Landfill Dumps Another $28,700 Into Lower Saucon Races.

IESI, the corporation that has already spent $96,500 in an apparent attempt to buy the Lowwer Saucon Township Council race, has just spent another $28,700. According to a 24-hour report filed with the NorCo elections office on Thursday, IESI has paid that sum to "high-stakes public strategy" firm Mercury, LLC for a mail piece opposed to the candidacies of Priscilla deLeon, Dave Willard and Donna Louder.

deLeon, Willard and Louder are running together as a slate. deLeon and Willard are Democrats, while Louder is a Republican. IESI owns the Bethlehem Landfill, which wants to expand west and will need a more complaint Council. deLeon, Willard and Louder have tended to be anti-landfill.

This slate is opposed by Republicans Tom Maxfield and Sandra Yerger. Democrat Gary Gorman, whose wife is employed as Finance Director in Lower Saucon Township, has publicly supported Willard. According to the Valley Voice, he has "publicly stayed out of the landshipo fray." I'd out it more bluntly. He avoided questions about his position on this blog, and when he finally did answer, indicated he opposes the zoning change now but could change his mind later.

Though Pennsylvania campaign laws generally prohibit corporate donations, they may be made as independent expenditures.

Updated 5:54: An earlier version of this story inaccurately states that Gorman is opposed to landfill opponents deLeon, Willard and Louder. He's a little more slippery.