Yesterday was a bad day for Allentown Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski and his wife. He was convicted on 47 of 54 counts of betraying the public trust. He prostituted his office and city in an attempt to advance his political career. His callous disregard for Allentown and its people is evidenced by his refusal to step down when he was charged, despite the dark clouds hovering over the Queen City. "What cloud?" he asked at a debate. Morale among city workers was in the tank. Business is stalled despite a Neighborhood Improvement Zone that now includes numerous beautiful buildings anchored by a hockey arena. Thanks to a guilty verdict that tells everyone that government should never be for sale, Allentown has a fighting chance again. But Pawlowski needs to resign. Now. If he has even the slightest decency left, he'll do that. After that result, the keys of city government need to go to City Council until a new Mayor can be appointed. If he refuses to step down or tries to string this along, he should know by now that a petition to revoke his bail will be filed. It is simply irresponsible to allow a man who has been found guilty of abusing his office to remain there.
47 comments:
The man has no moral compass or decency in his body. In addition, he shows no remorse and it will show in his sentencing. He, like his fellow Chicago alumni, Rod Blagojevich, who showed no remorse and still claims to be innocent, was found guilty on 17 charges and received 14-yearss. Using the same rationale for sentencing, he should receive 56.8 years in federal prison. However, this is quite long and I do believe he'll serve at least 20-years, making him 72 years old on release. By then his kids will have graduated and be married and his wife, the facebook jokester, will be married two or three times. He'll still owe Jack McMahon a half million for his sterling defense in putting him on the stand and his Alma Matter will be closed forever. The natural born deceiver will then be humbled!
Any current member of city council who served prior to the indictments should also immediately resign. Those members enabled these crimes by turning a blind eye out of some twisted sense of party loyalty.
Any indication as to where Pawlowski will be today? I can just see him going into his office, as though nothing is wrong...I mean, that would be just like him.
Totally agree. I just hope that Ray O'Connell's name doesn't come up as a possible appointment to Mayor. If so, it will add validity to the notion that O'Connell ran a write-in campaign he knew he couldn't win, just to keep Hyman from becoming Mayor so he could be appointed once Pawlowski resigned.
Alan Jennings
Joyce Marin
Peter Schweyer
Michael Schlossberg
Randy Landis
Lisa Pawlowski
The Widow Wood
and Matt Sorrentino and company,
should all leave the Lehigh Valley, happy they weren’t indicted as co-conspirators or irredeemable sycophants.
They should never show their faces here again.
This should not be considered a comprehensive list.
I believe the Governor can remove municipal officials for wrongdoing, even without a conviction. If so, Wolf should do that today, effective immediately.
It should have been done a couple of years ago.
Ed will be taking the day off from his City Hall job. He will be reporting for duty at his 5th floor office on Monday.
There’s work to attend to.
Life goes on.
City Council should hold an emergency meeting and do the following:
1) Freeze Pawlowski's pension funds (so he can't access it) and begin steps to seize it. The residents of Allentown deserve some repayment.
2) Make all hirings/firings in City Government subject to council approval until Pawlowski is out of office. City workers shouldn't fear retribution while Pawlowski is on his way out, nor should Pawlowski continue to be able to pack the City workforce with his cronies.
The frightening thing is that now we taxpayers (and, alas, non taxpayers) have to chose a Mayor.
Remember when a large assortment of losers had a group campaign poster with Chicago Eddy's head enlarged to hideous proportions in the upper right hand corner, floating like an untethered Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon? G-d help us, one of those uninspiring non-entities and crookophiles is likely to be Mayor.
With *extremely* rare exceptions (me, to name one of only about seven people), if I know a person's name, I don't want them to be Mayor.
Honestly, I think we should have a lottery.
Pick a name at random from whatever database we use for jury duty, add the further restriction that the person must be *both* a net taxpayer of the productive class *and* a resident of Allentown for three generations or more, and we couldn't possibly do any worse under that arrangement than we're likely to do now.
Allentown City Council in its entirety should do the honorable thing.
RESIGN
Jeffrey Anthony said: "The frightening thing is that now we taxpayers (and, alas, non taxpayers) have to chose a Mayor."
No, the frightening thing is that we voters DON'T get to choose a Mayor, Council will.
And many of them colluded to keep the people from choosing Pawlowski's successor in this past election.
Why let the people mess up something that should be decided in the back room?
When will his obituary be submitted?
Now, onto Bethlehem to clean up that mess. There are at least 3 office holders shaking in their boots.
Monkey Momma, what I could say is that Fed Ed has uncharacteristically NOT updated his Facebook page since yesterday. Reality may finally be hitting him.
@8:30 I was talking about the next election. I'm not so worried about the seat warmer in between. They'll be on their best behavior, and how much damage can they do in the short period of their interim service.
I have a problem with the jury returning a guilty verdict virtually less than twenty four hours after receiving instructions from the judge. A three week trial with an enormous amount of evidence to examine, testimony to pour over, and a guilty verdict so quickly? it seems highly unlikely that all the evidence was taken into consideration by the jury.
