If you ask John Morganelli, he'll adamantly deny having anything to do with Judge Steve Baratta's decision to run against incumbent DA Terry Houck. He'll swear up and down that he had nothing to do with recruiting Trump supporter Nuria DiLuzio to run against Houck last time around. Of course he's full of shit. I have told him so and continue to do so whenever I see him. Baratta's campaign is very clearly a Morganelli production.
But wait, you say. Terry Houck was John's top assistant. Why would he turn on him? John loves Terry, but he just can't help himself. He's like the scorpion who convinces a frog to carry him across a river and then stings him midstream, dooming them both. It's just what he does.
When Houck ran four years ago, Morganelli was very concerned that a very popular Lenny Zito would run as a Republican. He decided that the only way to beat him was with a female candidate. Without doing any vetting at all, Nuria DiLuzio was tapped to run against Houck. To give her campaign some gravitas, Morganelli bestie and then Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez was tapped to be her honorary campaign chair. At her announcement, many of Morganelli's faithful were there. Executive Lamont McClure, another Morganelli lieutenant, all but endorsed her.
Then the shit hit the fan. Not only was Nuria a rabid Trumper, but she lied about it and her arguments with neighbors over minor issues. She also misled me and others about an Ethics Comm'n opinion that basically determined she'd be conflicted in any case involving Bethlehem because her husband was then its police chief.
Her campaign fizzled.
Fast forward four years. Once again, we have a primary opponent against Houck. This time it's a "retired" judge. Steve Baratta still had five years to go, so why would he abandon the people who elected him to serve 10 years? He claims he "stepped down to step up" and straighten out a dysfunctional DA's office. But at Wednesday night's debate, he claimed he only learned of these problems two months before he retired. He sent his notice of retirement to the Administrative Office of Pa Courts long before that. I reported the rumor that he was running in early August, and had been hearing it since June.
The reason Baratta stepped down is because he had alienated most of the bench. He's a hard worker, but a hard worker who can get resentful when he thinks he's doing too much. I'm sure you've seen this type of person over the years. He and several fellow judges stopped talking to each other, and it became a toxic workplace. I'm sure Morganelli was whispering in Baratta's ear about how much he's needed in the DA's office. That way, Morganelli gets rid of a problem judge and everyone can get along again. Plus he moves up in seniority. Very Machiavellian. Very Morganellian.
Baratta certainly helped create a toxic atmosphere on Northampton County's bench. Now he wants to straighten out a DA's office?
If I worked there, I'd be leery. You can see Baratta's anger if you watch the video of last night's debate. Terry has a temper, too, but Steve takes it to another level. An unhealthy level. He's a good man but needs a long vacation.
Like Nuria, Baratta has an honorary campaign chair. Guess who? Bingo! Bob Donchez, who allowed Morganelli to sucker him into being the Campaign Chair for DiLuzio, is now making the same mistake with Baratta.
I suspect, however, that this is the last time Morganelli will be able to pull the puppet strings from behind closed doors.
Here's an observation from one of my more analytical readers:
No surprises. Two lawyers doing what good lawyers do, making the case that they are the great and smart one and the other guy is incompetent and wrong. Steve Baratta has been around a long time, and it showed he seemed off his game. Houck was an excellent counter puncher. I feel that this campaign is one of the last gasps of the old Morganelli political machine. JM was and is a great politician and on a local level no one comes close to his skill level. He is smooth, smart and polished but he can cut you to shreds if he wants to and you will never see it coming. Baratta is a protege. IN Bethlehem there were many but Donchez was probably the last, just as Lisa Boscola.
Even McClure is a JM protege. The problem is that neither Baratta [n]or McClure are as smooth as John. They come off as angry and mean. Especially McClure who has the charm of a buzzsaw. It is one reason he cannot create any coalitions in government.
29 comments:
I don't think either JMorg or Bonecrusher are going to be talking to you in the foreseeable future after this post. Good for you Bernie. You are probably spot on.
I have already told John several times that I think he encouraged Baratta to run, and I have written this as well. John has denied this every time, but I don't believe him and told him that as well. He can't help himself. John will still talk to me and he is a likeable guy, but I know not to turn my back on him.
