Commonwealth Court PJ Recommends $1 Million in Sanctions Against LV Tea Party Chair Tom Carroll and Fulton County Commrs

Tom Carroll is a former Northampton County assistant DA who was forced to resign after he left a gorilla doll on the desk of a fellow assistant DA who happened to be black. He said it was a joke. After that, he's been an unsuccessful candidate for Bethlehem City Council and Northampton County DA. But he's been very successful as a behind-the-scenes political operative for the far right. He chairs the LV Tea Party, which currently controls the Northampton County GOP. He was a delegate at the recent GOP convention nominating former President Donald Trump. And he was behind numerous efforts to undermine public confidence in our election process, so much so that no less an entity than the Pa Supreme Court cited him for contempt and referred him to the state Disciplinary Board. The Court of Final Error also appointed Commonwealth Court President Judge Renee Cohn Jubilerer as a Special Master to assess damages. She's completed her work and is recommending that Carroll and Fulton County be assessed over $1 million in sanctions as result of vexatious conduct that in essence stem from an effort to overturn the 2020 election. 

It's unclear to me exactly where Carroll practices law. I'm unable to find an office location here in the Lehigh Valley. The Disciplinary Board lists an office in Chester County. But somehow, someway, he was one of the multitudes of Trump lawyers involved in efforts to undermine the way we elect people.  He, along with a Michigan lawyer who was denied permission to practice in Pennsylvania, represented Fulton County when two of its commissioners compromised the integrity of the Dominion voting machines in use in that county by having a third party "analyze" its data. After being ordered not to do it again, Fulton County did it again with yet another vendor. 

In the litigation that followed, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court determined that Carroll "both in tandem with and also independently of his clients, is guilty of relentlessly dilatory, obdurate, vexatious, and bad-faith conduct before this Court and the Special Master, especially, but not exclusively, during these sanction proceedings." 

Writing for the High Court, Justice David Wecht  observed that "the sanctions will underscore for the County, Attorney Carroll, and other observers that they trifle with judicial orders and time-honored rules and norms in litigation at their peril."

The Special Master's recommendation must be adopted by the Supreme Court before it takes effect. 

Carroll's Upscale Campaign Signs

If you're fortunate to live or work near Broad Street in Bethlehem, your senses were no doubt assaulted yesterday morning by a garish display of Tom Carroll for DA campaign signs.

His black and white campaign signs look more like mug shots than a way to draw votes. I'd say they look like they were put together by a cub scout pack, but that would be an insult to cub scout packs everywhere.

I believe it was Jacko the monkey

Tom obviously fared poorly in his funeral fundraiser.

No union sticker.

Though I'm unsure, I see no disclaimer. This is required by our campaign finance law. As a candidate for District Attorney, he should give at least some thought to following the law.

But thinking is hardly Tom's strong suit. In a Democratic majority county, he does need some Democratic votes to win. Yet on his DA Facebook page, he recently slammed Democrats. "The Democrat Party has shown its hand with Beto saying hell yes they will take our guns," he declares, illogically assuming that the position of one person is the position of the entire party.

Tom Carroll's Tacky Obit

I was sorry to read of the passing of Maj. Tom Carroll, father of NorCo's GOP candidate for DA. As much as I dislike Carroll'sdivisive politics and personality clashes, I am sorry for his loss. But I am repulsed by his politicization of his own father's death. Using an obituary to solicit campaign donations is just downright tacky.

The obituary ends with this: "In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to - Elect Tom Carroll."

Maybe he can have a fundraiser at the funeral.

Guest Post: More Monkey Business in DA Race

Hi there!

Jacko the Monkey here. Remember me?

Not long ago, I escaped from my dark closet at the Northampton County Courthouse to complain to you. I was being dragged into the dirty world of Northampton County politics by none other than that bottom-feeding blogger, Bernie O'Hare. He really is "a disgusting, gruesome creature," as West Easton Borough Constable and Tom Carroll for DA supporter Tricia Mezzacappa recently told Bethlehem City Council.

Look, my idea of a good time is throwing poop, swinging on trees, eating bananas and playing the accordion. I hate politics. But O'Hare was going to use me to make a monkey's uncle out of DA wannabe Tom Carroll.

Now The Morning Call has grabbed this story and there's a big expose on Carroll.

