Jill Moran Resigns As Prothonotary

After weeks of speculation Luzerne County ProthonotaryJill Moran has ended all the idle bar chatter. Moran has submitted a letter of resignation to Governor Ed Rendell's office. The Times Leader is reporting the letter, dated Friday, states Moran will resign effective March 13.

On January 20, 2009 Jennifer Learn-Andes wrote about Jill's hatrick over her boss's IRS lien.

A new moniker -- John Doe -- was attached to Powell in 2007 when The Times Leader discovered that county Prothonotary Jill Moran -- his law partner -- switched Powell's name in her office database so he wasn't linked to an Internal Revenue Service tax lien filed against him.

Moran said she had reason to believe the IRS filed the lien in error, but other county residents and businesses did not have the luxury of John Doe anonymity on liens filed against them.

Experts said her action was illegal. Federal officials were looking into the matter, but it's unclear if any official action was taken against Moran. Moran later put the lien under Powell's name in the office database.

In today's article she is quoted as stating the following: In the letter, Moran said she is resigning because "the circumstances in the Luzerne County Courthouse are making my presence in the office a distraction," according to Chuck Ardo, spokesman for Rendell.

"Thus I am resigning so that the office may continue to operate effectively," the letter says.

And some music for your listening pleasure.