As for Steve, he alienated a large segment of the bench. There was a recent bench bar dinner and Baratta was a no show even though he's running for DA and should be out there. He skipped bc he is not on speaking terms with some of these judges. And he claims the DA's office is in disarray? Look at the video of the debate. He's a very angry person, and there is no doubt in my mind that he'd use the DA's office to wage war on the courts as well as the county administration before long. If he really cared about the county and its taxpayers, why would he leave his job five years early? I believe him when he says he loves the county, but what he did was wrong for the taxpayer. For a year, we the taxpayers are paying for senior judges to manage his workload. And the remaining judges will have to cover the rest of the workload.
Monty McClure is no John M. Not even close.
1) This is a horrible choice between two detestable politicians.
2) Elections are not about good people. They are about politicians, who are innately hateful.
3) Baratta is a sad, doddering old clown who is about to have his wrinkled ass handed to him.
4) Steve's family needs to change his Depends for him, make him comfortable, and bring him to his senses. Lots of luck with a smelly, classless old crud who as none.
Funniest part of this is Baratta getting crushed by such a weak opponent. Go home Steve. Take your Geritol and go to bed.
You know this about Morganelli and yet you got your panties in a bind when Susan Wild was running against him for what you saw as a deal breaking negative move on her campaign's part. So glad she won. She is an authentic Democrat and not a slick chameleon like JM or Lisa.
Is there actual truth to a high turnover in the DA’s office since Houck took over? Is there actual truth to the allegations that Houck’s 1st assistant rents space from a particular defense attorney? If so, why? Is there any truth to that defense attorney receiving favorable plea deals?
Baratta’s decision to run for DA would seem to be financially motivated as well, no? Wouldn’t Baratta be able to collect his judge’s pension and the DA’s salary at the same time?
These seem like important questions that should be investigated and answered. Would certainly affect my vote.
Anybody and everybody who works with the Courts (Judges) knows the problems Baratta has with the Judicial System, and everyone knows the problems created by Judge Morganelli. You can speak with attorneys about these problems and most will tell you the "short comings" (no pun intended) of Mr. Morganelli. You cannot elect the team of Morganelli and Baratta to serve in the District Attorney's office. The real shame of all this is Baratta's legacy is going to be destroyed and his public service tainted.
What a great article, Bernie. While everyone has known what Morganelli has been up to for years, you now have perfectly and accurately connected the dots. I have no doubt that the PA Judicial Ethics Board has been contacted and is investigating. Morganelli doesn’t even try to hide his involvement anymore. He walks the halls and the lunchroom trying to get and then spread gossip like a 16 year old Mean Girl. He really is pathetic. And the rest of his troops falling in line should be embarrassed but they are too full of themselves to see. Next up on the Morganelli campaign for Baratta? Boscola endorsement, a mailer and probably a fundraiser like she did for Nuria. The Donchez endorsement was up initially but then taken down.Then TV ads that Morganelli believes in. I thought the bomb shell from watching the debate on TV was Houck stating about the deception Baratta did right during his campaign for Judge which he also indicated Morganelli was helpful…took some digging, but there it was. The Morning Call actually endorsed another Democrat in the Primary. The JM school of campaign-just lie, and Baratta did. Baratta mailed out to all democrats right before election that both Easton Dems and Bethlehem Dems endorsed him. The MC indicated the dem heads were furious, but too late for any retraction to go out. Baratta wins. By lying. And great questioning by Houck, is this what we can expect as this race winds down? For sure.
"Is there actual truth to a high turnover in the DA’s office since Houck took over? Is there actual truth to the allegations that Houck’s 1st assistant rents space from a particular defense attorney? If so, why? Is there any truth to that defense attorney receiving favorable plea deals?"
1) There were a lot of departures in ALL DA offices across the state, and not as a result of Terry Houck. They were the result of George Floyd and the GREAT RESIGNATION following COVID. Work as a prosecuting attorney became far less fashionable, especially among persons of color. But Houck's office is currently fully staffed.