Though the paper's reporters interviewed about 10,000 people, they never got me. I stayed hidden in my closet.

Until now.

I've escaped and am throwing shit everywhere.

In June 2007, Carroll was an Assistant DA in Northampton County. When he bought me at the Dollar Store, I thought my organ-grinding days were finally over. Little did I know he would use me to play a cruel joke on another Assistant DA who happened to be African American and female. He plopped me on her desk one day so that I would be the first thing she saw when she came in.

I may only be a stuffed monkey, but even I know that's wrong. Lots of racists were using monkeys at that time to smear Michelle Obama. They still do. This prosecutor, when she saw me, became very upset even though I am kinda' cute. She saw no humor in it.

The following Monday, I was brought into the office of the District Attorney himself. I tried explaining that I had nothing to do with this, but was unable to talk at that time. Carroll was summoned. I remember Morganelli had his head in his hands and said to Carroll, "Help me, Tom. How is this a joke?"

After a long silence, Carroll said, "I'll just resign."

And he did.

But what about me? I've been sitting in a frickin' closet for the past 11 years. I didn't get to throw shit, eat bananas or swing on anything.

But I have passed the bar. I'm suing everyone for violating my monkey rights.

After his incident was over, Carroll made pretty clear that no joke was intended. In addition to insulting this female prosecutor with a vulgar sexual term, he took to wearing monkey ties every time he came to the courthouse. He always made sure this prosecutor saw him.

Now this vindictive man wants to be the county's chief prosecutor. He's a cheeky monkey. He'll get the racist vote,. But not the monkeys.

Tom Carroll: GOP Gift to NorCo Dems

From the 2014 Kidspeace protest

Several top tier lawyers may decide to run for District Attorney this year. These include Terry Houck, John's top prosecutor; Chief Public Defender Nuria DiLuzio; war crimes prosecutor Arthur Traldi; and Senior Judge Leonard Zito. Each would be a formidable candidate and excellent District Attorney.  Then there's Tom Carroll. He announced his candidacy yesterday, but excluded me from his distribution list. He's a terrible candidate who will hurt other Republicans seeking countywide office. He'll be announcing officially from somewhere in Allentown today. Yep. He'll be announcing his candidacy for Northampton County DA in another county. 

If Senior Judge Zito decides to run, Carroll should be eliminated rather quickly in a primary contest. But if not, Carroll has a very good chance of becoming the Republican nominee.

Why is Carroll so toxic? He's divisive. He was part of a cabal that attempted to mount a coup within the county GOP. When that failed, he took his marbles and went away. He is currently chair of both the Lehigh Valley Tea Party and Republican Action Team, and has a following among the alt-right. A Trump supporter all the way, he was among those who protested against undocumented children at Kidspeace in 2014. Among their concerns? They might be infected with leprosy or scabies. 

Carroll graduated in 1988 from Catholic University's Columbus Law School, and landed a job in Montgomery County as a prosecutor. John Morganelli hired him in 2005, but he only lasted there for two years. Why? Rumors abound.

With the Disciplinary Board and online, Carroll reports an "office" at 248 E Union Boulevard in Bethlehem That property, which he owns with long-time companion and fellow Tea Partier Tony Simao, is zoned residential. So he really (a) has no practice in Northampton County or (b) is in violation of Bethlehem's zoning laws, which require approval for a home office.

Carroll also apparently does some work for the Montgomery County PD's office. Previously, he's run for Bethlehem City Council ... and lost after embarrassing revelations about his running mate. He also ran for judge against Jennifer Sletvold... and lost despite an ugly whisper campaign against her. 

City Council Candidates Carroll, Simao Suffer Borderline Thuggery

Last Saturday, Bethlehem City Council candidates Tom Carroll and Tony Simao had breakfast at the Borderline, a popular greasy spoon located smack dab on the border between Allentown and Bethlehem. In fact, that's why I always thought it was called The Borderline. Now I'm wondering whether the name stands for borderline personality disorder, especially after hearing about how the diner's owner, Chris Valianatos, blew up at Bethlehem City Council candidates Tom Carroll and Tony Simao. Let me tell you the story.

In local races, Carroll and Simao know there's no substitute for pounding the pavement, especially in a race against Mayor John Callahan's machine. So last Saturday, after spam and eggs at The Borderline, they met a few volunteers and distributed those precious street lists, full of the names of super voters.

