Exec Applicant Croslis Explains DUI, Foreclosure Action

Lehigh County Executive applicant Matt Croslis responded yesterday to my June 2 email about the delay in a DUI prosecution. He also acknowledged that a foreclosure action has been filed against him concerning a rental property. I'll let him tell you about these things himself.

He explains his delay in responding:

I did not feel the need to answer anybody's questions about this position until I actually applied for the position. My initial statement regarding the vacancy was that I was considering applying if my family and those that I work with are on board.

The reason I filed on the last day is because I took the entire time to make sure everybody who works with me and my family all fully understood and supported my reasons for applying. I spent too much time establishing and growing these businesses to take such a decision lightly and I have a lot of people working with me that were concerned about how this would affect them.

In addition to the above my family was also confronted with some medical issues and I needed to ensure that it was resolved prior to applying as well.

I actually filed my application on Thursday July 19 and at that time the DUI and all your other questions became relevant.

Q. If appointed, what happens with the litigation against Glenn Eckhart, whom you represent?

If I get the position I can no longer represent Glenn in the litigation with the District Attorney. Glenn and I discussed this and we have a plan in place for that scenario.

Q. I am aware of pending DUI charges. Filed in December, there still has been no preliminary hearing, nearly 7 months later. That strikes me as a bit unusual. It appears as though a hearing has been continued three times. I do not think that this pending matter, by itself, has much relevance. But the delay makes me wonder whether the system is being gamed. I believe this is going to come out if you formally apply for appointment, so I would like to give you an opportunity to get your side of the story out there. I will probably note the charges, with no editorial comment. Is there anything you can tell me? Can you explain the delay?

I am not gaming the system with regard to the Preliminary Hearing for my DUI. The first hearing was continued because I was literally in bed with the flu for that entire week. (My doctor and attorney could verify). On the day before the second hearing the Judge continued it because of a conflict that arose in his schedule. The third hearing was scheduled and we attended. I will now be entering the ARD program just like any other first-time offender. As with most Judges you are at the mercy of their docket and calendar and we do not get to select the dates or timing of the hearings.

I am accepting responsibility for my actions and I hope that others will judge me based on the positive changes I have made as a result of my actions.

Q. Your office is known as a clearing house for Democrats seeking office in Lehigh County. It does most of the opposition research. It also appears to be heavily pro-union. It has done work for the state party. You are a tad on the left, even among Ds. How can you work with a Board of Commissioners dominated by members who are a tad on the right? Isn't this a recipe for gridlock?  

"I am not sure who thinks our office is a "clearing house" for Democrats, nor am I sure what that means. I represent people of all walks of life and you do not need to be a Democrat or have a union card for me or any body I work with to represent you. My businesses have grown almost entirely on referrals and word of mouth. My father retired from a union ("Insulators Local 23" aka "Asbestos Workers"), my cousin is a driver for UPS and I was the Democratic nominee for County Executive in 2001.

Based on my family background and my first foray into politics it was natural for my clients to be Democrats and union members because they were probably referred by a Democrat or union member.

I care less about party politics and more about representing clients that I can help. If a client has an issue that I can help them with I do not ask them what political party they are nor do I ask them if they are a union member.

I am not worried at all about working with the Commissioners. It is good to have all points of view on the table so that ideas can be vetted and the best choices can be made for the residents of the County."

Q. By phone, I asked Matt whether there was anything else I should know, like a civil judgment or foreclosure. He acknowledged there is a foreclosure against an investment property, and explains it as follows:

I own an investment property and fell behind on the mortgage when I had issues with the tenant. The loan is with Bank of America. Unfortunately, due to the state of the economy and the real estate market I am very familiar with loan modifications and short sales as a result of representing numerous clients facing these issues. Bank of America is one of the most difficult and time consuming bank to deal with due to the sheer size of the institution.

Dealing with the bank is a long tedious process that requires documents to be submitted numerous times and sometimes to different departments. Fortunately or unfortunately the process gets easier when a foreclosure is filed because you are dealing with an attorney for the bank that has direct contact with someone who can make a decision. With regard to my situation I was not able to reinstate the loan in one lump sum. If you do not have the lump sum to reinstate you are forced to go through the modification process. During the modification process the bank will not accept any payments until your modification is approved. As I have seen with just about every client I have, while I was working with the bank to modify the loan the foreclosure action was filed.

I am still working through the modification/reinstatement process and they tell me this should be resolved in the next month or so. By resolution I mean the loan will be reinstated and they will allow me to begin making monthly payments again.

These matters are public record, I knew they would be issues and I am not hiding from them. I believe my achievements and abilities outweigh any mistakes or errors I have made in the past. As I said before it is my hope that I will be judged on how I have acknowledged, accepted responsibility for and grown from any mistakes that I have made.

Sorry for the length but I wanted to make sure I addressed all of your concerns.

He has.