Slander: Employee of Prior Employer Engaging in Slander

My question involves defamation in the state of: New Jersey and Pennsylvania

3 years ago, I left my job with a local government agency responsible for operating and maintaining bridges, roadways and a transit line in a major city. I had worked at the agency for 11 years, the last 4 as Chief Engineer. This is not an elected position - I was selected based on my professional accomplishments. My decision to leave was based on ethical concerns and political wrong-doing, which is the basis of my question.

During my tenure as Chief Engineer, a number of engineers provided me with reports regarding potential unethical acts perpetrated by their manager, who reported directly to me. These reports were quite serious, implicating this manager in potential bid rigging and attempts to gain uneccesary change orders for politically favored contractors. In each case, I passed these reports on to my supervisor, the agency's Executive Director and general counsel. My reports resulted in a number of internal investigations. At one point, information regarding these allegations was leaked outside of the agency, resulting in an FBI investigation.

As part of these investigations, I provided numerous statements, including copies of my typed notes detailing reports of employees and questionable incidents involving the subject manager that I personally had witnessed. During this time frame, it became apparent that the manager had political connections to several of the agency's Board members - these connections were revealed to me by the manager himself, reported to me by engineers who had witnessed the manager meeting with Board members at political events, and by other agency staff who also had connections with the same Board members. Also during this time, these other internal staffers who had connections with the same Board members engaged in many forms of intimidation, in an attempt to get me to stop reporting the manager's questionable behaviour.

All of these circumstances were made known in great detail to my supervisor, the agency's Executive Director and general counsel.

The results of one internal investigation were recorded in a report, which I was denied access to. I was informed by the general counsel that the investigation did reveal an inappropriate relationship between the manager and one outside contractor, and that I should take steps to make sure that the manager did not have supervision or involvement with this contractor. When I objected to this directive - pointing out that the manager's behavior was likely not limited to this one contractor - I was told that there was no evidence of such relationships between the manager and other contractors, and as such the directive would be limited to this one contractor.

I continued to bring attention to the inappropriate actions of this manager, continued to reflect my concerns as part of his annual review process, and continued to encounter hostility from those other staff associated with the subject Board members, and the Board members themselves.

This situation finally became too much for me, and I resigned my position 3 years ago, taking a job with a consulting firm. This firm does work for my former agency, and as such I rely upon my past excellent relationships (with the exception of this one manager) within the engineering department and my extensive knowledge of the agency's facilities to help my firm win consulting work.

Since joining this firm, my former colleagues with the agency have informed me that the manager in question has on numerous occasions talked in slanderous terms about me, among other things accusing me of making false allegations against him. My replacement has informed me that this manager has continued to be involved in questionable activity, and that he has followed my example of reporting all such activity to executive staff. As a result of one such report, the directive to keep the manager away from one particular contractor was expanded to include another contractor.

Within the last two weeks, this manager has come into possession (I do not know how) of a copy of my confidential notes made as part of investigations during my tenure as Chief Engineer. These notes are quite detailed, and provide the names of engineers who had provided me with reports. I am told by my successor that the manager has confronted these engineers with these reports, attempting to get them to recant the accounts in my notes. I was told most recently by my successor that the manager's actions in this regard have resulted in the agency's decision to consider disciplinary action against the manager.

I fear that there will be negative reprucussions and potential retaliation against me as a result of my notes being circulated and as a result of the agency's attempt to reprimand the manager. Specifically, I am concerned that my former colleagues will be reticent to work with my firm, fearing that any alliance with me could hurt their own careers working in such a politically charged agency. I am also concerned that the Board members which have an apparent alliance with the manager will take steps to prevent my firm from gaining work with the agency. In general, I am concerned that the manager - who continues to be in a position of some authority - will use his position and the information that he has to continue to slander my character. I have already been told by fellow consultants (with other firms) that the manager has made negative comments toward me. Since these consultants have no knowledge of the details, it is quite likely that these firms will be hesitant to team with my firm on engineering opportunities with my former agency, and may in fact try to use the fact that this manager does not have a favorable view of me to their own competitve advangtage.

Please advise as to what my next steps should be - should I request a meeting with the agency's executive director and general counsel to express my concerns? If so should a lawyer accompany me? Is there some action that I can take now to pre-empt the potential negative fall-out that I have outlined? What about the fact that my confidential notes - made as part of a federal investigation - are now being circulated and could be in the hands of any number of individuals.

Thank you in advance for your response.