By Ronnie Dahl
Fox 2 News Reporter
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WJBK) -- To say Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon is not a fan of George Fitzgerald would be putting it nice. Fitzgerald has stirred up a lot of trouble in his four years as the township clerk. His staff quit. Two of them even filed lawsuits.
"He used the F-word, the C-word, to his employees, and all female," said Cannon. "You just don't do things like that."
"He was deceitful and he was revengeful and he was controlling and he was a bully."
Things got so bad, Fitzgerald was locked out of his office and moved to a conference room. The board voted to remove him from office, but couldn't because he's an elected official.
Then election night, we're told Fitzgerald, who was up for reelection, left before his job was complete putting the entire election in jeopardy.
"He knew about midnight that he wasn't going to win and he left at about one," Cannon said. "At about 2:15, the sheriff's department knocked on the door because our clerk had not sent our numbers to the county."
Unable to reach Fitzgerald, we're told an IT employee managed to gather the election results so they could be tallied and since that night, the clerk hasn't bothered to show back up to work, even though he is still collecting his $81,000 dollar a year salary.
We stopped by Fitzgerald's home and called him on the phone to see if he thought he owed the taxpayers an apology or, at least, an explanation. The car was in the driveway, the lights were on and the television blaring, but nobody came to the door.
"I've been in politics for a long time and I've never run across another individual like this in my life," said Cannon.
Elected officials aren't required to submit a time sheet, so Fitzgerald will continue to collect his salary until his term officially ends next Tuesday at noon.
Meanwhile, the supervisor has offered those former employees their jobs back when the new clerk takes over.
