Philadelphia Mayor Probe Now Includes Mobile (Ala.)County Schools

Mobile Register ^ | 10-21-2003 | Rena Havner

[blam]

Philadelphia mayor probe now includes Mobile County schools

Ronald White, close adviser of Street's, may have done work on construction bond

10/21/03

By RENA HAVNER
Staff Reporter

Federal investigators in Pennsylvania have subpoenaed Mobile County school records in conjunction with a probe that centers on Philadelphia Mayor John Street.

Officials with the Mobile County Public School System on Thursday were ordered to turn over documents pertaining to a $121 million construction bond managed by JP Morgan Securities Inc., Philadelphia attorney Ronald A. White and Georgia attorney Anthony Snell, said system attorney Bob Campbell.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has reported that White is a close political adviser of Street's who has raised $250,000 for the mayor, who is up for re-election in November.

According to the newspaper, Street is the "subject" in an FBI probe, but federal investigators will not say why. Street, a Democrat, has alleged the investigation is a Republican trick meant to derail his election campaign.

The case received national attention earlier this month after the FBI admitted bugging the mayor's office as part of the investigation.

The Mobile County records were submitted to the U.S. attorney's office Friday. Campbell said school officials were told the information will be reviewed by a grand jury that will convene in Philadelphia starting today.

Besides issuing a subpoena for the Mobile County school records last week, the Philadelphia grand jury has ordered that personal financial records of Street, members of the mayor's family and White be turned over to authorities. The agency also has ordered copies of records pertaining to White's dealings with the Philadelphia Housing Authority and the Philadelphia International Airport, according to the Inquirer.

Campbell said no one in the Mobile County School System had heard of White or Snell until the subpoena was issued.

"We don't know what these people have allegedly done or have not done. We just responded to a subpoena," Campbell said. "As far as the facts and the basis for the investigation -- we have no knowledge at all. It appears there is some investigation into these men, not the Mobile County Public School System."

Preston Bolt, a Mobile attorney who worked with the school system to secure the bond, said White was not involved in the initial work. "It's possible he did some work for JP Morgan. I'm under the impression that there was no real connection to the school system."

Nancy Pierce, spokeswoman for the 65,000-student school system, said this bond is the first the school system had done by JP Morgan.

White and officials from JP Morgan did not return calls to the Mobile Register on Monday. On Saturday, White, who is black, told the Philadelphia Daily News that he believed the probe was racially motivated.

The school system's $121 million bond was issued through Mobile County in 2003 for such school projects as the new performing arts school to be built at the old Gayfers building in downtown Mobile, a stadium at Citronelle High School, an auditorium at Davidson High School, a new Council Elementary School and a new Alba Elementary School.

The county, not the system, took out the bond to save the school system $20 million in interest. The school system actually incurs the debt and has full say in how the money is used, according to officials.

Campbell said he has no reason to believe this subpoena is related to another subpoena the school system received in August. FBI officials in Mobile have seized construction documents from the past six years and will not comment on the investigation.

The school board will meet today to decide whether Volkert & Associates or one of five other companies will manage the projects. Volkert has overseen all school construction projects over the last few years but was abruptly fired in August.

(Staff Reporters Joe Dan born and Steve Myers con tributed to this report).

[Bella]

Yes, and also very telling.

[blam]

Boy O Boy, It looks like things are about to hit the fan. Looks like it goes far and wide. Also, I think police commissioner (who decides to do 'random' sweeps of the mayors office) Sylvester M. Johnson is in a heap of trouble too. Please keep me abreast of developments. I wonder if the Iman (the Muslim guy) came to the attention of the FBI because of terror links?

[baseballmom]

Thanks for the ping, Tribune7.

Bella, thanks for putting all the articles in one place. Indeed, it will be very interesting to see how this plays out. Notice they've already played the race card - saying that now, finally, when blacks are running the city government, the Feds decide it's time to clean house. Not true, but it will play well in Philadelphia.

Look how it affected the mayor's race. Katz had a very good chance of winning. Then the bug was found, and the cries of racism and dirty republican tricks were shouted from the rooftops.

[randita]

Keep me pinged. This is getting fascinating. I believe the Grand Jury has been seated since Ocober, so you can bet they have heard mountains of evidence.

What I don't get are the measly campaign contributions ($1,000 here, $1,000 there). It's almost like they are a smokescreen to distract away from where the really big bucks are going (kick backs?).

Justice will be served if the people of Phila. finally come to terms with the fact that their "beloved" mayor is either a crook or a stooge.

[End Times Sentinel]

Ping...would you please Ping your friends to this thread...things are happening..

 

Looks like Trib already took care of that :-)  I'll add a few that may or may not be on Trib's list.  See post 55 FRiends.

 

I'll second the great job on putting this all together!  Additional info- this is getting close to being put before a Grand Jury, but the corruption is so far reaching that investigations are on going.  ALSO- don't be surprised when this unravels that some of the leaders of the R party will be going down in this too.  Really, that's just as well.  They shouldn't have such close ties to Street.  Good riddance to bad garbage.

 

Ping...would you please Ping your friends to this thread...things are happening..

[blam]

"ALSO- don't be surprised when this unravels that some of the leaders of the R party will be going down in this too. Really, that's just as well. They shouldn't have such close ties to Street. Good riddance to bad garbage."

Yup, I agree. Nail the 'bad-guys' regardless of party.

[Bella]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/fbiprobe/8065751.htm


Rapper refuses to be source in inquiry

[Bella]

There's a lot of articles on this case and the one I posted above possibly should've had it's own page..If anyone wants to pull the post and start a new thread on this case, please do so, because this case has a lot of tentacles..All these people haven't a clue as to what was taking place. Ya, right!

[Bella]

ALSO- don't be surprised when this unravels that some of the leaders of the R party will be going down in this too. Really, that's just as well.

You're right about that. Interesting how everyone named in this case, Scranton included, didn't know anything! Ya right!

[FreePaul]

I suppose that someone in Philadelphia could make a deal with someone in Mobile. You get to handle the bonds for my city and I'll handle the bonds for your city. They both get rich and pay off the city officials who really arranged this. But no, politicians wouldn't do something like this. It might tarnish their reputations. You think?

[Bella]

Please keep me abreast of developments. I wonder if the Iman (the Muslim guy) came to the attention of the FBI because of terror links?

I've wondered about that also.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/fbiprobe/7899958.htm

Ali, 64, is the spiritual one. He is slender and soft-spoken.
Both have made much of themselves from tough beginnings. White grew up in the Richard Allen Homes projects, fatherless, but went on to earn a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ali, born Clarence Fowler, spent five years in prison in the 1970s on a murder conviction before the courts overturned the case. He is now one of the city's leading Muslim clerics.

[Bella]

Interesting how they all run for cover and wish they "knew what they know now"! LOL



http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/8053823.htm

[Just mythoughts]

NORTHEAST connection......

"Tea party"?

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Please post pictures of those involved.

[independentmind]

What is the significance of Scranton? I don't know much about that state.

M-O-B

[Bella]

You've got that right.

[Mo1]

The investigator, said defense lawyer A. Charles Peruto Jr., asked Hill to waive his preliminary hearing, enter federal custody, and become a witness.

Peruto recommended this??

[Bella]

Which url are you reading?

[independentmind]

Is there a ping list for this subject? If so, please put me on it.

[Mo1]

The one on post 67