In January 2024, John Sabatina Sr., the newly inaugurated Philadelphia Register of Wills, created a hit list of 30 employees who were scheduled to be fired — not for poor performance, but to make way for Sabatina’s friends and supporters. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the City has agreed to pay one of the wrongly fired employees $40,000 because Sabatini fired him for not supporting his campaign, in violation of the plaintiff’s First Amendment rights. Philadelphia taxpayers so far have paid $656,000 in legal settlements caused by Sabatina’s actions.

Patronage, hiring people because you like them and they are loyal to you, has long been the m.o. of the Register of Wills office, one of the few outliers — along with the Philadelphia Parking Authority and the Sheriff’s Department

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