Details are very sketchy, but both local papers report that State Rep. Joe Brennan may have been arrested after a traffic stop this afternoon in Fountain Hill.
Joe is currently participating in the ARD program for first-time drunk drivers. If this arrest has anything to do with booze, and he is convicted of a crime, the charges from last year will come back to haunt him. He will also likely lose his bid for re-election. Worst than that, there could be very serious personal consequences.
Obviously, I hope the charges, if there are any, are unrelated to alcohol.
Sources: Express Times. Morning Call.
Updated 10:40: Joe has been charged with DUI and assaulting his wife. Tragic. For him. For his wife. For his two sons, who start school in a few days.
Chatter among Fountain Hill neighbors is that Joe beat his wife, in the presence of his two sons. Then he fled the scene when a neighbor called police.
67 comments:
once a drunk - always a drunk. you know that bo because u live it. hopefully he will straighten himself out like you did - but his life as he knows it now will be over
@sad sack
Alcoholism is a disease. Disagree with someone's politics all you want, but have some empathy especially for those that have taken on their problem and turned their lives around (which like him or not) Mr. O'Hare has done.
As for the arrest, this man is innocent until proven guilty. If its drunk driving, he will be charged and judged by the courts (and we hope will seek treatment).
I don't know if alcohol is involved too, but I have some very reliable sources that indicate a domestic incident, and fleeing from the scene.
Bernie, check your mail and see if you can verify further.
From Twitter:
The Morning Call @mcall
Update: Wife of Rep. Brennan tells police he grabbed her by the neck, choked her with both hands, slapped and punched her in the face...
Aug 13 was the last day to withdraw from the election. Brennan will be on the ballot.
The Morning Call story and the tweet about the domestic violence are both posted on The Keystone Report, which I viewed about ten minutes ago. Very sad. Best thing that can happen to Mr. Brennan would be spending the night in jail, and having the judge order him into a residential treatment facility for at least a month, if not six weeks. The man will kill himself, if he does not harm anybody else. Pray for him.
And his wife and two sons. I am sick to my stomach.
Happened in the past, why so surprised now? You really need to stop the hero worship O'Hare.
DUI mentor State Senator Pat Browne will help him keep his job and earn millions from the NIZ
I'm almost afraid to ask: how old are the kids?
Grade school.
He should have gone to a bar and had a beer and a burger while waiting for the police. That works sometimes.
He is a drunk just like you Bernie!!
That's correct. I am a drunk. But I'll choose that over the cowardly life of an anonymous troll.
A legislator with a drinking problem, who continues to drink, is impaired. They should be removed from office until they are able to successfully manage their relationship with alcohol. Not doing so compromises those they represent and is cowardly and narcicisstic.
Really a sad day. Sober, he is a really nice guy and a conscientious legislature. For him and his family, I hope he gets help and he can get into stable recovery.
Alcoholism is certainly a disease, and one that effects one in four Pennsylvania families. Many, many people live life in recovery and are able to leave behind the carnage of their active addictions.
shit. shit. joe was a friend.
but how many bites at the apple...seriously?
Unreal. He train wrecked his family.
The system does work, this time he was only a .20 vs .39
It's his private life for gods sake. What worries me is the Republicans.
Allentown Democrat Voter
Private life @ 3:48, what time does the work day end?
people will forgive for the alcoholism if he gets treatment. Beating the wife in front of the kids and others - nope
Have to agree with 5:23..Joe is a great guy when sober..Hopefully he can put this behind him somehow..Not sure how though..
I like Mr. Brennen. He is a very nice man and has helped my organization many times. I can forgive him for the DUI even the second one. He needs help to control his drinking and that can be done. Bernie is a prime example of someone who can fight the demons of alcohol and be productive person. The wife beating part....sorry, I can never forgive him for that. To me, a man beating up a woman is not a man. They are the lowest level of a human being that exists. Just my opinion.
