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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, July 10, 2026

Dem House Nominee Bob Brooks Ran Lawn Care Business With No Workers's Comp Insurance

The Washington Free Beacon, a right-wing online news source, appears to have Pa. 07's Democratic Congressional nominee Bob Brooks in their gunsights. Last month, it reported that Brooks, a former union firefighter, considers professional firefighters who act as volunteers in their community, are "scabs" and "shitbags." Well, I'm sure Easton appreciated all the volunteer firefighters who responded to a recent fire in Easton. So do Northampton and Lehigh County, which offers small rebates to volunteer firefighters on their property taxes. Now it has a new story, this time about Brooks and his lawn care business. 

Brooks has touted his lawn care business in his Congressional race in an attempt to portray himself as an ordinary guy. But according to the Beacon, he cancelled his worker's comp insurance in 2017 and had no insurance for workers who might get injured for four years. Moreover, during that period, his own son was working for him and managing six-man crews. 

Pa. law requires worker's comp insurance for all employees, part-time or full-time, family or not. 

This is the latest shoe to drop from a flawed candidate who was picked by the national party, not regular voters. 

Brooks' opponent in November is incumbent Ryan Mackenzie.

I will be voting for neither.  

70 comments:

Anonymous said...

The PA Platner...

Anonymous said...

dems will vote for the crook once again proving that they just push buttons as they fail to do due diligence.

Anonymous said...

What a despicable piece of shit. Selfless volunteers don't deserve to be smeared by a shiftless scumbag who rips off family and doesn't pay his bills. Ask around the Nazareth-area social clubs (many of which are fire companies). They despise that he even breathes our same air and he's quickly become persona non grata. Nice work Shapiro. You really know how to pick 'em.

Anonymous said...

When is the "deadline" to remove Brooks from the ballot before he loses by 20 points in a race any other Democrat would have won by 20 points? Maine flushed Platner. Can the 7th District flush its turd before ballots are printed?

Anonymous said...

Ryan still the better choice.

Anonymous said...

Hold your nose and vote for the person who won't vote to get rid of your healthcare. At this point it's not a contest of morality, it's a contest of "who can do the least damage to our society".

Anonymous said...

Can we get Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen to run? The people that are making the biggest impact don't run for these seats because of the mudslinging, but we need a good, clean candidate who we can actually support.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Bernie. This is the poorest slate of candidates (Primary and General) that we have ever had to consider voting for. I couldn't bring myself to vote for either of these candidates previously and I won't be voting for either one in the fall.

Anonymous said...

Not great but nowhere near as despicable as that POS.

Anonymous said...

They know. They just don't care.

Anonymous said...

What he forgets is the meaning of the word volunteer. Where does he think the extra money will come from if these fire companies go away.

Anonymous said...

Was this when he was a Republican?

Anonymous said...

You show em Bernie!! Straight Dem down the line voter.

Anonymous said...

So true!! The guy is a an asshole!!

Anonymous said...

Ryan will prevail again. Dems lay an egg. Sad.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I will not be voting in my state house race (Emrick v. Warren) or state senate (Boscola v. Janney) either). There are some good people in or seeking office, both Republican and Democrat, but not where I live.

Anonymous said...

Just like some pubs will vote for a convicted felon, rapist, grifter, liar, and probable pedophile...and just not care. Guess in our money rules politics system it's a vote for what we consider to be the lesser of 2 evils or nothing.

Anonymous said...

Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen Is too busy with his DSA buddies

Anonymous said...

Literally. He’s got the same consultants- Fight Agency. Hand picked, not vetted, and shoved down our throats.

Anonymous said...

What’s your problem with Boscola. I think she’s been a good senator in a difficult chamber run by Republicans

Bernie O'Hare said...

That is a good topic for a future post.

Anonymous said...

As a Democrat voter, I will not fall for Bernie Sander's little ploy to put forth more "real men" types to try and bring males back to the party. I'm offended that Sanders thinks rural men will return to the Democrats if they have truck driving, macho men like Platner and Brooks on the ballot.

Anonymous said...

One can only hope. He was the worst of four candidates.
Even the “I’m pissed” woman would have been a better choice and that was before the current issue.

Anonymous said...

Not a good idea.

Anonymous said...

She’s been claiming to eliminate property taxes for 20 or 30 years now?
It can’t be done but she can fool enough of the people enough of the time.

Anonymous said...

