Local Government TV

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Callahan Cover-Up: Those "Nonexistent" Records Suddenly Appear!


Superbowl Sunday 2007. Just after 1 AM. Dino Cantelmi, who just happens to be Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan's brother-in-law, is tooling along in his female companion's late model Volvo, driving the wrong way on a one-way street. He had been drinking earlier that night and slams right into a Bethlehem police cruiser, sending the injured officer to the hospital.

No field sobriety test. No trip to the DUI center. And most amazing of all, no story in the local papers! Details were kept under wraps for over three years, in an obvious effort to protect Hizzoner.

When I found out about this accident, police brass threw up a stone wall, so I filed a formal Right-to-Know-Law (RTKL) request on July 21. In response, City lawyers supplied information they already knew I had, like the incident report. But they ignored my request for the pictures I knew they had taken at the accident scene. They also refused to fork over cell phone records that day for Mayor John Callahan and the Police Commissioner. City lawyer Chris Cooper tells me, "The City maintains records of cell phone invoices, however individual cell phone records are not kept in the normal course of business. Therefore, the record you request does not exist and the City is not required to compile a non existing record pursuant to Pennsylvania Right to Know Law section 705."

Of course, that's bullshit. I appealed this refusal to the Office of Open Records. Appeals Officer Lucinda Glinn must have thought the City's refusal was bullshit, too. She gave them until yesterday to "clarify what efforts were undertaken to obtain the cell phone records requested from the telephone company and describe the records available as pertain to the numbers assigned to the named individuals on the stated date. Be sure to substantiate all asserted facts regarding the existence and attempts to obtain responsive records. As to the appeal of the allegedly partial incident report, please advise whether any pictures were taken as part of the incident report, and if so, explain why the pictures were not supplied."

Ruh roh.

Well, it's a miracle! It's right up there with the Immaculate Conception and Tang. On July 26, the City may have insisted those records were nonexistent and they have no obligation to produce nonexistent records, but they were just kidding. Yesterday, on the last possible day to come forward City lawyers coughed up those nonexistent records. Chris Cooper now tells me, "we continued to seek all the records you requested." He swears out an Affidavit and everything! Isn't that nice of him?

Of course, he redacts the hell out of the cell phone records, blotting out every private call. But hey, it's the thought that counts.

Callahan's cell phone record indicate he made or received no calls at all on Superbowl Sunday 2007, although there are plenty of calls before and after that date. Commissioner Miller's phone records reveal that someone left three messages for him that day. I'll be looking at them a little more closely over the next few days, but am naturally suspicious there may be even more "nonexistent" records out there. I sure hope Chris keeps looking, and in the meantime, I'll take these records to someone who understands them and can explain them to me. I'm reluctant to post cell phone numbers on this site for obvious reasons.

The pictures you see reveal this was no minor fender bender. But amazingly, Callahan's brother-in-law walked away with two summary citations, which he quickly and quietly paid.

60 comments:

  1. Dirty dirty dirty.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Callahan's cell phone record indicate he made or received no calls at all on Superbowl Sunday 2007"


    wow...so the mayor ordered the cover-up psychically!!! this is huge news bernie.

    moreover, you've revealed that the mayor is a mutant.


    what next? will callahan learn to harness his powers? will professor xavier come to bethlehem to mentor him? will callahan begin campaigning in yellow leather tights? stay tuned...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Didn't this happen at 1:00 a.m. on the Monday following Superbowl Sunday? Calls on Sunday would be irrelevant. Would seem to me that 12:01 am Monday forward is where the rubber meets the road.

    JC may have been smart enough to use his private cell or landline, calling others' private cell and landlines. You're gonna need records you can't get unless an official investigation is opened, so Johnboy will probably skate on this one.

