Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – Cole Goodman has been resigned from his post as Dauphin County’s deputy clerk of courts after willfully neglecting his duty. A county judge held Goodman accountable for incorrectly entering a verdict for a Democrat activist whom a jury found guilty of physically obstructing the entrance to a Republican fundraising event in downtown Harrisburg.
A Dauphin County jury convicted the activist, Michael Bagdes-Canning, of illegally blocking the entrance to a restuarant that was hosting a state senator’s fundraiser last year on April 17. Dauphin County Judge Tully sentenced him to 90 days of unsupervised release, and ordered Bagdes-Canning to pay fines and court costs, however Goodman incorrectly recorded the verdict as being a plea agreement with much lower associated court costs.
After the scandal became public in the local and state news, Goodman remained uncooperative, feigning incompetence as deputy clerk and placing blame on Republican colleagues. He then refused to comply with the judge’s specific order to calculate the proper amount owed, again neglecting his duty.
Not only has he been forced to resign, but now the judge has ordered Goodman to personally repay the remainder of Bagdes-Canning’s fine for incorrectly entering the verdict.
Goodman is well known as a Democrat operative for his activism in recent years at racial protests, and his association with U.S. Senators Fetterman and Casey, as well as Governor Shapiro. Goodman initially gained named recognition campaigning around Dauphin County with the infamous Brad Koplinski. Koplinski is now a registered sex offender who was sentenced prison time for child pornography. Controversially, Goodman has also advocated for the rights of sex workers, and he has repeatedly portrayed himself as a victim at racial demonstrations.
Goodman was spoiled with the advantage of being the son of the politics editor at the largest newspaper in Harrisburg. He quickly elevated to become a Democrat State Committee Member, and the Vice Chair of the Dauphin County Democrats.
As reported by PennLive, Goodman is one of three top Dauphin County officials — including the elected Clerk of Courts, Bridget Whitley (stepmother of Goodman) — who left their positions last week following months of problems in the clerk of courts office, with defendants stranded in jail, bench warrants being improperly served and paperwork errors on case dispositions and sentences.
Rogette Harris was second deputy in the clerk of courts office.
PennLive reported that according to two sources, the judge would hold a hearing to order the clerks in contempt unless all three leaders left office. Whitley then terminated Harris, the second deputy, before she resigned, and Goodman then resigned as first deputy.
Goodman didn’t elaborate in an interview when asked why he was able to resign, yet Harris was fired. When interviewed by AP, Whitley stated, “My only public comment will be ‘Tennessee,’” she said. “You’re a reporter and investigator, you can figure it out.”
Following the resignations, the county president judge appointed former staffer Patti Sites as acting clerk.
In an interview, Goodman attributed his neglect of duty to be due to poor training, however according to Patti Sites, “They showed little interest in being trained. They frequently were away from their desks and delegated their duties to other employees who were also not trained for such major leadership duties,” she told PennLive.
One former employee of the office who spoke to PennLive agreed with Sites’ assessment, elaborating that Goodman and Harris dedicated only small amounts of time to learning office tasks and did not take notes on processes as they were being taught.
The fate Rogette Harris remains undetermined in the midst of the county scandal, as she is also the current elected Auditor of Derry Township, and the Chair of Dauphin County Democrats. Harris did not make her regular appearance on Battleground PA podcast this week, and according to PennLive she hasn’t responded for questions, nor provided a statement.
Harris was recently spotted at a debate party held by Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro at the controversial HMAC club on 3rd Street in Harrisburg.
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