By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
BUFFALO — Final presentations were made in state Supreme Court Wednesday in former Cattaraugus County District Attorney Lori P. Rieman’s lawsuit against Cattaraugus County for denying her health insurance when she retired last year.
Rieman served for four terms as district attorney over 16 years. She also served as first assistant district attorney under former DA Ed Sharkey from 2001-2009. Sharkey fired her when she became a GOP candidate for district attorney.
Rieman did not seek re-election in 2025, but shunned Republican Party efforts to retire early in order to guarantee her future health insurance coverage upon retirement.
The former district attorney filed for her New York State retirement benefits on Dec. 29, 2025, but they were not processed until Jan 16, 2026.
Rieman said she had sought a resolution from the county legislature last year granting her lifetime health insurance, but the effort was rebuffed.
Former County Attorney Ashley Smith notified Rieman that via email on Dec. 31, 2025 she was not eligible to receive the health insurance because she had not retired from Cattaraugus County.
Rieman filed an Article 78 action against Cattaraugus County for not providing her with health insurance as specified in the management confidential manual. State Supreme Court Judge Dennis E. Ward is hearing the case.
Rieman’s attorney, Harvey Sanders said the county’s management confidential employees’ manual spelled out the benefit of lifetime health insurance for 20 years of service. He said there is nothing in the manual that says anything about continuous service. “She has 24 plus years of service.”
Matthew Miller, the attorney for Cattaraugus County, maintained that the county’s policy required 20 years of continuous service and retirement from Cattaraugus County — not just New York State.
Miller said Rieman needed to have an active employee status with the county in order to request health insurance in retirement. As of Jan. 1, 2026, she did not have active retirement, and the state would not process her retirement papers for more than two weeks. “She was asking for new coverage when she was not an employee,” he added.
The 16 days between the end of her term and the state approval of her retirement, and interrupted her term of employment — and health insurance, Miller said.
Sanders countered by noting that the management confidential category of employee, which includes elected district attorney, received benefits “equal to or better than supervisory employees.” He said the county presented no examples of management confidential employees being required to have 20 years continuous service and retire in order to receive the health insurance benefits.
Rieman and County Attorney Erin Whitcomb were present in the Buffalo courtroom and helped their attorneys make their points with the judge.
Ward gave both attorneys until Sept. 11 to submit any additional points to their oral presentations and indicated he would have a ruling after that time.
“The facts are not overly complex,” Ward said. “There are some interesting issues.”
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