For months, Lackawanna County government was paralyzed because Commissioner Bill Gaughan refused to accept the Democratic Party’s lawful nominee to replace former Commissioner Matt McGloin. At the outset, Gaughan publicly promoted his personal choice, Dunmore Mayor Max Conway, and when party leaders advanced Brenda Sacco through the Home Rule Charter process instead, he began a months-long legal crusade that stalled county government for more than half a year.
He took the matter through every possible court — and lost in every one.
Gaughan weaponized process, lost in every court, isolated himself politically, and now claims to be the victim of “backroom politics” while his own conduct was the definition of it.
The result of his obstruction was eight months of dysfunction and a county left without full representation. When the state Supreme Court finally cleared the way for Brenda Sacco’s appointment, Gaughan immediately cast himself as a martyr, railing against “chaos” and “vendettas” even as his colleagues, Republican Chris Chermak and Democrat Sacco, began restoring basic cooperation to county government.
His behavior as chairman had alienated his colleague. Chermak accused him of shutting others out of decision-making and disrespecting residents who spoke at meetings. Multiple accounts describe Gaughan berating speakers, ridiculing taxpayers, and picking fights with anyone who challenged him. Yet Chermak has repeatedly said that Gaughan is welcome to work with him anytime — if he’s willing to put collaboration ahead of control.
That same confrontational style has surfaced beyond Lackawanna County. At a recent Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport board meeting, Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo accused Gaughan of creating “obstacles” that hinder airport security discussions. “I am deeply disappointed by the obstacles being erected by Commissioner Gaughan in our efforts to further secure the airport,” Crocamo said, describing his approach as dismissive and counterproductive. Her criticism followed a tense exchange in which Gaughan dismissed concerns over the airport’s Law Enforcement Officer program, prompting Luzerne County officials to question his attitude and understanding of jurisdictional security needs. “His glib attitude is concerning. I do not and will not kneel at the Bill Gaughan alter,” she said.
The contradictions in Gaughan’s politics have also become difficult to ignore. While lamenting “party infighting,” he endorsed independent candidate Michael Cappellini for commissioner, a move that deepened divisions inside his own party rather than healing them. He has occasionally crossed party lines with public endorsements, including past support for Republican candidates — Wayne Evans for Scranton Mayor, for example — a pattern that has fueled debate within local Democratic circles about his political direction. And when Gaughan first ran for county office, he was the clear beneficiary of the same Democratic “machine” he now denounces — its endorsements, volunteers, and financial backing helped secure his victory.
Now that the board’s majority has shifted, Gaughan calls it “backroom politics.” But it was his own backroom maneuvering — the lawsuits, the secrecy, the power plays — that caused the gridlock in the first place.
Commissioner Sacco, who was the target of his months-long campaign, issued a pointed public statement this week. “Bill Gaughan has chosen to make this personal,” she wrote. “His baseless litigation against our own party cost taxpayers untold sums of money and wasted many precious months that could have been better spent refining our budget and fixing the rushed reassessment.”
Sacco also noted that Gaughan skipped her swearing-in, ignored outreach from her office, and continues to refuse cooperation. “Our county needs leadership, not control by a single commissioner,” she said.
With Gaughan’s removal as board chair expected Monday, Lackawanna County may finally regain a functioning government. The irony is that the man who spent months claiming to defend “good governance” has now become the clearest example of how ego and obstruction can erode it.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.