KINGSTON – Ulster County Supreme Court Justice Richard Mott has ordered County Executive Jen Metzger to comply with Comptroller March Gallagher’s subpoena seeking documents related to the Burt Gulnick internal investigation and related corporate hotline logs.
Metzger had refused to turn over the documents citing their confidentiality, but on Tuesday the justice ruled Metzger must turn over the documents by 4 p.m. on this Friday.
Mott found that the county charter grants the comptroller broad authority to issue subpoenas and that she was well within her authority to issue the subpoena seeking the Gulnick documents.
“Justice Mott affirmed the will of the voters who adopted the Ulster County Charter, which grants broad authority to the comptroller’s office to conduct investigations and subpoena information, so that the comptroller’s office can protect the county’s finances and fulfill the comptroller’s role of evaluating whether any department, program or function of the county is economical, efficient or effective.”
Responding to the court decision and order, Metzger said she appreciates “the clarity provided by Supreme Court Justice Mott with respect to the authority and obligations of the Ulster County Comptroller.”
The executive also said she appreciates the justice’s “requirement that any investigation protects the confidentiality of employees and whistleblowers.”
Gallagher wants to take a deep dive into Gulnick’s performance as former county finance director following his resignation over charges of embezzlement from a private organization for which he served as treasurer.