If Little Mac wins, he can thank Shapiro, Brooks and some party hacks who have never been to the Lehigh Valley.

Anonymous said...

Now Hiring. Crooks Lawn Care. No Volunteer SCUM Bags wanted. All you need is your own Workmans Comp insurance. Pathetic so called 'Union Man'

Anonymous said...

It’s not her fault she’s blocked by Republicans who refuse to make any tax shifts which would be required to replace the billions in lost revenue

Anonymous said...

Nobody is blocking her. The idea is nonsense. Taxes that back bond payments can’t be eliminated because the bonds are contracts that guarantee the debt is backed by property tax.
And that’s that.

Anonymous said...

Actually I have to disagree with you on that, because at least an asshole has a purpose

Anonymous said...

Brooks will win without much effort. The same tide that brought in AOC, Wild, and their saber rattlers will give of this do-nothing, empty-headed bum. (In case I’m not clear, I don’t like him.)

Anonymous said...

Interesting article on why energy is going up. How we got here, Tom Wolf and the RRGI is a big reason. Who the better candidate will be for a solution. It’s written by someone who seems to not like either candidate all that much, like most of us on here. Check it out Bernie.

https://www.realclearpennsylvania.com/articles/2026/07/01/in_the_lehigh_valley_the_power_bill_is_on_the_ballot_1192064.html

Anonymous said...

Look, let’s go easy on Brooks here. It’s only workers comp insurance.

It’s not Brooks’ fault that none of his primary opponents were rapists or Nazis and would have given Democrat voters someone more representative of their true selves.

And given this workers comp scandal coming out now, it gives the local party a chance to protect democracy and overturn the will of the voters.

Anonymous said...

No workers comp? Was he paying his workers under the table as well?

Anonymous said...

I see Armando is trying to create fake grass roots campaign. Looking forward to seeing it implode.

Anonymous said...

Yeah! Keep on giving us faggy girly men to vote for!

Anonymous said...

And he crossed the street outside of the crosswalk. Jesus Lamont lost. Get over it.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunate to see you won’t be bestowing the kiss of death on Mackenzie Janney or Emrick but something tells me they’re all going to lose anyway.

Anonymous said...

Unemployment lows at 68-69 levels. Why can't a dem vote for a republican?

Anonymous said...

And the other choice wasn't a liar?? No border crisis. Joe's just fine. PLEASE!!

Anonymous said...

A meaningless talking point. Pennsylvania was never actually in RGGI.

Anonymous said...

Another socialist candidate. No one wants communism, even you, Bernie. Vote Mackenzie and Janney,

Anonymous said...

Never. Are you kidding me?

Anonymous said...

Absolutely! This is not your father ‘s Democrat party ( or mine). Vote Republican!

Anonymous said...

@ 6:14… like Trump is “just fine”? lol guy is closer to brain dead then Biden! LOL… hit a heart string with you… all of them are useless but Trump is by far the worst. Driving us right into a recession.

Anonymous said...

This has GOT TO BE THE TRUEST STATEMENT EVER! I’m registered D but all suck right now. Exhausting to be honest. Ryan will not get my vote because he is too silent to be trusted and he has supported issues that have directly hurt my loved ones! I don’t like Mr. brooks by any means but we need to gut Washington!

Anonymous said...

@ 1247, like trump claims to lower prices, “Make America Great Again”, yada yada.. nothing of which he has done yet or ever will.

Bernie O'Hare said...

You are all straying off topic. I will post a blog about the state senate race, and you can offer your insights there.

Anonymous said...

Wait! What? Doesn’t even make sense. Your red hat seems a bit tight.

Anonymous said...

You are correct. Tom Wolf’s executive order was struck down after a long drawn out legal battle. But not meaningless because it was tied up in court for 6 years. Read the article.

For six years, Pennsylvania was involved, via Tom Wolf’s executive order, in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade charge on power-plant carbon, and the threat by itself was enough. Reporting on that repeal for RealClear Investigations, I found that the years of litigation froze roughly $13 billion in proposed power plants, by the Marcellus Shale Coalition's count, and cost a Pittsburgh boilermakers' local about 30% of its members as the work crossed into Ohio and West Virginia. PJM dispatches the cheapest generators first,

Bernie O'Hare said...

I'm sure that many of the things you like are "socialist." Social security? Medicare? Medicaid? SNAP? Worker comp? Unemployment comp? Also, there is a difference between socialism and communism. I support many things that might be considered socialist, like Medicare for all. Communism is different. The government controls all production and distribution, and there is no private property.

