Northampton County Controller Steve Barron has dropped his lawsuit aimed at a $76,500 public relations consultant contract between the County and Bethlehem-based Sahl Communications. His main argument was that it's an illegal piecemeal contract, just below the threshold required for Council approval. But at a July 25 hearing, Judge Paula Roscioli pointed out that argument can be made if the contract is renewed next year.
Barron initially dropped his request for injunctive relief, and has now decided to abandon the lawsuit altogether.
Discovery in that lawsuit has led to a few troubling emails between Sahl Communications' Kim Plyler and Executive John Brown, over topics like political fundraising and a Governor Corbett fundraiser. At a Council meeting, Brown strongly denied that the PR firm is playing politics, and called Barron's lawsuit a "baseless," "unfounded" and "absurd" waste of tens of thousands of dollars.
In the meantime, Council members Ken Kraft and Mat Benol have filed dueling Right-to-Knows. Kraft wants to see all emails involving Brown, while Benol wants to see all emails involving Barron.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Monday, August 18, 2014
10 comments:
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Barron's emails will be fun to read for pure entertainment value.
ReplyDeleteRight to Knows? Benol could bring in Right to Know litigator extraordinaire Mezzacappa, if she weren't busy authoring a defense to losing her house because she failed to show up for court to defend herself of libeling Bernie.
ReplyDelete@4:10 Nice sentence bud.
ReplyDeleteAny headline beginning with "Barron Drops (something)" is frightening. Shiver me timbers. Please choose your headlines more sensitively. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI've been duly reprimanded.
ReplyDelete4:57 wtf does that mean?
ReplyDeleteThere is a very legitimate fear of just what might drop out of Barron. Or me, for that matter.
ReplyDeleteSo the contract is legal for now but a ridiculous waste of money. Why Brown has squandered political capital on this is mind numbing. He going to need it for that proposed 14% tax increase. Good luck getting 5 votes for that.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Barron should investigate how Gracedale lost $4.2 million over 2 quarters this year.
This is what voters get when they vote straight ticket tea party. So much for you principled strict fiscal policies.
ReplyDeleteYou do realize that that is all bullshit and so far these guys are more liberal then any of the Democrats that were running, maybe with the exception of Ferraro who was always a big time liberal pretending to be conservative..
This is so funny. What a bunch of blockheaded dopes. Keep repeating your spoon fed lines and keep getting screwed by your own Party.
Funny as Hell!
IKE
Henry Schaadt, I am still waiting for your details on the meeting at mezzacappa's home involving Ron Shegda, you, the Fake Rev and the Blog Mentor. Instead of making upo kooky names like the crazy fuck you are, tell the truth or I will depose you soon.
ReplyDelete