Charter School Refuses To Reveal $3.2M Realtor Comm'n to Jenn Mann

As many of you know, I'm no fan of former State Rep. Jenn Mann. My disenchantment with her began when she used her position as a legislator in struggling Allentown to secure a a $10,000 state DCED grant for The Parkland Trojan Ice Hockey Club. Those students need little state assistance. In the meantime, she did next to nothing for disadvantaged kids in downtown Allentown. But in 2014, she was listed as one of the founders of Allentown's Executive Education Academy Charter School. Was she finally giving back? Unfortunately, no. According to information obtained in response to a Right to Know request, Executive Education has paid her $450,000 since 2014 for unspecified "contracted professional services." I've also been told by several people that she was paid a $3.2 million broker's fee in connection with the purchase of the school building. But the school refuses to release that information, claiming it belongs to the Executive Education Charter School foundation, a separate legal entity.

I've appealed this refusal to the state Office of Open Records.

Of course, Executive Education delayed as long as it could in responding. My request was first filed on June 6, and an answer only came on July 12.

Executive Education recently did the same thing to a Morning Call  reporter who sought construction costs for a recently opened $4 million gym. Never mind that the real source of this funding is Allentown taxpayers. In that case, the Office of Open Records concluded the Foundationp and Charter School are one and the same.

The public has every right to know how its money is being spent.

The Charter School is resisting that right in Lehigh County courts. I expect I'll be there soon enough.

Is Jenn Mann Really "For the People"?

I've heard former State Representative Jenn Mann's name mentioned yesterday as a possible successor to Mayor Ed Pawlowski. As one of the NIZ architects, the urban growth regime that really is control would probably love to see her named. The mainstream media love her, too. But for those interested in helping Allentown's working poor, her appointment would be a disaster. She's never really been in their corner. But since leaving office, she started a PAC so she can continue to snag contributions and blow money, kinda' like Ed Pawlowski has done himself for years. She hypocritically calls it "For the People."

I first realized what she's all about when she ignored Allentown's minority kids, who really could use a few more basketball courts, in favor of a $10,000 state DCED grant for the Parkland Trojan Ice Hockey Club. As someone who believes in $54 million corporate welfare handouts to J.B. Reilly, this is a no-brainer.

In the state house, any lobbyist could tell you, off the record, that she always had her hand out. If you needed to talk to her, you could get her tickets to the latest baseball, basketball or football game, like the Superbowl. She though there was nothing improper with moonlighting as a consultant with a company doing all kinds of business with the state. No conflict there, she insisted.

It's always been about her, as evidenced by her dual campaigns for her own office as well as State Auditor in 2004 and State Treasurer in 2008. In the state house, any lobbyist could tell you, off the record, that she always had her hand out. If you needed to talk to her, you could get her tickets to the latest baseball, basketball or football game, like the Superbowl. She had an affair with one lobbyist, and thought there was nothing improper with moonlighting as a consultant with a company doing all kinds of business with the state. No conflict there, she insisted.

When her career as a State Representative ended in 2012, she became a business consultant, using all the contacts she had developed in the state house. What did she do with her own campaign funds? Did she donate it to the Democratic party,or better yet, to the people in her district? Nah. In January 2013, she quietly formed a PAC called "For the People." That way she can continue hitting people up for money and spending it.

I wonder why the state police never investigate this kind of prostitution.

Mann funded her PAC with the $57,768.60 left in her own campaign treasury, and added another $5,000 she got from Matthew McTish (McTish, Kunkel and Assoc.), who is one of her business clients. She has gone on to pick up $6,000 from Susan Biggica, who lives in Hershey. She got $2,000 from Ramzi Haddad, a former Abe Atiyeh partner. And Mike Schlossbuerg, who represents her old district, is giving her $250 a year. Maybe it's dues.

She has used some of her campaign cash to help candidates seeking office. especially people in Allentown who can return the favor down the road.

But some of her expenditures are just plain goofy. On one report, she claimed $400 in "event expenses," without bothering to identify the event in question or itemize the expenses. She spent $561 for a "dinner meeting" at the Lehigh Country Club on 7/16/14. A few months later, she spent $221.05 for a PAC dinner meeting, but does not bother to tell us where. The whopper is $8,127.00 for "PAC expenses" on 7/8/14, with no itemization of just what those expenses are. Given that the whole point of campaign finance reports is to enable the public to follow the money, it's safe to say she failed.