    Nonetheless, outstanding work! You've shown he and his henchman to be feckless, self-serving hacks, at the very least. Meanwhile our local columnist eats his way through Musikfest, judges Christmas lights or pontificates about the legal rights of the intolerant to demand tolerance while spitting on the grave of 3,000 Americans.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bernie
    The Pa Newspaper Association annually holds a press contest. We think it includes a special blogger category. We encourage you to enter this Callahan cover-up in the 2010 contest. You have done remarkable and courageous work.
    Congratulations.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Of course, he redacts the hell out of the cell phone records, blotting out every private call."

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe there is such a thing as a "private" call on the public dime. If the call was made from a publicly funded cell phone, the destination of that call is the public's business.

    Every step in this process has been in your face, you'll get nothing and like it elitism.

    If you support Callahan for Congress, you are basically admitting you need a caretaker, someone to tell you what's good for you, and what you are entitled to. Sad.

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Callahan's cell phone record indicate he made or received no calls at all on Superbowl Sunday 2007"

    I concur that, as all of this occurred after midnight, the relevant records wouldn't be for Sunday but for Monday.


    No offense but that may take you out of the running for that blogger award.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yep. Looks like this warrants just a summary offense to me.

    The hell with John Callahan and his corrupt bunch of cronies.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The road has a double yellow. How is it one-way?

    I'm sure the mayor has a private cell phone by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe there is such a thing as a "private" call on the public dime.

    Why would it need to be paid for by the public. I'm sure the guy has a private phone he pays for himself.

    ReplyDelete
  11. bernie, i will not comment on the relevance of this accident, but i wish to commend your tenacity in pursuing the story.

    ReplyDelete
  12. "We encourage you to enter this Callahan cover-up in the 2010 contest. You have done remarkable and courageous work.
    Congratulations."

    And then you can enter your work on the Gracedale kick backs that you will uncover after the sale.

    Oh wait your boy Angle is involved so that won't be happening.

    ReplyDelete
  13. "We encourage you to enter this Callahan cover-up in the 2010 contest. You have done remarkable and courageous work.
    Congratulations."

    This was work that could be done by anyone. Problem is most of us work jobs that take up our time. The information is interesting to say the least. Cover ups happen all the time, it is a shame that Bernie isn't as eager to exploit those due to his ties with the people involved.

    Based on O'Hares track record with providing information do you people honestly think if he was a Callahan supporter, or if this somehow involved Angle that he would have put in the effort?

    I think not.

    ReplyDelete
  14. "Callahan's cell phone record indicate he made or received no calls at all on Superbowl Sunday 2007"

    This proves nothing. Anyone can call or receive a call from a pay phone or another cell phone that you don't know about.

    ReplyDelete
  15. For those questioning the date of the accident.
    The accident report states this happened on February 4, 2007. That was a Sunday. The accident happened in the early morning of Super Bowl Sunday...before the game was played.
    Therefore, the Sunday phone records are the correct records.

    ReplyDelete
  16. We wouldn't post cell phone numbers on a blog either.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'll refrain from doing that. No reason to have all kinds of people calling Callahan on a phone paid for by the City.

    ReplyDelete
  18. "And then you can enter your work on the Gracedale kick backs that you will uncover after the sale."

    A bullshit claim by an anonymous coward who claimed that the shite collar unit of the PSP is investigating. So let them.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anon...Because I can!!August 25, 2010 at 1:17 PM

    16 of the now 20 comments are from Anon.....AGAIN Anon makes your blog work. You should be thanking me for my contributions.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Bernie O'Hare said...
    I'll refrain from doing that. No reason to have all kinds of people calling Callahan on a phone paid for by the City.

    12:57 PM

    Bernie
    It's just the right thing to do...not posting anyone's private numbers. If someone wants to reach him, let them find a way.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Bernie
    Not on this topic but on Bethlehem in general. Did you see that guest editorial from the lady in city finance you wrote about last week? Aything happening with that? Also, isn't tonight the next zoning hearing meeting? Are you going?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anon...Because I can!! said...
    16 of the now 20 comments are from Anon.....AGAIN Anon makes your blog work. You should be thanking me for my contributions.