On a second thought am I the only one that believes that these sorts of deals between elected officials and contractors, builders, etc: doesn't go on all over the country in every nook and cranny of government. In the past I believe it was referred to as one hand greases the other. I'm not condoning the criminal behavior but isn't this behavior (often overlooked) commonplace among many elected officials with regard to this practice. And why does the government go after such small targets? You can say what you want about the end result but at least give Pawlowski credit for bringing Allentown back from the abyss. On some level I believe his personality and or his reluctance to be affable and outgoing may have resulted in part of his conviction. I should note I don't know the man personally.
8:59 - Pawlowski had very little to do with the new construction in Allentown. Except, maybe, turning a blind eye on all the hidden shenanigans that no doubt went on underneath the surface of the NIZ.
Im a bit surprised bc I generally don't trust the system.
That said, I was curious to see how local politicians reacted:
https://twitter.com/MikeSchlossberg
"Don't be a garbage man"....stay classy, Darth Schlossturd. And seems he doubts the clams of Mota.
Charlie M@8:59
The jury deliberated 21/2 days.
Go fuck yourself.
The jury rejected seven of the charges. They deliberated for two days and clearly took each charge seriously. It seems they reviewed evidence rather carefully. And the mayor of the state’s third largest city is not a small target. You sound like one of the lever pulling idiots who just re-elected the scoundrel. He and you and a rubber stamp council turned Allentown into a shithole. What could have been accomplished by an honest, law abiding mayor o we the last several years? A great opportunity was squandered by the bunch of you. Allentown deserves every bad thing that happens to it.
Well Well Well.... "Whisper's" will now get to have potty conversations in prison with some new talent and the "first hag of Allentown"- aka Lady McBeth I hear has already contacted an Attorney for divorce once Ed is slithered into a nice concrete hole to meet his new BFF.
The first hag's fainting was a grand act to end the days show...... The first Hag perhaps should hook up with the ManSlab himself perhaps......since tubby will be gone for a very long time.....
Ed enjoy your future travels thru the Federal Prison system
Read the charter. This removal is not automatic. He is entitled to notice and a hearing which probably is appeal able. He could remain in office for a while. I assume he is entitled to appeals of the trial as well. Of course, he could resign, but his financial situation could be a consideration.
The jury deliberated for two and one half days.
There is a process under State law for the Governor and the Legislature to jointly remove an elected official for criminal behavior. A comment above assumed that the Governor could do it by himself, which is not the case.
I agree with Mayor Pawlowski’s attorney.
“The Mayor is a good Christian man who has devoted himself to public service.
He lives in a row house.
He drives a Toyota.
He saved Allentown.
He is responsible for all the wonderful development.
Return this man to the people who love him.”
9.27 I was misinformed but at the very least I don't hide behind an Anonymous name and respond with cuss words. Have a great day and may God bless your soul.
Did anyone tell Ed... your not in Chicago anymore. Bald men in orange jump suits make the best girlfriends in prison Ed....
8:04, the Governor ma remove a neglected official only if th3 senate wishes it.
I have deleted a number of completely off topic comments.
9:52, the HRC is completely unconstitutional on removal from office. That issue, as I have said many times, is exclusively governed by the state constitution.
This is simple really..he resigns or Judge Sanchez revokes his bail. He cannot govern a city from a federal lock up. I do not think he will resign, he's too "proud" of himself to do that.
The last decent, face-saving act Pawlowski can do as mayor would be to resign immediately.
The e is a bit if irony for those that call out pay to play but think Citizens United ruling is a great thing. Level the playing field and get it money out of campaigns. Companies that are good stewards of their community should be acknowledged. Preferential treatment for monetary campaign contribution should be called out.
Much of this is a reflection of people remaining in office for too long. They tend to become, let's say "careless." Just look at the stink emanating from Washington as lawmakers desperately try to continue their careers and resist anyone who questions their actions.
@8:29
Ed and Lisa were liars from day one.
The record speaks for itself.
Liars from day one. Let's not forget all of the people that they had lie for them over the years.
complicit
adjective
involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.
I've called out these liars during City Council meetings. Did anyone care when I pointed out these liars publicly? Sadly, no.
Thankfully the FBI came to town to investigate. Let the "cleaning-up" continue. Who is next?
He is the textbook [Wikipedia] example of a "wolf in sheep's clothing".
"A wolf in sheep's clothing is an idiom of Biblical origin used to describe those playing a role contrary to their real character with whom contact is dangerous, particularly false teachers."
So how soon will the taxpayers be reimbursed for the property on South Tenth street he had the city buy for a 30K campaign contribution which the property owner made hundreds of thousands with a quick turnover? How many minutes of lives will be restored which were wasted waiting at the light on Lehigh street in front of the Toyota dealership (a mere 10K contribution to force people to check out the cars on the lawn). Although the tax payers will most likely never see the property purchase money again, someone should look into at least making that damm light go off with a sensor instead of automatic as it is now.
@2:53 Who's next? It will be interesting to see if the FBI looks at why LC Commissioners stripped Tom Muller of some of his powers.
Bernie, sorry to corrosponed on this your venue.
Rich, the Hamilton ticket taker now in a chair of Lehighcounty is a very nice start on the next level of hell artificially assimilated in this boondoggle.
I know two more children suffering other than the mayors children. One is considered a," at risk youth" and the other is "thriving"? This is there catch line phrases like" Rustbelt"?
republican redd no party favor
humanist by design
Pat Browne our state senator fought to make the NIZ zone. He is the one who got the ball rolling and deserves more credit for bringing money in. It was not just Mayor P. There were others.
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