That's because Jenn Mann is not really "For the People." She's for Jenn Mann.

Jennifer Mann Confirms She's For Sale

I've been highly critical of former State Rep. Jenn Mann ever since she used her position as a State Rep. in struggling Allentown to secure a a $10,000 state DCED grant for The Parkland Trojan Ice Hockey Club, a program for students who need little state assistance. In the meantime, I saw her do next to nothing for disadvantaged kids in downtown Allentown. It's always been her, as evidenced be her tendency to run dual campaigns for her own office as well as State Auditor in 2004 and State Treasurer in 2008. In the state house, any lobbyist could tell you, off the record, that she always had her hand out. If you needed to talk to her, you could get her tickets to the latest baseball, basketball or football game, like the Superbowl. She had an affair with one lobbyist, and thought there was nothing improper with moonlighting as a consultant with a company doing all kinds of business with the state. No conflict there, she insisted.

So while many oohed and ahhed over Mann, I had and continue to have little respect for her. It was certainly no surprise to see her ignore the working poor in her district to pander to J.B. Reilly and Allentown's NIZ. I was glad to see her quit her job in the state house to work as a lobbyist because all along, she has been working for special interests.

And now we have the revelation that she has been bought by Big Tobacco, reported by Colin McEvoy.

Do you really think the working poor ever had a chance with a fox like her in the henhouse?

Her successor in the state house, Mike Schlossberg, is one of her proteges. From Jersey to Muhlenberg to the Chamber to the State House, he's had no challenges, except maybe a chemistry course. Easy life. Nothing like the people he is supposed to represent.

Michael and Mann are both supposedly members of the party that cares about people.

But don't think I'm pushing a Republican agenda. After the Ross Township massacre, I sent emails to LV State House members, asking them what they would do about a state laws that arguably prevents municipalities from regulating firearms on their own property. Marcia Hahn and Joe Emrick never even acknowledged the email, apparently scared to death that just discussing gun control might upset wingnuts within their own party.

Some leadership. "There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader."

Where Will Mann Be Working Next Year?

Schlossberg refused to recuse himself from  Mann vote

In November, State Rep. Jennifer Mann announced she would NOT be seeking another term in the state house. Some say she's moving down South. Others insist she'll manage to snag a high-paying job in Allentown's new arena. She claims, "There's more than one way to serve your community."

That's what bothers me.

In her time in the state House, Mann has been identified as a legislator who always has her hands out. In addition to last year's SuperBowl, she's a regular at Phillies games. She moonlighted as a state legislator, doing consulting work for Vitetta, a heavy-hitting architectural and engineering firm involved in numerous state Department of General Services projects.

No conflict of interest there.

Her recent appointment to the NIZ Board is for a term that extends to 2016, so I doubt she intends to leave the area anytime soon. In her application for appointment to the NIZ Board, Mann states:

"As State Representative, I helped craft the language that created the Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) and was instrumental in its passing in the State Legislature. The arena project and surrounding development will be funded almost exclusively by state revenues. As a member of this authority, I believe I can help protect the Commonwealth's investment while helping to ensure a smooth transition."

Since she'll no longer be a state rep., what possible interest could she have in protecting the Commonwealth's investment? I suspect something is going on just underneath the surface here.

I'm sure that whatever job she takes, there'll be no conflict of interest. The self-policing NIZ Board, comprised of property investors like Nelson Diaz and nearby Cosmopolitan owner Bill Grube, will ensure everything is above board.

Democrat Mann & Republican Dent Take Aim at Synthetic Drugs

LV Congressman Charlie Dent (PA-15) and State Rep. Jennifer L. Mann (D-132) during a press conference today at Allentown’s Sacred Heart Hospital discussed parallel legislation they've authored to ban various synthetic drug substitutes sold legally in most states, including Pennsylvania. Dent and Mann were joined by Dr. Colleen Wladyslawski, Head of Emergency Medicine at Sacred Heart, and local parents whose children have used synthetic drugs.

“Seemingly every week, Lehigh Valley residents are exposed to new accounts of synthetic drug users displaying erratic and often violent behavior,” Dent said in a news release. “Although these individuals pose a serious risk to public safety, the dangerous drugs they abuse remain legal and easily accessible in stores across our area. I commend Rep. Mann for her efforts to eliminate these substances in Pennsylvania and will continue to advocate for legislation to ban synthetic drugs on the federal level.”