    1:17 PM


    Bernie's blog works because it is timely and intelligently written and provides relevant information found no where else.

    ReplyDelete
  23. "Bernie's blog works because it is timely and intelligently written and provides relevant information found no where else."

    So you truly believe if he was a Callahan supporter or if it involved Angle or one of his other buddies he would be "providing relevant information?"

    If you do you have blowed a lot of time here.

    We all know Bernie provides only the information that will shine positively on his circle.

    And if you disagree with him you are a 3am troll or any other personal attack he chooses to launch at you.

    ReplyDelete
  24. 1:45 got your number, Fuzzy Bunny.

    How's that Obama thing working out for you?

    ReplyDelete
  25. For those questioning the date of the accident.
    The accident report states this happened on February 4, 2007. That was a Sunday. The accident happened in the early morning of Super Bowl Sunday...before the game was played.
    Therefore, the Sunday phone records are the correct records.


    Hmmm. The author implied the driver was blasted and driving home from a SB party of some sort.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Correct, the author did say "Superbowl Sunday just after 1 am."
    Seems to be some confusion...maybe there was a report and we have just been looking at the wrong date.

    Superbowl Sunday just after 1 am to me means the first hour of that day, before the game was played. Anything else would be the day before (Sat) or the day after (Mon) the Superbowl.

    I will file a Right to Know to find out what day it was.

    ReplyDelete
  27. So about the one-way street with a double yellow?

    ReplyDelete
  28. The Pictures say it all I have see a lot less damaged vehicles make it into our local rags must have been a busy news day.

    ReplyDelete
  29. The Superbowl was played on Feb 4th 2007. According to the article Feb 5th @ 1am should be the date to key off of.

    However there still seems to be confusion as to the actual date.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Let me clear up the confusion, for which I am partly respopnsible. In my original post on this matter, I led readers to believe that the accident occured after the actual game, i.e., around 1 AM that Monday. But after checking my facts a little more closelty and discussing it with some folks who make their living selling newspapers, I realized thaty the accident occured on Sunday, i.e. before the actual game.

    Before that accident, there had been a Superbowl party, according to what the female passenger in the car tells me. There had been lots of drinking.

    ReplyDelete
  31. "So about the one-way street with a double yellow?"

    The double yellow line you see is oin hellertown TRoad (412), which is the road officer Kennedy was patrolling when he was hit. Vantelmi came out of Shimersville Road, driving the wrong way on a one way road and onto 412 to hit officer Kennedy.

    ReplyDelete
  32. "It's just the right thing to do...not posting anyone's private numbers."

    It is a City-owned phone, so I guess the argument could be made it is not really private. But I have enough respect for Mayors and Police Commissioners to keep that information to myself.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Never heard of a SuperBowl party the night before the game, but hey, if you have two women to please, one of them has to get the alternate date.

    Oh, what a tangle web we weave, when first we...

    Get busy with a woman who is not our wife and then ram a police car!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Although Cantelmi was with another woman and was actually driving her car, I would not assume anything and am casting no stones there. For all I know, he was just making sure she got home alright. What bothers me is the drinking, the accident, the injury and damage, and the absence of a news account.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Well, this is major dirt to dig up, so I also congratulate Bernie on the scoop.

    It is somewhat disheartening to learn of this as Callahan goes into elections against Dent, as it only adds to the general slimeball feeling that politicians, in general, leave behind. I don't know what's worse: imagining Dent's henchmen launching this attack right now (as opposed to...I dunno...3 years ago) OR Callahan participating in a cover-up, or at least condoning it. In any event, I won't shoot the messenger. To the contrary - I am very impressed.

    The pictures say thousands of words, and it is very odd that this was not covered in the paper. (Although, the paper leaves many stones unturned in the valley, and this is just one example.) Very clearly, this was a major major accident. It is astonishing that no blood test was done - that detail alone is enough to suggest that some dirty shenanigans were at the heart of this incident.