As for the arrest, this man is innocent until proven guilty.
Give me a break. He beat the hell out of his wife in a drunken rage. He should spend at least 6 months in prison as he didn't take his first VERY serious charge seriously. He needs to dry out and he won't do it sitting on his ass on bail.
people will forgive for the alcoholism if he gets treatment. Beating the wife in front of the kids and others - nope
Exactly. All the putzes making excuses for his 'disease' (read addiction) are missing the point. He's a spineless wife beater - a big tough guy. The lowest of low.
in this matter i believe it is time to put politics aside. bernie i commend you for having tact with this article and not berating him for a sickness, some, but not many people know is a disease. I like Joe as a friend but it has been made very clear that he needs more help than he has been given. I hope instead of poking fun at him everyone can take this seriously and realize that this man needs a lot of help. again, bernie thank you for realizing joe has an issue because he really is a good guy and being an aloholic doesnt mean hes not.
I get a kick out of these tough guys who anonymously call others spineless. I make no defense for Joe's conduct and agree that it is indefensible. I hope his wife and sons are doing well. Joe has now destroyed his marriage, his family and a promising political career. But there is nothing that even the anonymous trolls can do to hurt him that he has not done to himself by continuing to drink.
@ 7:20
Very true! He is on the right path it would seem, you know except for the whole assaulting his wife thing...
Breezy7, I appreciate your thoughtful remark. Like you, I consider Joe a friend, regardless of what has happened. We are supposed to hate the sin, but love the sinner.
I do not defend or excuse the violence. Nothing justifies that, and I am sick to my stomach that it was in front of his own children. It is totally out of his character. He will have to pay a price for that, but there is no way he can erase the damage he did to his young sons. They will be scarred by this.
What goes on here or in court means nothing, compared to that.
in this matter no one is spineless. unfortunately with this article more people are worried about joe than his wife & children. i pray his wife, children, mother and everyone else affected by his decisions are doing well and continue to do so. unfortunately mr brennan is probably not going to do as well with these pending charges.
Breezy7, My "spineless" remark was not meant for you, but for the anonymous poster who called Brennan spineless. I pretty much agree with you 100%.
Acloholism is a disease, sure, but you have to overcome it. No need to bring up politics into this thread, he's got to be done now.
Now, he is just a guy who has a battle for his family and for his life in front of him.
It's a disease, but you have to face it and defeat it. Many people fail and it consumes them. Hopefully he succeeds.
I have been in the presence of Joe and his family many times. He has been a raging alcoholic for years, but he always kept his family intact.
It's a shame, because addiction-based diseases escalate. One drink today is enough, but tomorrow you need two. That kind of thing.
For him to escalate to violence is very sad and scary.
Why was the bail only $7,500 with only $500 related to the drunk driving charge? I don't care if it's a disease or not, that is way to low. Brennan allegedly beat up his wife in front of his kids then fled the scene with a BAC of 0.20, putting everyone on the road in jeopardy. Have to question why it wasn't much, much higher and, if he wasn't a politician but some average schmo, what the bail would be.
Alkoholizm ish not a dish ease. Go in urown jack yard and back off mac, u ave none idee was ur spoking abot.
Nothing to see here.
Republicans are the ones trying to poison the water. THEY are the ones trying to ruthlessly kill all children and old people. Hell, Romney (the guy who has NEVER paid a penny of taxes in his life) even killed that poor Union guy's wife (with his bare hands).
A consulting gig in the NIZ Dreamland can make this minor misunderstanding whole again, you know.
I urge people to just get on board!