After a few hours of knocking on doors, Simao and Carroll returned to The Borderline for lunch. While there, Tony noticed some campaign material for other races, and could see a picture of Bill Clinton, who had visited the restaurant, proudly displayed. Tony decided to ask owner Chris Valianatos if he and Tom could serve coffee to customers the following Saturday. They'd get noticed while simultaneously helping the restaurant keep nasty caffeine addicts like me from going postal, early in the morning.

"Of course!" answered Valianatos, who told his hostess she'd have some help the following week.

Yesterday, Carroll and Simao asked the local party to send an email to its distribution list, asking for volunteers on Saturday and Sunday. Here's what it looked like.

SATURDAY

October 8th

MEET UP AT

The Borderline Restaurant

**** West Union Blvd.

 10:00 a.m.

Where Tony and Tom will be serving coffee

You will be with a group of other folks

Who want real reform in Bethlehem

The email identifies Borderline as their rendezvous point, but makes no claim that the restaurant or its owner endorses them. You could argue that letting them serve coffee is an implied endorsement, but many restaurants do that sort of thing. As long as it brings in business, that's all that matters to them.

Here's where things get weird. On Wednesday afternoon, while Carroll and Simao were working on their campaigns, Carroll got a call. A former prosecutor, he instinctively put it on speaker phone when he realized what was happening, so Simao heard every word.

On the other end of the line was a very angry Chris Valianatos. He may have been gleaming the last time he had seen Tony and Tom, but was a completely different person on the phone. He was livid that the two City Council candidates would send a "flyer" (it was an email) mentioning his restaurant.

According to both Simao and Carroll, Valianatos made these statements: "You fuckin' put my name on a flyer ... You put my business on a flyer ... I'm going to fuck you up ... You're going down ... This is illegal ... Callahan is my best friend ... Bill Clinton has been here ... I'm a good Democrat ... You fooled with the wrong person ... I'm going to take you out ... You don't know who the fuck you messed with."

While Valianatos screamed and cursed, Carroll was unable to get a word in. Eventually, Valianatos hung up on him. A few minutes later, Caroll called again, but it was just more of the same, with Valianatos hanging up again.

Simao told me afterwards that he knew running for office would be interesting, "but I didn't think it would ever get to the point of physical threats being thrown around." Especially from a restaurateur.

Was there some misunderstanding, or was Valianatos catching heat from the Callahan machine?

When contacted, Valianatos told me he had no problem with Simao and Carroll serving coffee at his restaurant, but objected to ther email mentioning his restaurant's name without his permission. "Now all the Blackberry people have it," he complained.

He denied stating that Callahan is his best friend, stating that he instead told them Callahan is a "frequent patron." While that might be true, FEC records indicate that Valianatos is a "frequent" Callahan contributor. He gave Hizzoner $3,700 for his failed Congressional bid.

Getting Clinton to drop in must have been expensive.

When I asked him whether he had made the remarks reported to Simao and Carroll, he hung up on me. I called back, and he told me that Simao and Carroll could talk to his attorney, and hung up again.

Unfortunately, I never got a chance to ask Valianatos who in Callahan's machine leaned on him, although it's obvious that's exactly what happened.

It's what's wrong in Bethlehem.

The rendezvous point has been changed from the Borderline to Perkins on Route 191. Simao and Carroll have just sent an email to everyone stating to forget about meeting up at "the restaurant whose name shall not be mentioned," but they mentioned Perkins.

I sure hope the owner there isn't Callahan's best friend, too.

Simao's "Letter to Bethlehem Politicians" Catching Fire

Tony Simao might be fighting an uphill battle for a seat on Bethlehem City Council, but his career in Hollywood is assured. His riveting video, Open Letter to Bethlehem Politicians, is going viral, at least by Bethlehem standards. When I first saw it late Monday night, there were just 4 hits. Less than 24 hours later, there were 241 views.

Simao tells me he put it together using video editing software called Nero. Its score reminded me of the beginning scenes of Gladiator, while others thought it was more like The Omen.

No matter what movie it reminds you of, it's a very telling indictment of Mayor John Callahan's mismanagement at the helm of Bethlehem. It comes fast on the heels of an independent audit showing that Bethlehem finished 2010 with a jaw-dropping $14.2 million deficit.