    ReplyDelete
  36. It's all about the strange. Don't judge unless you've been in another's humidor. But when knocking off a piece on the side, it's best to be discreet. Spectacular rollovers involving police cruisers present a significant challenge to this. Who was Callahan's Vernon Jordan?

    ReplyDelete
  37. so Bernie, how much does the Dent campaign pay you? I heard it's a lot. There's no way one day you just decided to look into this or that you were snooping for hints. Basically campaigns pay people tens of thousands of dollars to have people dig and dig and dig. This reaks of the Dent campaign passing along this info to you to see of any of it creates a few waves. Big fucking deal. All this is awful. It's been coming out lately how republicans have been paying bloggers to write about them and this is the case here.

    ReplyDelete
  38. let's talk about the issues.

    ReplyDelete
  39. "Although Cantelmi was with another woman and was actually driving her..."

    Maybe that's how he ended up going the wrong way.

    Lehigh Valley with Love had a post about that kind of thing just a few weeks ago.

    ReplyDelete
  40. "It's been coming out lately how republicans have been paying bloggers to write about them and this is the case here."


    The hope and change crowd has three major networks, two of three cable networks, every major newspaper in the country, and Nazi collaborator George Soros. Stop whining you sniveling crybaby.

    ReplyDelete
  41. ernie O'Hare said...

    Although Cantelmi was with another woman and was actually driving her car, I would not assume anything and am casting no stones there.

    Bernie
    This is critically important and we're glad you stated it.

    ReplyDelete
  42. From time to time, I read that I am on this or that payroll, or that tons of money are dropped on me for my stories. This is just another way to attack my credibility and deflect attention from what I write about.

    If I were funded by any political candidate, directly or indirectly, and that did not appear in a campaign finance report, that person would be guilty of deceptive campaign practices or federal laws. If I participated in such a scheme, I'd be guilty, too.

    I don't and won't be playing that game.

    ReplyDelete
  43. It's a great game if you can pull it off.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Bernie wishes to be relevant. Politicians who use him as a conduit make him relevant. It's really that simple.

    ReplyDelete
  45. As an aside, I got a great deal on car insurance!!!

    Peace!

    ReplyDelete
  46. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anon 6:40,

    You're right. I vowed to myself, at the beginning of this campaign, that I would not go down that road. I'm going to delete my comment, and will delete yours s well, not because it says anything wrong, but it necessarily repeats my own mistake. I apologize for rolling around in the mud.

    ReplyDelete
  48. It's probably not a payment, it's probably just the hookers they send your way. I know you're doing this out of political motivations. I've filed an act 5 form to the FEC to find the documents that were transferred between the bank and the Dent camp to get you your funds. I've also petitioned Allentown city with a form 3-bc affidavit to get phone records from the Dent office to see the calls you've gotten from them about where to "find" the information. Finally I've been following around the mailman who delievers your mail and spoken with him about the size of the packages of oppo research the Dent Consultants have sent you on a pretty regular basis. On a final not I have call the NSA, your wires are tapped, probably good to not use the land line or order any more porn on pay per view, got it Bernard? I'm watching you. I don't even need a team of consultants to bring you down. Stop pretending. Millan will be brought down too.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hahaha. Look at the desperation from Callahan sympathizers. Pathetic. Keep up the good work Bernie. People seem to think that they should threaten you to silence you, just because they are uncomfortable with what you are uncovering.

    ReplyDelete
  50. "I'm watching you. I don't even need a team of consultants to bring you down. Stop pretending. Millan will be brought down too"

    That's nice. Then at least I'll have someone to talk to.

    ReplyDelete
  51. " Finally I've been following around the mailman who delievers your mail and spoken with him about the size of the packages"

    Yeah, I know. The mailman told me he was quite offended that you were asking him about the size of my package.

