More defendants in the conspiracy lawsuit filed by former Mercer County Fiscal Director Jeff Swartzbeck have filed objections.

In October, Swartzbeck sued several former and current Mercer County commissioners and employees, claiming they conspired against him with false sexual harassment and seminar fraud claims. The goal of their conspiracy, Swartzbeck alleges, was to get him fired. Swartzbeck resigned Oct. 11, 2001, after being suspended with pay for a month and suspended without pay for a week.

Marie N. Jones, a lawyer with the Pittsburgh-based firm of Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebenek and Eck, filed the objection Jan. 31. Ms. Jones represents Kim Deniker, county law librarian; Onalee Godfrey, former administrative assistant to former commissioner Brian W. Shipley; Roberta Leonard, former grants and allocations director; and Suzanne Hockenberry, former management information systems director.

In the filing, the defendants claim Swartzbeck's amended filing of Jan. 10 was "legally insufficient."

The defendants asked for the case to be dismissed because Mercer County Common Pleas Court has no jurisdiction over Ms. Hockenberry, who now lives in Florida. Also, the filing claims Swartzbeck's suit was insufficient in details.

Specifically, the filing says Swartzbeck did not submit evidence the defendants published statements about him and listed only possible people who may have been told about the sexual harassment. No hearing date has been set.