Amazingly, Bethlehem again made a late pension payment again, incurring a fine, despite assurances last year that it would never, ever, ever, ever, ever happen again. t continues to play games with EIT money collected for other municipalities. And most disturbing of all, it took a cool million out of federal CDBG money, without even bothering to inform Council.

Unfortunately, the video is very accurate.

"There'll be more," Simao told me last night.

Carroll & Simao Unleash Hell Against Bethlehem Politicians

Now this is one powerful video, definitely worth the time spent watching it. I reminds me of a blockbuster movie preview, and I half expect Russell Crowe to jump out in the end and lop off the head of some decadent Roman Emperor. Instead of Crowe, it's Tony Simao and Tom Carroll, who are running for City Council in Bethlehem. Aside from the Hollwood style, this preview is a very compelling indictment of Mayor John Callahan's mismanagement.

Will it get them elected?

Council President Bob Donchez is unbeatable, and they leave him alone, very wisely. They instead focus on incumbent J. William Reynolds and candidate Mike Recchiuti, both of whom are tied to the Mayor.

I think it will be tough to beat Reynolds. He might be a Callahan cheerleader, but seems to work hard at his job and put in the hours. There's something to be said for that work ethic, which I respect. Also, his skin has to be incredibly thick because he never lashes out at the people who criticize him, even when they do it with silly grades in an open meeting.

Maybe he should start a blog.

I have not quite made up my mind about Reynolds, but agree Recchiuti is a joke who cold not even keep his job in some law firm. His Callahan-financed campaign should be seen as an attempt to stack the deck in favor of the Captain of a sinking ship.

Interestingly, fellow Republican Al Bernotas is absent from this clip. That's probably a good thing. I called Al recently, and he surprised me by telling me he was in the middle of a class on zoning at LVPC. The guy really cares. But he's grown increasingly bitter over the Elias zoning expansion, in which he is a litigant, and has lashed out at many people unnecessarily. At a recent City Council meeting, for example, he actually chided members of Bethlehem's Planning Bureau for not dutifully writing down his pearls of wisdom concerning a new zoning ordinance. If Reynolds or Donchez had done something like that, they'd be strung up in a heartbeat.

Callahan Blasted For Private Trash Talks

At a 6 PM news conference outside Bethlehem City Hall last night, three Republican City Council candidates lambasted Mayor John Callahan for "private" meetings with Council members to discuss problems with its 19 private trash haulers. According to one city official, there have been 1,300 complaints. Callahan has told The Express Times, "We know we have a problem and we're going to try to sit down with city council on it."

Before the news conference ever started, there was already a reaction from City Council Solicitor Chris Spadoni. In addition to decorating his office's front lawn with a J. William Reynolds campaign sign, he yesterday fired an angry email to Republican candidates Al Bernotas, Tom Carroll, and Tony Simao. In it, he denies these private meetings are Sunshine Act violations.

Here's my question. If you know you have a problem with private trash haulers, wouldn't it make just a little more sense to sit down with them than with Council members? Callahan's explanation sounds like garbage. If there have been over a thousand complaints, why did Joe Kelly refuse to release any of them to Al Bernotas? Why did he instead tell Bernotas to file a Right-to-Know request, using that law as a shield to deny information, instead of providing it?

All three candidates spoke during yesterday's news conference, as about fifteen onlookers shivered in the cold evening air. Here's some of what Tom Carroll had to say.

"This is a City that this administration has brought to over $300 million in debt. This is a City that has over $12 million in running deficits over the last several years. This is a City that had an EMS building that was falling apart, and they borrowed an additional $6 million last Fall for the purpose of fixing that EMS building, didn't fix it, and then raised our taxes 6 percent. This is a City that couldn't even make its first payroll of the new year. And then, with all these other pressing problems, he wants to meet, one-on-one, with the individual members of Council to talk about contract hauling.

"Did he meet with the haulers individually? No. These are businessmen in our City, who make a living and pay their taxes, and he wants to take away our right as citizens to contract with our own individual haulers and he wants to put these people out of business while at the same time, grabbing whatever money he can in that process because he has so fiscally mismanaged this City.