    ReplyDelete
  52. One man's opinion:

    This is an interesting story and certainly one that should be explored....explored by the MSM, not by a blogger. Although Bernie has done a commendable job ferretting out details, the timing of this disclosure is suspicious to say the least. That would lend credence to the accusation that Dent is somehow behind this.


    VOR

    ReplyDelete
  53. Typical Bernie, avoid the topic with jokes. You know Millan tipped you off to dig this crap up and try to draw connections. Awful stuff. When can we get back to policy and things that actually change people's lives. Not a car crash that was handle according to all laws on the book. So far you've been unable to unearth anything that actually was illegal. And when something you say is proven wrong you don't correct it. You are why bloggers will never be considered legit. It's just mud slinging.

    ReplyDelete
  54. VOR -

    Though the MFM continues to ignore the real story here, rest assured that if they had one scintilla of evidence that Dent was involved in this, it would have been on the front page by now.

    Dent is simply the beneficiary of Callahan's unwitting political charity.

    ReplyDelete
  55. The MSM did a small column on it. But because there were so few concrete facts there wasn't anything further to report. Except for when Charlie Dent so conveniently brought it up. Do you really believe a media outlet would leave something like this go? Are you kidding me, the newspapers aren't making money right now, if something like this were true to the extent Bernie is making it up to be they'd be all over it. But it's not. They know he is a kook, and will continue to treat him as such. When have papers or media EVER stayed away from ACTUAL scandal. NEVER. Let's get real people. This is the Dent Campaign hoping and praying for fodder, that just isn't materializing. This is so old and drawn out, I can't believe people are still hoping something is going to come of it. I really had higher hopes for the intelligence of society in America, but this blog and shows we're all screwed.

    ReplyDelete
  56. The camera doesn't lie, asshole.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Has anyone ever thought that had the Mayor and/or the administration been transparent and up front about all of this it would simply have gone away by now? What leads people like Bernie to dig as much he has been doing is the appearance of impropriety which has now turned into outright lying and stonewalling.

    And if Charles Dent pulled off paying Bernie for blogging without a paper trail wouldn't that make him a genius and if John Callahan couldn't make this story go away wouldn't that make him a drooling idiot?

    The deflection and excuses are borderline ridiculous, especially when you're making more of a case for the other side.

    The cover up is always what gets people into trouble more than what actually happen, look at Rod **bleeping** golden Blagojevich , Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton.

    But you see this is what you get when you elect professional politicians into office.

    Good for you Mr. O'Hare for doing the right thing and bringing this to light as much as you have done. Because if the citizens don't keep them honest, they sure as heck won't do it themselves!

    ReplyDelete
  58. 6:13 PM

    Despite their woes, the bigger paper had double digit millions EBITDA in 2009, and has an outside shot at doing better this year.

    The little guy is getting by on furloughs and freezes, but they are still making some dough.

    Just the lying and stonewalling is a big enough story. That a local blogger is meeting with such from elected officials is a story in and of itself.

    You know little about which you pontificate, pal.

    ReplyDelete
  59. "When can we get back to policy and things that actually change people's lives."

    Well, if the Mayor would ever take any substantive policy positions on any issues, like Afghanistan, taxes, or health care, I am sure the debate would move that direction. Unfortunately, he is running and hiding on all issues. Including local issues like the Bethlehem budget.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Anonymous said...
    so Bernie, how much does the Dent campaign pay you? I heard it's a lot. There's no way one day you just decided to look into this or that you were snooping for hints. Basically campaigns pay people tens of thousands of dollars to have people dig and dig and dig. This reaks of the Dent campaign passing along this info to you to see of any of it creates a few waves. Big fucking deal. All this is awful. It's been coming out lately how republicans have been paying bloggers to write about them and this is the case here.

    ***********************************

    Watch it Anonymous. There is more than strong evidence that the DNC is doung this verything as we post. Don't be a hypocrite! ...and watch your mouth! Perhaps a bit angry at the turn of events in politics?

    ReplyDelete

You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.