Anonymous said...

But, over the course of history Bernie, Socialism has been found to be a strong first step to Communism. Our private property is already under increasing attack in this declining America in places led by radical Democrat leadership.

If any reader can’t bring themself to vote for any other candidate but a Democrat, I respectfully request they do not cast a vote for that particular office. The present Democrat Party has gone off the rails and needs a little shock therapy before any rebuild can happen. Help keep AMERICA first!

Anonymous said...

3:16 and what are you doing to help the community?

Anonymous said...

Half the small businesses in the Lehigh Valley don’t carry workers comp insurance. Not saying it is ok, but I am suggesting no one will care that much.

Anonymous said...

If his son was an officer of the company, and they were contracting out those “six man crews” to a third party, technically they would not be required to carry workers comp insurance. The journalism on this one is a little weak.

Anonymous said...

The real questions are was he legally responsible to maintain the WC after 2017 ? I don’t know the answer. The second is what is the Statute of Limitations on that offense ? Is it criminal ?

Anonymous said...

Oh come on, if this was Ryan you would be crucifying him. Don’t act like this is no big deal. Brooks is a past Union president.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Actually, both parties are off the rails. Democrats, once the champions of the working class and poor, have forgotten about the working class. Republicans just promote whatever policy Trump is promoting, which he changes every five minutes. Both have become increasingly vituperative. But Democrats do not believe in one-party rule or collective ownership of production and distribution. And this "America first" policy is actually ignorant and ensures that America will actually be America last. We cut off aid to Africa and other countries and have thus reduced our influence abroad, what has been referred to as soft power. This leaves a vacuum that is happily filled by China. I do agree that we should not be building schools in other countries when our own are falling apart, but that does not mean we should stop entirely.

Anonymous said...

Your interpretation of America First, Bernie, is obviously different from my own. Charity, donations, and assistance are fine . . . . so long as it is not FORCED upon others at the expense of our OWN citizens who are equally needy. Kind of like the old “my family will always come first.” Hope you don’t disagree there!

Anonymous said...

Of course, when it was low under Biden, you didn’t bring it up.
Instead you looked at naked pictures of his son smoking crack.

Anonymous said...

@8:49 Yea not so much. I just like pointing out your specific hypocrisy. Never said I was a fan now did I?? Keep on keeping on with your inane comments. Peace out babe.

Anonymous said...

Well that's what happens when every single post has the dude who brings up Trump no matter what, applicable or not.

Anonymous said...

You have to love the hypocrisy.

Anonymous said...

THIS!!!!

Anonymous said...

Im a moderate and have voted for D's and R's. Brooks is getting my vote no matter what comes out about him. Trump is out of his mind and no one in his party will hold him accountable. I didn't like Hunter Biden getting 15 million for sitting on a board so guess how much I like how Trump has grifted BILLIONS for himself and his family. Clean house and start over.

Vladimir Ill-itch said...

All this will do is give the Mackenzie campaign some mailer fodder that will have little sway. Many of the same voters who put this Borking Boob on the ballot (as well as that intelligentsia of L.V Democrats who held a "we support Brooks" suckfest a few weeks ago), aren't likely bright enough to understand how egregiously derelict and reflective of poor character and disposition this is. Apparently, being irresponsible conducting business in an illegal and unethical manner means nothing to many of the registered Democrats in PA-07.

He's putting together quite a greatest hits album. I wonder his next chart topper will be.

Anonymous said...

Listen I'm voting for Ryan no matter what. But coming after a lawn care business about workmens comp is like going after a waitress about tips. This is just Bernie making his boy Lamont feel better. It's the way Lamont is. Vindictive he lost so he is going to go after anyone who beats him. And Bernie will help him. Lamont is the kid who got picked on. And he had a little power now and doesn't want it to go away. DANGEROUS

Anonymous said...

Seems to be a certain amount of sleaze associated with this Brooks guy.

Anonymous said...

Bob will go the way of Platner. Need to pick off the socialists one at a time.

Anonymous said...

The whole party is socialist. Name me the elected democrat in PA that is speaking out against their takeover of the party. Other than Fetterman, I can’t think of a single one.

I’m a Democrat, and my parents were democrats. But I’ll be voting straight republican this election and every election after that until my party purges the socialists from their ranks.