Who Really Brought Fed Ed Down?

Chicago is just 728 miles from Allentown

When I received word yesterday that Allentown Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski had been found guilty of 47 of 54 counts of political corruption, I was on my way to the District XI chip between Bangor and Allentown Central Catholic. More about that later. During breaks in the game, I tried to piece together what was happening. This is one time when I was among the last to learn what had happened.

Several of you chimed in and credited me for calling "this one from the start, despite your usual small set of detractors using their tired allegations that you had a bee in your bonnet that didn't belong there. Congratulations on your successful endeavor." Being the vain person that I am, I'll take accolades whenever I can get them. But alas, I need to correctly tell the truth, much as it pains me.

It's true that I first began exposing Fed Ed in 2007, when minority business owners were targeted along Hamilton Street. But I was the second blogger to do so. The first is Allentown blogger Michael Molovinsky. He deserves the credit for first exposing Pawlowski, and opening my eyes. After that, I'd say both of us exposed him pretty well. I believe my reports were more factual and detail-oriented, while Molovinsky's succinct and dour style was better suited to what I'd call verbal slam dunks. Eventually, Chris Casey joined the chorus, adding some humor.

For a few years, all three of us were both pretty much excoriated for our efforts.

At this time, although they won't like me saying it, The Morning Call was just one of Fed Ed's tools. Columnist Bill White sometimes questioned Pawlowski about some of my claims, and White does have a soft spot for underdogs. But he's a columnist, not a reporter. City editors were Fed Ed cheerleaders and were very reluctant to allow reporters to write anything that could be construed as critical. I think they believed wrongly that any criticism of the Mayor would be considered criticism of the city.

Around this time, Molovinsky hosted an "Allentown Speak Out!" forum at an old church. It was there that I learned how Fed Ed just ignored minority business owners. He was dancing with wealthy Republicans in those days, not the poor. I remember a single mother targeted by building inspectors and forced to pay for improvements she was unable to afford. I met and wrote about an elderly woman who was bullied for conducting occasional yard sales so she could have pin money.

But in those days, the public mostly sided with the bully.

Public perception finally began to change when Jarrett Renshaw was hired to cover the City as a Morning Call reporter. He did exceptional investigative work concerning Fed Ed's campaign finances that put my own blogs to shame. Matt Assad and Scott Kraus had some informative stories as well. But Renshaw left to work for another newspaper, covering a Governor.

I had heard stories that Fed Ed would tell potential vendors to discuss their concerns with him at this next fundraiser. I also heard that some contractors were being shaken down, and this was before Mike Fleck arrived. Unfortunately, these vendors were unwilling to go on record.

Molovinsky wrote several stories about Fed Ed using code inspectors as his kind of Gestapo. A City employee also confirmed to me that Pawlowski would use code inspectors to target political enemies.

By this time, Fed Ed ignored any request I had for information. His City spokesperson, who uses a fake name, is hardly one for transparency.

Things eventually began going south for Fed Ed. He alienated some of his original supporters with plans for a trash to energy business. This was done to attract campaign donations from Marcel Groen. Fed Ed alienated many others when he leased the city's water and sewer.

They began asking tough questions, and members of City Council began speaking forcefully against him. These include the late Michael Donovan, who unfortunately passed away before his time. They also include Allentown's very own Iron Lady, Jeanette Eichenwald.

Then The Morning Call brought Emily Opilo to cover the City. I was initially suspicious of her. I have seen too many reporters who have learned to keep their heads down in an industry that no longer values true reporting. These "content providers" have been conditioned to write about shallow things like the "Five Things I Like About Friday" or where to get the best ham sandwich. But her coverage was nothing short of excellent, even before news of the investigation broke. The paper also hired Peter Hall, a seasoned court reporter.

By the time news of the investigation broke, Fed Ed had lost most of his original supporters, City Council had wised up and Pawlowski was forced to go to the very minorities he had disparaged in 2007.

Federal authorities, especially FBI Special Agent Scott Curtis, obviously deserve the gratitude of the citizens of Allentown. AUSA Michelle Morgan should be commended for reminding the people of Allentown that there is no King. We should be thankful for a jury that did its job and a judge who cared enough about democracy to make sure the trial took place in Allentown.

But the person who deserves the most credit for bringing Fed Ed down is Fed Ed himself. He was so arrogant in his belief that he was invulnerable that he though he could lie with impunity to the FBI for three hours straight. He also thought he could fool a jury the way he fooled voters in four elections and get away with "not correctly telling the truth."