“Right now a 17-year-old high school student couldn’t walk into a convenience store and buy cigarettes or walk into a bar and buy a six-pack of beer, but, under current law, that same 17-year-old could buy a drug that mimics the effects of cocaine and there’s nothing the police could do about it,” Mann said. “That’s absolutely wrong, and the bills Congressman Dent and I are fighting for would give law enforcement the tools they need to get this poison off the streets and out of the hands of our students.”

The Synthetic Drug Control Act (H.R. 1254), authored by Rep. Dent, identifies chemical compounds that affect the brain in a manner similar to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and adds them to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I bans drugs and controlled substances that have high potential for abuse and have no use in medical treatment in the United States.

The bill also bans chemical compounds used in synthetic drugs commonly sold as ‘Bath Salts’ or ‘Plant Food’, which have been identified as cocaine substitutes. Abuse of bath salts has recently garnered much public attention in Pennsylvania, where disturbing cases of violent, erratic and dangerous behavior have been linked to recreational use of the substance.

Additionally, H.R. 1224 enhances the authority of DEA to temporarily ban drugs in the interest of public safety and provides greater time for the agency to prove a chemical is harmful, lacks medicinal or industrial value, and should be banned permanently.

Mann’s companion legislation in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, H.B. 365, is a comprehensive bill that bans bath salts on the state level, as well as synthetic marijuana – better known as “Spice” or “K2” – and the naturally occurring, yet legal, hallucinogen salvia dinorum. This bill passed the House unanimously and now awaits action in the state Senate.

More About Mann & Callahan's Super Bowl Trip

Yesterday, I told you that Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan and State Representative Jenn Mann both were able to get their hands on tickets to this year's Super Bowl. Yes, other elected officials from Pennsylvania were there, too, including Governor Corbett. But my focus is on locally elected officials. I want to update you with some additional information.

Callahan actually returned my call this morning, something that never happened before. He told me that he paid for the trip himself. I asked how much, and he demurred, telling me the amount is irrelevant. But in response to some additional questioning, he acknowledged that he only paid the face value on the ticket, not its actual market price.

Although Callahan acknowledged that he did not get this ticket as a result of some lottery or as a season ticket holder, he declined to tell me who hooked him up. He claims that's "irrelevant" but I consider this information as important as knowing the identity of a campaign donor or lobbyist.

I also spoke again to Jennifer Mann's press aide. Like Callahan, he acknowledged that she only had to pay face value.He also told me that Mann got her tickets from the Steelers, which did make some tickets available to politicians in both parties.

Asked whether she wold be reimbursing taxpayers for the day of work she missed on Super Bowl Monday, when she missed roll call, I was told she was "on leave." But apparently, she just put herself on leave, so doesn't she owe the residents of her district a day's pay for the time she spent not representing them? I was told she works weekends and nights, and made it back to Harrisburg that afternoon.

In Wisconsin, home of the Packers, Ashwaubenon Village President Mike Aubinger is one of the elected officials who turned down two $900 face value tickets that were being offered to the rest of us for $8,500 each. He did not feel comfortable receiving preferential treatment. "I don't accept anything from anyone anywhere," he said.

Callahan and Mann appear to have a different view. They exploit the status of their offices to gain special treatment.

Jenn Mann & John Callahan Go to the Super Bowl

Getting tickets to the Super Bowl is no easy feat for regular schleps like you or me. Only one percent of the tickets are available to the general public. They end up at places like Stubhub, where prices for non-premium seats were selling for between $3,500 - 4,000 apiece. But for Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan or State Representative Jenn Mann, scoring tickets is no problem at all. Both were among the 105,000 elite in Dallas on February 6.

You see, the NFL and teams makes tickets available, and at face value, to politicians and businesses. That's how Joe Scarnati, the state senate's highest-ranking member, was able to make his way to Texas. Marcellus Shale driller Consol Energy Inc. paid his freight.

How about Callahan and Mann?

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan refused to return my call, so I'll tell you what I know. His trip to cowboy country was paid for by some high-powered D.C. firm that Callahan met during his Congressional race. He spent a lot of time rubbing elbows with celebrities, and apparently was emailing photos during the game.

He must have forgotten to send one to me.

On February 7, the day after Superbowl, the state House was in business and conducted its usual roll call. Jenn Mann was reported "on leave." She was still on her way back from the Lone Star State. There were 11 other absences that day, although I'm told the actual number is closer to 30.

