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Radnor sues former township manager for $1M

The fallout from a million-dollar scandal involving former Radnor Township Manager Dave Bashore made its way from the Main Line to Media this week with the filing of opening legal volleys in Delaware County Court.

The fallout from a million-dollar scandal involving former Radnor Township Manager Dave Bashore made its way from the Main Line to Media this week with the filing of opening legal volleys in Delaware County Court.

Township Attorney Neil A. Morris yesterday entered a $1,008,512 judgment against Bashore, seeking to recoup money that Bashore had paid himself and township employees in the form of secret bonuses, as well as other taxpayer funds that Bashore allegedly misspent.

The judgment, filed on behalf of Radnor Treasurer John Osborne, follows the release of a forensic audit report that accuses Bashore of altering public records, of misusing his township-issued credit card and of handing out huge bonuses to employees to ensure that they remained loyal to him.

Bashore, apparently satisfied with his performance as Radnor's chief administrative officer, quietly paid himself $151,500 in bonuses, according to township officials. The Radnor commissioners fired him in April and have handed over their findings to local and federal law-enforcement officials.

"It's the epitome of arrogance that he would decide to pay employees $600,000," Morris said. "He didn't run the township. The commissioners did."

Bashore, who has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, filed an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit this week in Delaware County Court, alleging that the township and forensic auditors wrongfully included his tax returns in the report, which was published on the Radnor Township Web site last week.

His attorney, Ronald Surkin, said in a statement yesterday that Bashore "categorically denies" using public money for personal expenses. Surkin reiterated that Bashore, who has previously accused Radnor officials of making him the "target of a witch hunt," had been authorized to distribute the bonuses. Morris, a lawyer with Archer & Greiner, dismissed Bashore's lawsuit as "frivolous and ridiculous."

"He and his lawyers can file whatever they want," he said.

"The township fully intends to use every avenue to recoup those taxpayer funds that were misappropriated by Mr. Bashore."