against Molinaro, which allegedly came to light following the months-long investigation.

Among those allegations, the township accuses Molinaro of domestic abuse and abusing his authority, in separate incidents. Another allegation involves a report that Molinaro “attempted to steal money during the execution of a search warrant,” and deleted portions of his own body cam footage to “cover up” his actions.

Channel 11 asked Sansone about the claims on Wednesday. He said “every single thing that they said is completely untrue, 100 percent, and we’ll prove that at trial.”

Channel 11 spoke with the Leet Township Solicitor, Stephen Chesney, who stated “we would not allege something in a court document that we did not believe we had credible evidence for.” Chesney said he was otherwise unable to comment considering the ongoing litigation.

Estelle McGrath, the attorney representing the township against the suit filed by Molinaro told us “Leet Township is unable to comment on this matter.”

Channel 11 has learned that the commissioners will ratify the vote during the regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 8, providing the public with an opportunity to weigh in.

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