According to her press aide, Mann paid her own way. But how did she get her ticket, and how much did she pay? You can be damn sure she had no need to use stubhub or participate in any steenkin' lottery. The face value of these cheap seats was between $600-800, well below the $3,500-4,000 paid by the unwashed masses.

Shouldn't this difference be reported as a gift?

The same thing happened in Wisconsin, where local mayors and county officials got Super Bowl tickets at face value. Common Cause's Jay Keck condemns this favoritism.

"The real problem in my mind is one of perception. ... Public officials get preferential treatment by being offered these tickets ahead of the rest of the public. ... It creates real cynicism on the part of a lot of citizens about public officials and, frankly, I think public officials, to their detriment, accept things like this and don't think twice about the effect it's going to have on public morale."

The Jennifer Mann Relationship That Really Bothers Me

My story last week about State Rep. Jennifer Mann and the precise nature of her relationship to fired firefighter and registered lobbyist Richard Gawlick, has raised a few eyebrows. Her personal life is her own business, but her public office is very much open to scrutiny. So I do care when someone trying to see Mann is passed off to a registered lobbyist and possible boyfriend. But all that pales in the face of another relationship that Mann herself freely admits. It's with a big spender, but she won't tell me how much she's paid for her services. She was nice enough to call me on Sunday, so I can tell you her side of the story.

Mann Denies Constituents Passed on to Gawlick

After twelve years, Jennifer occupies powerful leadership positions within the state house. She's Majority Caucus Secretary as well as a member of the Rules Committee, without which midnight sausage-making is impossible. I understand she even has a newer, and bigger, Harrisburg office.

In addition to what I told you last week, I've been told of one other person who had an appointment to see Mann in Harrisburg about two months ago, but was passed on to Richard Gawlick.

Mann, who has a staff of seven people, claims these allegations are "totally false." Noting that these people are unwilling to come forward and identify themselves, she adds, "That's funny, isn't it?"

"I work very hard, and take the respect and trust of other people very seriously," she told me in a Sunday evening telephone call. While acknowledging that she knows Gawlick as the political director of the statewide firefighters' association, she insists she has not seen him in her office for the past six months. She denies that Gawlick is paid by the state for his services, either as a House employee or under some form of contract, and dismisses the anonymous claims as "absolute nonsense." She also claims to have been slandered.

So why did her office give me the bum's rush last week? Her press dude actually hung up on me. "In my opinion, that was not handled very well. Very candidly, it was handled without interaction with me. I've always prided myself on being very direct and open in answering questions. You are right to expect that," says the legislator.

She also insists that the personal accusations about Gawlick are "unfounded." Frankly, I did not pursue it beyond that. She laments that elected leaders already have terrible reputations, being considered little better than a used car salesman.

"Could be worse," I joked. "You could be a blogger."

Frosty silence on the other end.

Maybe the cell reception was bad.

Mann More Reticent About Ties to Architectural and Engineering Firm Vitetta

"I've never been known as a person who dodges a question, and never will be," she told me Sunday night in a conversation that she herself initiated. But when I asked her to tell us how much money she gets from Vitetta, that's exactly what happened. She refused to answer, telling me she has no legal obligation to disclose exact amounts.

I first spoke with Mann about this three years ago, the only time I've ever talked to her. All I knew at that time was that she was doing some kind of consulting, and I incorrectly thought it had something to do with a small business she ran before seeking a seat in the state house.

Well, Vitetta is no mom-and-pop shop. It's a heavy hitter, both with the state and locally. It has offices in seven different states, and its own webpage reveals involvement in construction projects like the Pennsylvania Judicial Center, Pennsylvania Judicial Center Parking Garage, Pennsylvania Capitol, PennDOT Materials Testing Laboratory and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission-Service Plaza Reconstruction.

Many of these jobs are awarded by the state's Department of General Services. Until just a few weeks ago, that office was run by Lehigh Valley native and friend James Creedon. He still implements stimulus projects on a contract basis, and serves with Mann on the Stimulus Oversight Commission. There, they both get a head's up on where the state intends to spend federal stimulus dollars.

In addition to her Creedon ties, Mann actually dated Sean Pressman. He was Chief of Staff in General Services between 2/1/06 and 6/19/09.

Did Vitetta benefit as a result? I'm certain it's one of the reasons they wanted her.

Annual statements of financial interest for the past three years (2009, 2008 , 2007) reveal that Vitetta has been paying Mann, although the amounts are unstated.

