The union lawsuit comes nine months after a suit by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s office. The union’s lawyer, Gregory Cohan, and union President Randy Chittenden said they hope the two lawsuits are combined.

Blumenthal, in a lawsuit filed in May 2007, accused Manemeit of betraying the public and firefighters’ trust. Blumenthal said at the time that his office also would refer the matter to the chief state’s attorney’s office for possible criminal prosecution.

Cohan said the State’s Attorney’s Office was assessing it.

“I think it’s pretty clear that the money was wrongfully taken,” said Cohan. “It’s our position that we can prove all the allegations in our complaint and we think that once discovery is completed, we think it will show that substantially more than $24,000 was taken.”

People close to the case have suggested that the total amount allegedly taken could be closer to $100,000.

“We don’t want a black eye on the union,” said Chittenden, president of Branford Professional Firefighters Local 2533. “The union is doing this to recoup the funds that are unaccounted for. ... We just want to do the right thing.”

Neither Manemeit, a 24-year veteran firefighter, nor his lawyer, Robert Casale, could be reached for comment.

Casale said that when the attorney general’s office filed suit that his client says there was no misappropriation of funds and that any union funds Manemeit spent, he spent with full authorization.

“These are disputed allegations,” Casale said. “Our position is that there was no misconduct and no misappropriation. Whatever was done was done with the proper authority and ... authorization ... with the knowledge of the union and for the ultimate benefit of the union.

“I think the problem lies with the fact that the union people who were in place when Michael was there are not the same people who are there today.”

Manemeit at various times served as the union’s president and vice president. At the point when Blumenthal’s office filed suit, Manemeit was no longer a union official but remained a firefighter, although he was out of work on injury leave.

He has since retired, said Chittenden.

The union’s lawsuit alleges that beginning in 2000 and continuing roughly through August 2005, Manemeit “engaged in a course of conduct wherein on one or more occasions, he interfered with the plaintiff’s ownership rights, and deprived the plaintiff of more than $24,000 of the aforementioned funds” and “wrongfully exercised dominion and control over said funds, permanently or for an indefinite period of time.”

The union contends that Manemeit “committed larceny as defined by Connecticut General Statutes,” that his actions were “intentional, willful and malicious” and that he “acted with reckless indifference to the rights” of the union.

The suit, which makes a claim for triple damages, charges that Manemeit breached his fiduciary duties and damaged the union.

Mark Zaretsky can be reached at mzaretsky@nhregister.com or 789-5722.