On Friday, August 16, 2024, the Dayton Daily News reported that the son of Montgomery County Judge James Piergies claimed his father pressured him to donate to Clerk of Courts campaigns and helped secure county employment.
According to the report, Robert Piergies contacted investigators the day his father was charged with felony counts relating to unlawful interest in a public contract. Robert said he urged his father “to be completely honest with the investigators and to not lie and make this worse for himself by trying to get himself out of this.” However, Robert said his father stopped taking his calls after that.
Judge James Piergies faces three felony counts for allegedly having an unlawful interest in a public contract. He was removed from the bench by the Ohio Supreme Court following his indictment in July. Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Mike Foley was also indicted and faces over a dozen counts relating to unlawful interest in a public contract, theft in office, and soliciting contributions from public employees.
The charges stem from an investigation begun in 2022 by the Ohio Auditor of State, Keith Faber’s office. Faber indicated the charges against Judge Piergies relate to his son Robert’s employment.
Robert Piergies worked for Montgomery County from 2018 to June 2024, first for the county municipal court where his father served as administrative judge until his suspension, and then in the Clerk of Courts office from 2020.
Robert said that after expressing frustrations with his previous job at the Greene County Juvenile Court, his father Judge Piergies offered to help him find new employment. In June 2018, Robert resigned from Greene County and started working as a bailiff for the Montgomery County Municipal Court, where his father worked.
Robert claimed that in 2020, when his father won reelection, he was told he was being moved to an IT job in the Clerk of Courts office against his wishes. He said his father implied part of his salary might have been provided to the Clerk’s office. County records show Robert earned $26.78 an hour in the IT role, up from $24.64 at the municipal court.
During his employment, Robert alleged that his father Judge Piergies pressured him into helping with reelection campaigns and donating to Clerk Foley’s campaigns. Sometimes his father would write checks for Robert to donate, with the implication they needed to strengthen ties to Foley’s office.
Robert resigned in June following a dispute over leave paperwork filed while caring for his ill wife. He and his wife live in a home owned by Judge Piergies and his wife.
Robert told the Dayton Daily News he is looking forward to no longer sharing a workplace with his father. The reported allegations shed light on the pending criminal cases against Judge Piergies and Clerk Foley.
Source: Dayton Daily News
