Allentown Mayor's Shill Should Be Honest About Who He Is

Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski's Communications Manager, Mike Moore, has an obligation to respond to press and public inquiries about the City. But it's pretty hard to do that honestly when you can't even say who you really are. Moore's real name is Michael Korp. He apparently adopted a stage name when he did radio in Easton, and has just continued using that fake name in his employment at the City. This is hardly the action of an honest and transparent administration. When he makes his usual panglossian remarks, it's hard to believe a word he says.

Despite Council's $150,000 Cut, Brown Pays PR Firm $7,000

When it adopted this year's Budget, Northampton County Council removed $150,000 from the Department of Administration. This was a reaction to Executive john Brown's penchant for using consultants. Over the past year, Council and Brown have sparred over his penchant to use consultants. His $75,500 contract with public relations consultant Sahl Communications and $58,000 for a series of contracts with cost control consultant C3 led Lamont McClure to propose "breaking this culture of consultant cronyism" by making it more difficult for the Executive to negotiate these contracts without Council approval. This amendment passed in a 5-4 vote. It was supported by all four democrats and Hayden Phillips. But it's not working. Brown has paid Sahl Communications $7,000 this year, He's shuffling money, and Ken Kraft has suggested it is from table games revenue.

Brown's Taxpayer-Funded Propaganda Machine

When a County Executive hires a PR firm with the taxpayer's money, is it right for him to use that firm to play politics? Is it right for him to use that firm to advance his agenda, when a majority of Council opposes him? Is it right for that firm to use its position to advance the interests of its clients? Based on email exchanges between Northampton County Executive John Brown and Sahl Communications' Kim Plyler, it appears that these dangers have already occurred.

Kim Plyler's Sahl Communications is a private PR firm that Executive John Brown first hired on February 8, 2014. It was a no-bid contract, and the first time that an Executive decided to use an outside firm for public relations. All four Democrats on Council opposed it, and Controller Steve Barron sued to have the contract declared invalid.

In a news conference after this contract was awarded, Executive Brown dismissed concerns that an outside firm would be less effective than an insider with a more detailed knowledge; the danger that it could be perverted into a publicly-financed propaganda machine for him; or worse, that Plyler would use insider knowledge to open doors for other possible vendors or her other clients.

But in response to Barron's lawsuit, filed on April 3, Brown ended the contract and decided to seek proposals instead of going the no-bid route. On July 3, he issued an Executive Order awarding the contract to Sahl again. This time, it is a one-year, $75,500, contract. This is below the $100,000 threshold required to trigger Council approval.

Barron sued again. Although Judge Roscioli doesn't seem to think much of his request for injunctive relief, discovery in this case reveals that this PR contract is being abused, perhaps illegally. It is a publicly-financed propaganda machine that has brazenly engaged in politics. Plyler has used this contract to open doors for at least one of her other clients. It has also been used to advance the Executive's agenda, even when it is opposed by a majority of Council.

You can read some of those emails here.

Political Abuse

On February 17, 2014, there's an email exchange between Plyler and Brown, sent to his county email address. Plyler also sent copies this email to Matt Deibert and Lucy Lennon, two of Brown's political advisors. The email refers to notes from "today's fundraising meeting". Plyler request an appointment at the courthouse on Monday to review those fundraising notes, and Brown sets up a noon meeting in his courthouse office.

The use of taxpayer resources for political purposes is precisely what brought about the Bonusgate prosecution. This is both stealing and a conflict of interest

In an April 4, 2014 email exchange between Brown and Plyler, the Exec uses his county email address to discuss an upcoming Corbett fundraiser. Plyler jokes about the $500 per person pricetag, saying it must be a Republican event..This email exchange occurred after Brown had ended his first contract with Plyler, but he's using his county email address. Also, Plyler was paid for this month.

Using PR Firm Against Council Majority  

In one of the attachments, Plyler describes her work between February 14 and March 21/14 as "crisis media relations", specifically referring to the failed $700k no-bid contract for Deana Zonsky, her own contract and a temporary halt in drug evaluations.

The Deana Zosky no-bid business consultant contract was opposed by a majority of Council, yet Plyler was using taxpayer resources to put out the fires concerning that controversial proposal. Her own contract was opposed by four members of Council as well as the Controller.

So this PR firm is working for Brown, not the County.It seems folly to use taxpayer resources to pit one branch of government against another.

PR Firm Using Taxpayer Resources to Advance Other Clients

Irish author Tony Macaulay is one of Plyler's clients. In a March 12 email concerning St. Paddy's day, she suggested that Brown attend one of his lectures at a Bethlehem business, telling him that "it's important to get to know business owners in Bethlehem." Obviously, she was killing two birds with one stone. She was connecting two of her clients.

Propaganda

In a March 28 note, Plyler states she is providing  "proactive media relations" to "establish good news stories happening in the county." Thus, she is using taxpayer funds to present slanted stories, instead of the unvarnished truth. In a March 30 email, she blots Jeff Parks off of a picture for God knows what reason, in some strange attempt to distort reality.

I have a feeling this will be the subject of quite a bit of discussion at Thursday night's Council meeting.

Updated 9:30 am.

Brown Awards Controversial PR Contact to Sahl Communications ... Again

Northampton County's controversial public relations contract with Sahl Communications is back on on again. Executive John Brown issued an Executive Order right before the Independence Day holiday, agreeing to a $75,500 "communications consulting services" deal with the Bethlehem firm, owned by Kim Plyler. In his award, Brown points out that it is a "female-Veteran owned small business." The contract is for a one-year period. Because it's under $100,000, no approval is needed from County Council.

Brown's deal with Plyler was originally an $84,000 no-bid contract, bitterly opposed by all four Democrats on Council. They argued that it was a professional services contract, requiring competitive proposals. Solicitor Vic Scomillio disagreed, calling it a "nonprofessional service done in a professional way."

The contract was ultimately challenged in court by the Controller, who filed a Declaratory Judgment action on April 3. That very day, Executive John Brown responded by ending the contract and agreeing to seek proposals from other forms.

Aside from Sahl, the County considered a proposal by Brian Communications, located in Conshohocken.

Brown is the first Northampton County Executive to ever hire an outside PR firm. Historically, that function has been performed as part of the job responsibilities of a Director of Administration.

Brown's choice for Director of Administration, Cathy Allen, was defeated by County Council by a 6-3 vote in April.

Updated 1:25 pm to correct the contract amount.