ANTHONY WEINER
U tell um bernie, an anonomous troll that works in the public sector like a parasite sucking the lifes blood of many
REDD
Why hasn't he resigned today? Get the hell out of office and try to save your life. His enablers didn't let him hit rock bottom- the critical step before beginning real recovering. First time offender my ass. Nobody has been helping him by letting him slide and delaying his arrival at the bottom. We're lucky he didnt take a life. Now take your punishment and get better, Joe. You need hard medicine and lots of prayers
in response to the bail comment that bail is not off at all. i have much experience where bail is concerned and i can tell you first hand there are people who get out on ROR bail and dont have to post any money after drunk driving charges. with that said, there are also people who are released on a % of the amount for simple assault & harassment charges. and politics aside this article was well written. dont ruin it by your ignorant comments about someone you know nothing about.
Well breezy, it was an incredibly low bail..I know Joe and like Joe but the bail was low..Doesn't matter..He couldnt post it and was sent to LCCC.
That's too bad. He seems like a reasonable man. Alcoholism sucks.
its not about liking him or not liking him. what i am saying is that is not an incredibly low bail for those charges. second, he did post it because he got out last night.
This isn't his first fight or brush with overuse of legal and illegal substances. Whats that, shoplifting?
Enough O'Hare, you deleted the comments but you are an enabler along with your drunkard buddies. A real friend would tell the guy, you can't drive a cra until you "prove" you are safe.
My family must share the road with this lunatio and that is were his "nice guy" status ends. He has been in the news for almost killing someone in a fight before.
So out of character, not really. He should resign his position, surrender his driviong license. He is not even close to being reformed.
All the enablers and coddlers out there can moan about the nice guy crap but nice guys don't endanger other motorists over and over again, nice guys don't beat the shit out of people. Sorry, anon or not, your bullshit stinks twice as bad on this story.
You know as well as I do that any one other than this guy would have had a much larger bail and spent the night in jail.
Lifelong Dem that will vote for his opponenent, whoever he is. Joe has forfited his right to represent me.
I wonder where his chief of Staff Bobbv Donchez stands on all of this?
Let's take the politics and the person out of the discussion for a moment. Is it fair to ask whether the legal system takes these circumstances seriously enough?
Here you have a person who has twice driven while well over the legal limit. His behavior has escalated to violence against his own family. He also apparently has a history of battling the disease.
I'm not sure how comfortable I am with just sending this guy back out with minimal bail. I can't imagine all the things that would drive an alcoholic to drink, but I can't imagine NOT thinking about drinking when faced with the loss of career and family in a very public setting.
I'm no expert, but it seems like we're doing everybody a disservice here by just putting someone in this situation right back out on the streets so quickly. Again, I'm trying not to make this about Mr. Brennan and assuming that a previous comment (that the bail he received is the norm) is correct.
Bernie, It would seem the friends and co-workers of Mr.Brennan knew of his reckless behavior and failed to stop it.I 've had a few over the years and considered myself fortunate I was never arrested.To get grabbed 2 times he has to be the un-luckist guy in Bethlehem or really has a severe issue.I see his professional experience listed him as chief of staff for T.J. Rooney! 'Birds of a feather'
Bernie, It would seem the friends and co-workers of Mr.Brennan knew of his reckless behavior and failed to stop it.I 've had a few over the years and considered myself fortunate I was never arrested.To get grabbed 2 times he has to be the un-luckist guy in Bethlehem or really has a severe issue.I see his professional experience listed him as chief of staff for T.J. Rooney! 'Birds of a feather'
Donchez - Mr family man and waNNABE MAYOR SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HIMSELF. hE HAD TO KNOW YET SUPPORTS THIS GUY. dONCHEZ WILL NOT GET MY VOTE FOR DOGCATHCHER, MUCH LESS MAYOR
6:34,
You have got it right. Donchez only cares about himself. Not his drunken boss, as you say he could have tried to save or the residents of Bethlehem. Just where is my next pension coming from.
the boy is going down for the count. Loses his job, his family,home and any respect.
Those closest to him lose all credibility.
His opponent for office walks in laughing.