2) Yes, he maintains a part-time private civil practice and rents office space from a local attorney who does some criminal defense but also does a great deal of civil work. This is by no means an unusual practice among attorneys. They can frequently be on different sides yet work out of the same building. When I worked in private practice, it included several criminal defense attorneys as well as an assistant DA. In fact, there was a time when our judges maintained private offices at buildings owned by different law firms.
3) There is no truth to the allegation that this lawyer gets favorable deals as a result of that relationship. Both of these attorneys have practiced law a long time and there has never been a complaint about the ethics of either.
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These are all valid questions and deserve public scrutiny. But they are not valid questions the way they've been presented by Baratta. He actually has complained to the Disciplinary Board, threatening the livelihood of three well-respected lawyers with unblemished careers. He has tarnished their food name. He has falsely claimed favoritism and attacked the DA for a referral fee received made for a referral that occurred 12 years ago, long before he was DA, and that was done without knowledge that there would even be a referral fee and that was cleared by the Ethics Comm'n. There are two arguments. One is that an ADA should refrain from private civil practice and devote all his energy to being a prosecutor. The other is that the best way to attract polished attorneys who try cases is to allow them to do civil work during nonbusiness hours, so long as there is no conflict. These are both very valid arguments. The way Baratta has raised this matter has been ugly. He has personally attacked three lawyers.
"You know this about Morganelli and yet you got your panties in a bind when Susan Wild was running against him for what you saw as a deal breaking negative move on her campaign's part."
John is very affable and is a moderate whose views more closely align with mine than those of Wild. She was dishonest. She promised John she'd run a clean campaign and broke her word. I admire John and think he does a great job as a judge and was probably the best DA we ever had. But he no longer runs that office and should stop trying to do so. He should also realize that, once he became a judge, he had to stop being a puppet master.
First, allow me to address 6:51 am. Your post screams ageism and, therefore, nullifies any point you hoped to make.
Second, let’s look at the DA’s office. Yes, there has been turnover and some may be due to personality conflicts. Most, though, may be jumping ship to a better gig — good hours, attractive salary, less stressful cases. Morale is an issue in most every workplace and one that should be addressed, but sometimes you just have to suck it up in exchange for a job.
There are several employees in the DA’s office who have worked there a decade or more, so with their expertise, I would think they could have their choice of jobs. Yet they stay in an office Baratta has not visited in years, but claims to know inside and out. Sure, the judge probably has a mole or two in the office, but can you really trust a mole to tell the truth?
I’m not a fan of Houck’s because he hasn’t impressed me when I have been in his presence. He seems like someone who is going to be warm toward you if you can serve a purpose. Otherwise, forget it. Perhaps that is good, though, because it shows he is not a politician. Baratta, though, is showing he is an opportunist who will tell half truths to win an election. The way the judge is bashing the DA’s office (not just the DA) isn’t a smart move since he will need the support of his team if he wins the primary.
Finally, Baratta went on record at Bernie’s debate that Morganelli encouraged him to run. One of the two men is lying.
JM is trying to be a big fish in the small pond of NorCo politics after a career of being a rejected guppy in the open waters of PA state politics. His by proxy political ambitions should be rejected.
"Finally, Baratta went on record at Bernie’s debate that Morganelli encouraged him to run. One of the two men is lying."
I thought I heard him say that, too, but I was unable to take notes. I checked with a reporter who covered the event and did take notes, and he told me that Morganelli had encouraged Steve to run for judge when he was a DA. I then went back to look at the Facebook video that Margie Mandell took,and sure enough, the reporter was correct. Baratta was attacked over his performance in a case he tried as a prosecutor, and Baratta responded that his performance was so good that then DA John Morganelli encouraged him to run for judge.
So there is no hard evidence that Judge Morganelli encouraged Judge Baratta to step down and run for DA. But there is plenty of circumstantial evidence. Also, Baratta's claim that he only discovered the problem two months before he decided to step down is demonstrably false. His letter to AOPC was well before then.
I have deleted a comment that keeps trying to bring Susan Wild into this story. It is off topic.
The sad thing is that both JMorg and Bonecrusher are supposedly Catholic. We all make mistakes, but this goes to down to their DNA. They should beat their chests.
