Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-05-02
Key Aide
Is Ousted
ByCounci]
Floyd Blasts
HaSSett on
Statements

Inc montgomery OOuIlty
Council has fired informa-
ton and economic develop
ment dire ctor John ].
HaSSett.
Hassett's requested resigna-
ton, effective Tuesday at 5
pm, followed a council order
earlier in the day directing
County Manager Mason Butch
er ito relieve Mr.. Hassett of
all duties and terminate his en-
ployment Immediately"
Because Butcher is out of
town, Hassetts resignation
went to acting county manager
E. w. Bucklin.
The angry council action
Tuesday came in the wake of
a statement Friday in which
HasSett announced his resigna-
tion-then effective June 30
defended his 1312-month record
of disseminating information
and attracting industry to the
county, and charged orders
from council president John A.
Floyd that all press queries on
council actions be referred to
individual council members
have made the professional
operation of normal press rela.
tons for the county nearly i'm
possible"
"In view of his statements, /"
Floyd's statement Tue day
morning read, "his services
are no longer of any value TO
the county"
AT no time did the council
direct" Hassett to pass on,
rather than answer, press ques-
tons, F'loyds statement said.
Hassett later repeated his
charge that he twas under
direct orders from the presi-
dent of the County Council to
pass on to individual council
members requests for comment
on council action"
In his statement Floyd met
Hassett's charge that he was
not allowed to conduct a PRO
fessional operation" with a
counter-accusation that Hassett
had shown incompetence and
inefficiency" and a lack of
professionalism"
Hassett, at a press confer.
ence Tuesday evening, said that
his statement Friday came only
after he was confronted by a
newspaper story obtained
"from members of the council,
or those close to the council in
violation of an agreement that
the council would remain silent
until Hassett was able to get
another job and made an an
nouncement he was resigning.
Mary A. Hepburn, council
secretary, said the council only
released the information after
reports that Hassett had al.
ready given a statement to the
press.
HasSett says he had Butchers
go-ahead to issue a statement
defending himself last Friday,
and that the June 30 resigna-
ton date had also been cleared
with Butcher, who had assured
him his statement would not
affect it. He calls it "signifi-
cant" that he was fired while
Butcher, his immediate supe-
rior, was out of town.
The June 30 date is "unrea-
sonable and unacceptable, "
Floyd said. 1T is especially so
in view of the directors open
antagonism to the council"
Hassett, 43, has been I & ED
director for the county since
February, 1862. He has been in
the public relations and eco
nomic development field since
1913, and has lived in the coun
ty since then.
The County Managers 1863
Report lists Hassett's office as
having directly aided in the
location of several industrial
firms, including the IBM Fed
eral Systems Division near
Gaithersburg, the National In
strument Laboratories in Wash
ington-Rockville Industrial PARK
and the Wall Street Journals
new offices and plant"