"We give credit to the two Council members that [sic] currently serve on this Council, who refused to meet with the Mayor, David DiGiacinto and Jean Belinski. We do ask that all of the other Council members refuse to meet with him privately, one-on-one, about an issue that has been ongoing for many years. And instead, encourage the administration to talk with the contract haulers, the private haulers, about this issue."

Private hauler Andy Prickler (Andy's Hauling) was at yesterday's news conference, and stated he's asked repeatedly to see these thousands of complaints over the past two years. They are never furnished.

Q. Do you think that the Mayor is looking at this as a way if enhancing revenue for the City?

Pricker: "Absolutely. Absolutely. We make a profit now so why wouldn't he like to take it over and make a profit?

Q. So is that what you think the motive is?

Prickler: "I believe so, yes. I still haven't seen the complaints and I said before and I'll say it again. We've asked for ... to see these complaints for over two years now. Every year, it's a thousand complaints. Here's another question to answer. Why is it the City of Bethlehem that always has this trash issue? Why is that? You don't hear any problems from Lower Saucon. You don't hear any problems from Bethlehem Township. You don't hear any problems from Bushkill Township, Lower Nazareth. These municipalities are all independently contracted haulers that are serving these communities and we don't have no problems with them so why does the City, Bethlehem, seem to always have a problem with the independent system that we have?"

Q. What was your name, sir?

Prickler: "Andy Prickler."

Q. How do you spell it?

Prickler: "P-r-i-c-k-l-e-r."

Q. You're a little prickler.

Prickler: "Yeah. Andy's Hauling and Waste Disposal."

Updated 9 AM: Callahan's side of the story is reported at Bethlehem Patch.

Dent Gives Early Endorsement to Bernotas, Carroll and Simao

Although it's by no means unusual for LV Congressman Charlie Dent to endorse a candidate for local office, he had to take some personal satisfaction in seeing a full slate of Republicans - Al Bernotas, Tom Carroll and Tony Simao - willing to take on "one party rule" in Bethlehem. Dent left Washington, D.C. at 5:30 AM Saturday just so he could publicly give them his good government stamp of approval following a Lincoln Day breakfast at Hotel Bethlehem.

Dent, who became intimately familiar with Bethlehem's mismanaged city government during his most recent Congressional race against Mayor John Callahan, stated Bethlehem "deserves better that what it's getting right now from the current administration." Noting that Bethlehem's bond rating has been downgraded, Dent said it's time for some "meaningful oversight." He called on City Council to be "watchdogs for this administration, not lapdogs."

"You will have better City government because of these guys," he said.

Dent did recognize some "voices in the wilderness," people like Jean Belinski, Mike Schweder and Dave DiGiacinto.

Below are excerpts from the candidates.

Al Bernotas on YouTube: "I'm not waiting until we get elected to City Council. We've already started to make a difference by going out for the past year and a half, two years, just listening in. We're going to do a few Right-to-Knows, we're not going to allow only City Council to see the budget, P&L and what's going on. I'd like to see the check register posted to a website. A little bit of sunshine never hurt anyone. ... I know how to balance my checkbook and take out loans and pay them back. I'd like to help the City administration learn to do that, and I'd like to make sure that City Council watches everything that's going on, and communicates with the people."

Tom Carroll on YouTube: "The City is already $300 million in debt. That means that for every adult over 18 in the City of Bethlehem, we all owe, just for the debt of this City, $5,000 a person. ... The administration says, 'We have a revenue problem. They do not. They have had a 150% increase in revenue since 2000. They do not have a revenue problem. They do not have a tax problem. They have a spending problem and they have a borrowing problem."

Tony Simao on YouTube: "There comes a point in time when the tough choices have to be made. ... Ron Angle comes to mind, the Northampton County Bulldog, as he's known in some circles. I believe that that's my type of character as well. I don't like incompetence. I don't like waste. It seems like there is a lot of it going on in the City of Bethlehem to the point where now, at a national level, Wall Street is taking notice and lowering bond ratings."

On the Democrats' side of the ticket, City Council Prez Bob Donchez and J. Willie Reynolds are seeking reelection. Mike Recchiuti, a lawyer and member of the City's Parking Authority, is also seeking your approval.

(Blogger's Note: I was unable to attend this endorsement due to a family commitment.)