I just deleted an OT comment submitted by Jesus. He may be God, but not on this blog.
I think this issue is about management styles between both fine men. Bottom line is , it is apparently , that the major number of county employees that work in this office are not happy about conditions. I said, it appears that way. Leadership is an art form . It bestows subordinates to go the extra mile. Leadership of a command structure, gets ordinary workers to excel, to go out there and make decisions within their capacity. Both candidates are fine people. Not all great leaders are able to fine tune certain atmospheres. I saw it in the services I had been in , I see it now from City , former occupation. Employees are not happy. This why appointments to certain leadership post should be vetted by directors. This one is voted by the people and most of them have no idea about the dynamics of DAs office including me. Good day.
How much did Houck get from that law firm? Did he release the letter ethics committee clearing him or does that not exist? A Terry lie? Release the docs “clearing” him. He won’t because he sucks. Doesn’t make sense it took 12 years for a case to settle. Didn’t he give legal advice when he claimed to have referred the client to that form? Isn’t the referral legal advice itself? He was the full time ADA 12 years ago. He gave advise as a private lawyer by referring them to another lawyer, if that’s really the case. I don’t believe it was a referral fee. He's lying. Prolly still making money from them. You take him at his word with no backup. Houck is a liar. What about the discrimination complaint? He won’t say anything cause it’s true. What’s up with the COVID loans that houcks first ada took and never paid back. Way too many questions that are unanswered by houck.
JohnM is a real political force in the county, but time passes us al by eventually. AS for his political heirs, I guess will see. Certainly, Italian names have always played well in the valley and still do. Baratta may very well prevail. As to his other self-proclaimed heir McClure I would agree a strong republican, or a qualified progressive democrat woman could beat him. Outside of his union boss of the county that is in his pocket his support is thin. Someone quipped that as a county exertive he makes a great prosecutor. He and his top people are more interested in control and power than good government. He has benefited from terrible opponents in his elections. Other than that, not sure who is left from the old machine.
It appears all of these three are in their sixties, right? Why are they still doing this and not enjoying life?
The turnover has absolutely nothing to do with the reasons you mentioned. Maybe you should actually talk to the staff instead of relying on Houck’s word.
Bernie
I watched the debate at home, so i was distracted here and there. Didnt Baratta admit the JM told him to run?
You can watch the video bc it is part of this blog. He said that JM encouraged him to run for judge when he was an ADA, not that he was encouraged to run for judge by JM now.
You crack me up Signed Satan
Ray Lahoud is the most brilliant political mind in the Lehigh Valley. He will carry on the Morganelli machine since he’s a young buck (and handsome too).
6:32, Terry provided a detailed explanation of that referral fee here: https://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2023/03/houck-finances-come-up-during-debate.html
About 12 years ago, friend asked him to recommend a lawyer who could handle his wife's medical claim. He did and thought nothing of it. At that time he was not District Attorney. He never even spoke to the law firm. Then he was shocked to receive the referral fee. He called the Ethics Comm'n to determine if it as proper to accept this fee and was told it was bc it was for services rendered, such as they were, before he became a full-time DA.
I could understand Baratta raising this issue during the Nazareth debate. I could even understand him mentioning it in a mailer because that was probably prepared before Terr's explanation. But when he brought it up again at the PBS debate, knowing what it was, he was being ridiculous.
So are you.
Yes, there is high turnover. Yes, Rich Pepper rents space from a local attorney. Even Bernie can't deny either of those.
Baratta, by retiring early, is actually leaving a LOT of pension money on the table. Bernie also cannot deny that.
Your instincts are correct, trust them.
"Baratta, by retiring early, is actually leaving a LOT of pension money on the table. Bernie also cannot deny that."
Sure I can and I do.
Baratta could remain a judge for 30 years and max out his pension. By leaving five years early he will still collect at least 90% of this state pension.
He has another pension as well from his service for the county. That pension is not going tyo give him all the $ he could get if he was DA for four years. His county pension would be based on his three highest years when he was a DA.
He will make far more money in his two pensions if he is elected DA. His statement to the contrary is inaccurate.
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