BRIDGEPORT – Bridgeport’s former city manager has sued the city alleging he was fired after uncovering fraud and waste in city government.
Patrick Ford filed his complaint May 2 in Harrison Circuit Court against the city. Ford served as city manager for less than six months before he was fired in April.
The city says Ford was fired because of an internal investigation he pursued related to allegations made by former City Engineer Beth Fox, who resigned in February. Ford had the Ohio law firm of Flannery Georgalis represent the city in the matter, and City Council approved the investigation with a $25,000 cap on costs.
Ford
| File photo
But the cost of the investigation quickly rose to $70,000 before it was stopped by council, according to a statement from Mayor Andy Lang and City Council.
In his complaint, Ford says he filed the lawsuit in the wake of the city’s “malicious, oppressive, secretive, corrupt and retaliatory actions and omissions related to Mr. Ford’s reports of wrongdoing and waste within the city.”
“Stated succinctly, Mr. Ford was terminated after making a good faith report of wrongdoing and/or waste in an attempt by the city to hide acts of wrongdoing and waste from public disclosure,” the complaint states.
After he was hired in October, Ford says Lang gave him some assignments that included reestablishing control of the Bridgeport Convention & Visitors Bureau, reestablishing control of Connect-Bridgeport that Lang said had “gotten off-message and needs to be a Bridgeport propaganda machine” and “fix the women problem,” referring to office staff and female city employees.
“Although certain of these requests were odd, or perhaps not phrased in a politically correct manner, Mr. Ford timely went to work on the directives issued by Mayor Lang and the city,” the complaint states, also noting Ford kept daily journals of all city interactions.
Ford also says he was told multiple times the city needed to purchase property for a new public works building from Lang and that Ford “needed to figure out how this could happen without causing a public relations headache.”
“At or around January of 2025, Mayor Lang started to repeatedly as Mr. Ford about document destruction protocols and timelines,” the complaint states. “Put differently, Mayor Lang was indirectly asking Mr. Ford about evidence collection, control and destruction at the city.
“Although Mr. Ford felt this was an odd request, it did not raise an immediate red flag.”
Ford said other improper requests also began being made to him.
One example is City Council member Clayton Rice’s repeated requests for Ford to approve payment and reimbursement for a private citizen for car parts and damages he says were not caused by the city, according to Ford and the city’s insurance company’s investigation.
Ford says his rejection of the request frustrated Rice.
“Stated differently, Mr. Ford was not ‘playing ball’ with the City Council/Mayor – and was prudently doing his job as city manager consistent with the City Charter,” the complaint states.
On February 3, Ford says Lang personally requested Ford find a way to purchase property Lang owned along U.S. 50.
“You need to be careful with regards to the optics of the city buying my property,” the complaint quotes Lang as telling Ford. “From Mr. Ford’s perspective – this was (as should be known to any public/elected official) inappropriate and unethical conduct by an elected official.”
Ford says he then began asking questions internally and learned the city had been purchasing surplus equipment from Lang and one of his business entities.
Around the same time, the personnel issue with Fox arose. Ford says he hired the Flannery Georgalis law firm to conduct the investigation and review. Meanwhile, he says Rice continued to harass him about the purchase of car parts for the private citizens “without any valid basis.”
Ford says he also became aware of multiple members of City Council using their offices for private gain, such as having work performed at their homes and properties in and near Bridgeport.
“This scenario became more complex when city employees were caught on camera removing banker’s boxes of procurement files in or about this timeframe – a situation which placed Mr. Ford on heightened alert given Mayor Lang’s prior questioning about the city’s document retention/destruction protocols and procedures,” the complaint states.
Ford says there was an illegal and unlawful executive session meeting that took place February 24 to discuss his employment with the city. He says he wasn’t made aware of this until much later.
He also says Flannery Georgalis interviewed city employees and officials in March and that the city’s leadership “began to fall apart at its seams.”
“In the wake of being interviewed, having been advised that acts of wrongdoing and public waste were present, Mayor Lang and certain council members started to question the nature and purpose of the investigation,” the complaint states. “As of March 17, 2025, Mr. Ford’s journal reflects that he inherited a culture of bid rigging, favoritism, bullying and intimidation at Bridgeport – which he was trying to actively remediate/repair.”
That same day, Ford says Lang called him to say he didn’t want the results of Lang’s interview to be publicly circulated by the city and did not want Ford to see the investigation’s conclusions. Ford told Lang he needed to see the report and its findings to address corruption, harassment and improper practices.
In late March, Ford says Lang and City Council members were advised of substantial issues of public wrongdoing in an email from Bill Ihlenfeld, the former U.S. Attorney who now works for Flannery Georgalis. That’s when, Ford says, the city quashed the investigation and ordered it be stopped.
On March 28, Ford says Lang barged into his office and told an employee to “get the f*** out.” He says Lang told him he was scheduling a City Council meeting to fire Ford.
He says Lang also told him “he was not afraid of Mr. Ihlenfeld or Mr. Ford,” “you should make it easy on yourself and resign,” “I will write you a check for $150,000 right now” and “you need to cooperate or you might not get anything.”
Ford says he told Lang he had done nothing wrong and that he had “done everything they have asked me to do.” As Lang left the office, Ford says Lang told a city employee “you work for me” and “type the agenda to terminate Mr. Ford.”
Later that day, Ford says Lang returned to his office and apologized for his abusive behavior earlier that day. Lang then again offered the $150,000 for Ford’s resignation. When Ford declined, he says Lang told him to take the weekend to talk to his wife because “you don’t want your name in the press again.”
Ford says he told Lang he can’t be bought. He also says City Record Hank Murray was present for this interaction and also threatened Ford. He says that interaction was captured on recorded audio.
On March 31, Ford says he more audio recordings Lang again came to his office. Ford says he again told Lang he wouldn’t resign, and Lang said the meeting agenda to fire Ford would be mailed out.
“As Mayor Lang was leaving Mr. Ford’s office, Mayor Lang asked Mr. Ford if his cat recently died,” the complaint states. “Mr. Ford asked Mr. Lang if he really cared. Mayor Lang stated, ‘I don’t’ – and then Mayor Lang smile and left Mr. Ford’s office.”
On April 3, Lang and City Council fired Ford on a 5-1 vote.
Ford accuses the city of violating the West Virginia Whistleblower Act, wrongful discharge and violating the state Open Meetings Act. He seeks a temporary and permanent injunction prohibiting the city from its retaliatory, discriminatory and unlawful conduct and reinstating him as city manager. He also seeks compensatory damages, special damages, economic damages, restitution, attorney fees, court costs, pre- and post-judgment interests, punitive damages, exemplary damages and other relief.
He also seeks to have an order declaring the city committed acts of retaliation and discrimination against him and to have those acts declared as official acts of misconduct and malfeasance to possibly serve as the basis for the removal of Lang from City Council.
Ford is being represented by Frank E. Simmerman Jr., Chad L. Taylor and Frank E. Simmerman III of Simmerman Law Office in Clarksburg.
Harrison Circuit Court case number 25-C-148