BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — A former Bridgeport assistant police chief’s lawsuit claiming he was defrauded out of the police chief’s job can go forward, a state appeals court has ruled.
James Nardozzi’s lawsuit stemmed from the hiring scandal that landed the city’s police chief and personnel director in prison last year.
Nardozzi claimed former chief Armando Perez and former personnel director David Dunn conspired with Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim to fix the selection process so Perez would be selected as chief, the Connecticut Post reported.
Prosecutors said Perez, 65, received confidential information about the police chief’s examination that was stolen by Dunn, including the questions for an oral examination and the scoring guide for written essays. Perez, who was the acting chief at the time, also admitted that he had two officers complete his essays, passed the work off as his own and lied to federal authorities in an effort to cover up his actions.
Last April, Perez was sentenced to a year in prison and Dunn received a four-month term. Both have since been released, according to the Courant.
The appeals court ruled Friday that Nardozzi’s suit can proceed even though the city had paid him to settle a previous lawsuit after he was fired by Ganim in 2016.
The case could go to trial later this year.
A message was left with an attorney who represented the city in the appeal.
(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)