In addition to consulting fees, Vitetta principal Allan Hoffman contributed $2,500 to Mann in 2008. Bonus?

Mann states she identifies business opportunities for Vitetta. Isn't she essentially trading on inside knowledge gained as a State Rep.? I've told her I believe she is using her public office improperly. In her defense, Mann did get clearance from the state ethics commission. She was warned against using her official position to solicit business. My concern is that no matter what she says, her elected office in and of itself is a form of pressure.

Mann tells me that precisely because of that "very fair concern," she stays away from all the local governments. "It's just not worth it," she said. She concedes that she may "have reached out to some regional school boards," although she does not make the initial contact.

Gee, how would you like to be an Easton or Bangor school supervisor who gets a call from Vitetta telling you that State Rep. Jennifer Mann would like to talk to you about the engineering firm you hire for your next middle school?

Let's face it. The not-so-subtle pressure of her powerful public office, in and of itself, should rule out this kind of moonlighting job.

State Rep. Jennifer Mann Identified as Richard Gawlick's "Paramour"

Let's face it. It's only a matter of time before The Morning Call's Jarrett Renshaw is arrested for setting off illegal fireworks. The Friday night shows put on by the Iron Pigs may bother Allentown City Council VP Michael Donovan, but the explosions detonated by Renshaw have all other elected officials running for cover. His latest front-page story exposes a politically connected firefighter, Richard Gawlick, who lost his job after being caught playing golf on days that he had called off sick. Incidentally, it was Renshaw who first shed light on the sick time abuse by the Queen City fire department.

What makes this story very interesting to me is Gawlick's many political connections. For one thing, he's a registered lobbyist for the Pa. Professional Firefighters Association. But when one of State Representative Jennifer Mann's constituents visited her Harrisburg office in March, the person sitting behind the desk was Richard Gawlick.

Is this registered lobbyist on Mann's, or more accurately, the public payroll? If not, should a registered lobbyist be meeting constituents on behalf of a state representative? I did call Gawlick to determine his exact role in her office, and if I ever hear back from him, I'll give you his explanation.

In addition to being a registered lobbyist, Gawlick was at least at one time a Democratic state committeeman. As a County Comm'r candidate in the 2007 municipal race, he drew a respectable 18,004 votes. Allentown watchdog Lou Hershman pulled Gawlick's expense reports yesterday, and reports that Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski gave Gawlick $500 in that race. State Rep. Jennifer Mann threw in another $1,000.

Gawlick has also received smaller sums of money as a "consultant" to the Jennifer Mann campaign.

You notice how Jennifer Mann keeps popping up? Custody papers filed in April by Gawlick's wife, Sandra, shed some light on the nature of that consulting relationship. According to Mrs. Gawlick, State Rep. Jennifer Mann is Richard's mistress. It's important to remember that these are only allegations. But according to her petition, when Richard has visitation with their seven year-old son, the boy sleeps on air mattresses in an unheated home. She's also concerned that when Richard attends "dinner dances, gala functions and other public relation events on behalf of his paramour, Jennifer Mann," Richard has unreasonably refused to tell her where their son is staying. On March 20, when Richard and Jennifer Mann attended one of those gala function at DeSales Universty, the boy allegedly stayed with a Mann relative, without the courtesy of notifying Sandra.

Let me repeat that these are only allegations. I also am very reluctant to discuss an elected offiicial's personal life unless it has a direct connection to his or her public life. In this case, it does. Gawlick is a registered lobbyist who apparently works out of Mann's office. For all I know, he may be on the public dole, too.

Fortunately, Pawlowski did the right thing in this instance. I wish I could say the same about Jennifer Mann.

Updated 9:55 AM: Incidentally, when Gawlick ran for County Commissioner, his campaign treasurer was City Council prez Mike D'Amore. Now Gawlick is a union lobbyist while D'Amore is one of the characters involved in the shakedown of non-union T-Mobile.

Updated 10:40 AM: Mann Refuses to Answer Whether Gawlick on Her Staff. - I called State Rep. Jennifer Mann's office for comment on the Gawlick matter. Specifically, I wanted to know whether he was part of her staff, paid or unpaid. Years ago, Mann had told me she'd always answer questions concerning her office. But when I asked to speak to Mann or her Chief of Staff Pete Schweyer, I was instead put in touch with her Director of Communications, Josh Parsons. "We have no comment on that," he said. "Can you at least tell me whether Gawlick is on her staff?" I asked. "We have no comment on that," he answered and hung up.