You booze - you lose
If he gets around to sobering up he'll probably say the bitch deserved it and the kids enjoyed watching - oh yeah, don't forget to vote for me so i can continue to fuck up on your dime
Lotta hate spewing going on
I see some comments attacking Bob Donchez, who works for Brennan and is running for Mayor in Bethlehem. I know for a fact that Bob has tried hard to get Joe to stop. I also know for a fact that alcoholics can fool the people closest to them. So I would not be so quick to blame Bob for Joe's behavior.
Hell Bernie, I agree. You have been fooling people for years with this blog.
Anf for yous, anonymous trolls like you have been trying to shout me down. How's that working out for 'ya?
It would be nice to remember that we're talking about a fellow human being. Last I checked, none of us are perfect.
I would think that Mr. Brennan and his family have enough on their plate already and don't need others piling on.
No one is piling on. You wnat to be comapssionate, you put your family on the road with this mainiac, most of us prefer the state take his license.
As a constituent of the 133rd district I believe it time that Joe Brennan resign from office.
Representative Brennan was given the opportunity to straighten out his life on numerous occasions and has failed to do so,
Sadly, given the passing of the deadline to withdrawal Joe Brennan's name must remain on the ballot with the possibility that the Republican candidate would win in the fall.
As a constituent, I am concerned right now about what type of representation we are getting and will get as this situation unfolds.
Obviously Mr. Brennan can not handle the day to day grind in Harrisburg.
Perhaps I would have been the better candidate to serve the 133rd in 2006 when the seat was contested.
I truly hope that Joe Brennan can straighten out his life but I highly suggest that he become a private citizen rather then continuing as a public servant.
I would be willing to replace him but I note that my tenure would end in the 133rd 2 years hence when I would be a constituent of the 134th district. But Bill Lenier's tenure would not end two years hence so I call for the way to seat Lenier as the representative of the 133 rather then Brennan whose time has passed.
Obdiently yours;
Dennis Pearson
anyone who know Joe also knows that what he is alleged to have done is totally against his normal nature. Having said this, let's face facts; Joe needs immediate intervention. Before something truly tragic happens, such as death due to careless driving. There is very little chance that Joe has been incident-free between the Fourth Street incident last year and this one on the porch. He has likely been drinking AND driving all along. Hopefully, this is the intervention we all need in this case.
VOR
Morning Bernie, I debated verbalizing regarding Joe but after reading the comments, here goes, an old friend of mine always said Whiskey's in, wits out. I lived what Joe's family is going through with my first husband. Alcoholism controls the individual,some can rehab just as you, Bernie, but some can't. Joe might not even remember attacking his wife, my former husband didn't; again I am not making excuses for him but only his doctors and psychiatrists can judge his actions caused by his disease. We are all God's children and his wife and boys need support and understanding, and yes, it will affect them.
I get a kick out of these tough guys who anonymously call others spineless. I make no defense for Joe's conduct and agree that it is indefensible. I hope his wife and sons are doing well. Joe has now destroyed his marriage, his family and a promising political career. But there is nothing that even the anonymous trolls can do to hurt him that he has not done to himself by continuing to drink.
Calling a wife-beater "spineless" is being an internet tough guy? Perhaps you can give a pass to wife-berating because of his disease, I can't. I watched by diseased father beat my mother. He was fucking spineless.
4:34 - Exactly. He should still be in jail and he should get 6 months minimum. People don't take alcohol abuse seriously in this country - if he was raging on cocaine, he'd be locked away without a doubt.
"Calling a wife-beater "spineless" is being an internet tough guy?"
No, but doing so anonymously is what makes you spineless, spineless.
This is not "out of character" for Joe. If you really know him, as you claim, the substance abuse and violent tendencies are far from "out of character".
It is time we all stop the bs. We aren't helping him.
bo understand that all alkies are liars because that is what he is best at
The Saturday night anonymous trolls. Go take your drug cocktail.
Mr Donchez is not responsible for Mr Brennan or any other adults alcohol abuse.
To suggest he is is really quite ignorant.
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