MOLOVINSKY EXCLUSIVE
Mayor Ed has been telling confidants that he plans on pre-launching for his forth term later this year. He has been studying cases where the FBI, while indicting underlings, have never actually indicted the top dog. Now, while I find this delusional, it does explain Ed's facebook posts and other behaviors of denial. It also explains Ed's new appreciation of the little people, and his photo ops at their gatherings. Such a pre-launch would also keep the vultures, such as Sam Bennett and Charlie Thiel, at bay. Last night, The Morning Call began running an interview with Jack McMahon, Pawlowski's high powered Philadelphia criminal attorney. He states that Pawlowski, "clearly has done no wrong," and that Pawlowski is tried of being a punching bag. molovinsky on allentown may have to rent an office downtown to keep up with this development. Wonder if J.B. Reilly would give me a good deal?
ADDENDUM: In the tape and interview with The Morning Call, McMahon explains that Pawlowski is a religious, honest family man. It's a large city and if people under him participated in play to pay, it was without his knowledge. Any criminality must have been orchestrated by Mike Fleck, because like Schultz in Hogan's Heros, Pawlowski saw nothing; He was busy campaigning, for governor and then senator. I understand that McMahon is a paid mouthpiece, but I find his tape and explanation unsettling. Is it meant to intimidate people? Is he implying that those who have pleaded guilty, such as Mary Ellen Koval, acted on their own, or mistook Fleck as speaking for Pawlowski? What does this interview do for the morale of city workers? The mayor is actively looking for scapegoats. Have we gone from amusingly delusional to scary?
I would agree with scary.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely.
Scary.
Anyone who thinks this man is done doing harm isn't paying attention. He will do more damage before he's gone for good.
ReplyDeleteYep. He is a sociopath, and so is his attorney.
ReplyDeleteWhat a freakshow this city is.
Torch-bearing mob meeting at 8 PM tonight.
ReplyDeleteWhat else can Pawlowski's defense do except blame Fleck? The defense has no other choice than to throw Fleck and everyone else under the bus. I am not the least bit surprised.
ReplyDeleteThe statement I found most informative was that McMahon believes an indictment is certainly imminent for Pawlowski. (Although, he "though he can't imagine what charges the government could bring." That made me LOL!) I also found his ready acceptance of office sweeps at the mayoral level to be frightening. ""If I was the mayor, I'd have my office swept too," McMahon said. "It's a long-standing mayoral tradition," he later added."
How Hamilton Development (of Fleck's H Street Strategies) was even a legal enterprise is beyond me. And Pawlowski's denial of knowing about the obvious pay to play scheme going on there is just laughable. "Hamilton Development Partners, included a stable of private companies that paid [Fleck] a retainer fee in hopes of doing work in the city. Fleck and his staff introduced principals in those businesses to city officials and assisted with preparing plans for development projects. Many of the companies donated to Pawlowski's various political campaigns, campaign finance records show." Is Pawlowski honestly going to say he didn't know that this was happening, when he's already on record as recognizing the obvious conflict of interest? I mean, come on.
Regardless of what is legal or illegal here, clearly a LOT of people in Allentown conducted business in a shady manner. City Officials who met with anyone via Hamilton Development ought to be ashamed. They're elected to represent the people of the City, not the highest bidder. Business as usual in this town sucks. If the mayor doesn't go to prison for this, it will only continue, if not grow.
I'll be sending in my contribution to his mayoral campaign June first.
ReplyDeletemomma@9:41, unfortunately, my first paragraph about pawlowski wanting to run again is not tongue in cheek. i suppose that was the purpose of mcMahon's interview, damage control for that purpose. i found it very disturbing. it's one thing for your subordinates to be victims, but then to suggest that the pay to play may have been their design, is really despicable. what does this interview do for the moral of city workers? the mayor is activity looking for scapegoats.
ReplyDeleteLet's say for a moment he truly was unaware of the actions of those under him. That's enough evidence for me that he's totally incompetent to lead as mayor! If you have no idea what is going on at home because of your desperate hopes of winning higher office, you shouldn't hold your position as you are depriving the people of honest services.
ReplyDeleteHe couldn't be much worse than Thiel and Bennett and at least we know what we are getting.
ReplyDeleteShame on all the entities that are sponsoring this event. What are they thinking?
ReplyDeleteScott Armstrong
@11:15, the two city employees who already pleaded guilty testified that they were following directions given by pawlowski, not fleck.
ReplyDelete@11:41, this blog could not support either theil or bennett, but feel that anybody, including them, would be better than pawlowski. this interview by mcMahon shows the contempt that pawlowski has for the city. it is now incumbent upon city council to get more creative about forcing pawlowski from city hall, or at least reducing his authority.
Hendricks is waiting in the wings.
ReplyDeleteEvery time the word "mayor" is mentioned in his presence he breaks out in a sweat.
Watch him, his nice guy act is thin.
I agree, MM.
ReplyDelete"It is now incumbent upon city council to get more creative about forcing pawlowski from city hall, or at least reducing his authority."
What are some of the "creative" ways the City Council can force him out?
Right now, Council continues to approve bills and ordinances that are coming from the Mayor's office. What happens when we find that Council voted YES for corrupt requests from the Mayor's administration? We know we are waiting for the FBI to talk about the $1.4 million land purchase between Pawlowski and Atiyeh.
Why doesn't the Mayor attend the City Council meetings?
Did Pawlowski tell all the city employees to say the same thing to everyone? "I didn't see anything, Mr. FBI agent."
Honestly, I feel like I just need to wait for the FBI to bring this all down. The Mayor is here to stay and I'd like to know what City Council plans to do next about that.
There are a few people and companies like myself who are on the other side of pay to play.Because of morals and integrity we refused the invite to be a friend of Ed Pawlowski. Im suffering financially but I don't need a lawyer to speak for me.
ReplyDelete