Two defendants in the St. Clare’s pensioners case have filed for bankruptcy, including former Albany Bishop Edward Scharfenberger. Their filings have delayed the second phase of the trial.
Scharfenberger, who became Bishop Emeritus of the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese earlier this month, filed for bankruptcy just days after a jury sided with the pensioners.
Also filing for bankruptcy is Joe Pofit, a former diocese employee and St. Clare's President.
A Schenectady County jury ruled Friday that the men, along with five other defendants were found liable for $54 million in compensatory damages that must be paid to the more than 1,100 workers who lost some or all of their retirement benefits after the St. Clare’s Hospital pension fund collapsed in 2019.
Pensioners are being represented by attorneys from the AARP Foundation and the New York State attorney general’s office.
The jury included punitive damages in their verdict and were scheduled to begin the process of determining just how much each defendant owed to pensioners.
Emily Pickren, a spokesperson for the AARP Foundation, said the filings led to the cancellation of Tuesday's scheduled proceedings.
Scharfenberger filed for bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. Pofit filed his case in Colorado on Monday, according to an attorney's letter sent to Schenectady County Court.
WAMC has reached out to the AARP Foundation for further comment. A spokesperson for the attorney general said their office is planning to file a letter requesting that the jury’s verdict sheet be made public.
