Trenton clerk Matthew Conlon faces another OPRA lawsuit

TRENTON » He’s not getting the job done.

Clerk Matthew Conlon faces a second lawsuit for allegedly blowing off his responsibilities as public records custodian for the capital city.

The requestor, Scott Madlinger, said in the complaint that he asked for a log of the clerk’s emails from Oct. 1 through Dec. 14.

He received only a canned response from the clerk’s office stating, “I can not definitely say when you will receive any documents that may be responsive to your request, according to the lawsuit.

Madlinger heard crickets when he asked Conlon to update him on the OPRA request at the end of January.

Walter Luers, Madlinger’s attorney, said Conlon failed to provide Madlinger with a date when he’d fulfill the OPRA and left the “request in limbo.”

“I think that is in important for all records custodians ... to ensure that they respond to OPRA requests in a timely manner, which includes requesting reasonable extensions of time,” Luers said in an email.

This is the second time that Conlon has been smacked down this year for allegedly blowing off OPRA requests.

City resident Michael Ranallo filed a lawsuit last month accusing the clerk of shrugging off five of his public-records request.

That suit, filed by attorney CJ Griffin, alleged Conlon focused too much on drama and mudslinging rather than his duties as clerk.

Conlon’s short tenure in Trenton has been marred by controversy.

He has filed ethics and bar complaints against current and former city officials and lodged a police report against a reporter for calling him on his cell phone for comment on a

story.

Conlon wrote to the FBI and alleged city officials were involved in a “RICO Conspiracy” with The Trentonian.

In a $3 million tort claim notice, he claimed has was retaliated against for being a whistleblower.

The city tapped two law firms to investigate Conlon’s background after questions arose about credentials on his resume, and employees stepped forward blaming the clerk for creating a hostile workplace.

One of the law firms recommended the city discipline Conlon for threatening to sue Blakeley during an outburst at a council meeting last year.

At a meeting in December, Conlon accused Blakeley of “committing multiple felonies against me.”

In an odd twist, The Trentonian revealed that Conlon was charged with a felony in 2003 for allegedly exploiting his disabled aunt out of more than $100,000.

Prosecutors nolled the charge two years later, after the victim died.

Conlon eventually admitted lying to the newspaper about the case. When initially confronted, he claimed his cousin with the same name and birthday was the defendant in the case.

Police and court records and Conlon’s mugshot contradicted the clerk’s claim.

Conlon has since floated a third story claiming the fake-cousin alibi was “sarcasm and hyperbole.”

He did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on the latest suit.