Variety on Wednesday asked Buckingham if he did fire and rehire Chief Prosecutor Michael Ernest.
“Mr. Ernest is still with the Office of the Attorney General and he is still the chief prosecutor,” Buckingham replied.
But in an interview on the following day with the Tribune, he denied firing Ernest.
According to a source, however, Buckingham forced Ernest to resign on May 17.
“Ernest did resign in lieu of being terminated. Buckingham then offered the position of chief to several other members of the criminal division, all of whom declined. On [May 18], after being criticized by other attorneys in the office, Buckingham offered Ernest his job back. Ernest accepted the position back later in the day,” the source said.
The source added that the assistant attorneys general did not threaten to resign if Ernest was not rehired, as earlier reported by the Variety.
“The attitude of the criminal division attorneys regarding Ernest’s termination was one of fear for their own jobs, not anger about losing Mr. Ernest as their chief.
“These facts can be confirmed by members of the criminal division. Everyone is scared to tell the truth because the AG will terminate them for exposing his lies to the public,” the source said.
“If the highest legal officer is willing to lie to the public about petty internal conflicts, he is willing to lie to the public about anything,” the source added.
Since Buckingham became AG, according to the source, at least 11 assistant attorneys general have resigned or been fired.
Buckingham “has burned through at least nine chiefs of the civil and criminal divisions. Most resignations occur only under threat of termination by [Buckingham] himself,” the source said.
The assistant AG’s who have left the office since Buckingham became AG: Matthew Meyer, William Downer, Katy Busenkell, Mike Evangelista, Joe Pryzuski, George Hasselback, Brad Huesman, Eli Golob, Jen Dockter, James Taylor and Craig Ditrich.
The source said the chiefs who resigned or terminated were former deputy attorney general Joe Taijeron, criminal division chiefs Kevin Lynch, George Hassselback, Rosemond Santos, Michael Ernest, civil division chiefs Gil Birnbrich, David Lochabay and Brian Gallagher who also served as criminal division chief.
