UMBT Supervisor Apologizes For Flipping Off Public During Public Township Meeting

I previously told you that appropriately named Vice Chair David Friedman gave the middle finger ... twice ... during a recent meeting of Upper Mount Bethel Tp's (UMBT) Board of Supervisors. He did this to the members of the public that he's supposed to represent. It's what I'd expect from someone ruled unethical by both the State Ethics Board and Commonwealth Court. It's what you can count on from someone who promised to resign if a court ruled he was unethical but then went back on his own word and refused to do so.  

He has demonstrated that his own words mean very little to him. But at Monday night's meeting of UMBT's Board, he did apologize. "I owe everyone an apology for my gesture at the last meeting. It was uncalled for, uncouth, unprofessional and everything else that everybody has said about it so far." He then tried to minimize it as "an act of frustration," but that's false. He was actually gloating after winning on a motion. He promised he will decline to participate in any future meetings of prospective River Pointe tenants. 

Like Amazon. His Eminence, the Right Rev. Ron Angle  lives in Township. (Yes he is a Bishop. I know this because I sent away for his certification a few years ago in exchange for $20). He told the Board that Amazon had set aside $20 billion for a data center in Pa., and Governor Shapiro even designated an envoy to help the world's largest online retailer find data center sites. It has settled on Luzerne and Bucks Counties, and expects to create 1,250 high-paying jobs. "We lost Amazon because of a couple of people in this township that got greedy." 

During public comment, resident Robert Teel observed that both Bermingham and Fredman had campaign signs that promised "better leadership" when they ran for office. "I think you missed it. Better leadership doesn't mean saying FU to the crowd."

Supervisor Jonathan Erler condemned Friedman's antics. "In the year and a half since I've taken this seat, he has not only been found guilty of ethics violations, but also repeatedly misled our residents, promises given three separate times to resign if found guilty. Since then, he has verbally accused at least two residents of considerable violations without providing evidence. Mr. Friedman has threatened me personally in the company of this board with filing ethics charges against me for merely performing a core function of a township supervisor. And again, he just might have violated the ethics code and his oath of office with his motion to resolve a lawsuit that he himself is a defendant in."

Erler then referred to letters from elected or appointed township officials and Supervisor John Bermingham's praise for Friedman. Bermingham then defended himself, saying that Friedman's display of the middle finger was peaceful. Erler them moved to censure Friedman. This motion carried 3-1, but I don't know who voted No. 

Solicitor Ron Karasek will prepare a formal resolution of censure for the next meeting. That's a good thing, As he reminded the Board, a last-minute agenda item like this might very well run afoul of the Sunshine Act.

By the way, what is the legal effect of a formal censure?

Nothing.