Posted on 08/19/2010 4:08:38 AM PDT by Gondring
A federal probe into campaign spending and two publicly funded nonprofits led Wednesday to raids on the offices of State Rep. William F. Keller (D., Phila.), the home of city Traffic Court Judge Robert Mulgrew, and the suburban office of a prominent political consultant.
The FBI and the IRS are looking at whether money from Keller's political action committee was used for noncampaign purposes, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.
Authorities are also scrutinizing finances related to two nonprofits: the South Philadelphia Area Revitalization Corp. (SPARC), a taxpayer-funded nonprofit established by Keller, and Friends of Dickinson Square Community Development Corp., a nonprofit linked to Mulgrew before he was elected a judge, according to a source with direct knowledge of the investigation.
Agents visited at least six locations in and around the city during early-morning raids. Among them were the Media offices of Martin O'Rourke, a public relations consultant who served as Keller's spokesman in 2008; the South 13th Street home of Lorraine DiSpaldo, Keller's legislative aide; and KO Sporting Goods at 2001 E. Moyamensing Ave., owned by Keller and his childhood friend Mark C. Olkowski.
[...]
O'Rourke, DiSpaldo, and Mulgrew were among the top recipients of spending by Keller's PAC in 2007.
[...]
He said agents did not question Keller, who he said was not asked to appear before a grand jury.
"It's not our belief at this point that he's the target of any investigation," Perri said. He declined to offer a theory of who might be a target.
[...]
Agents searched the home of DiSpaldo on the 2500 block of South 13th Street. She works in Keller's office and is listed as secretary-treasurer of SPARC, whose vice chairman is Keller's brother Fred. DiSpaldo is also a member of the state Democratic Committee.
DiSpaldo's lawyer, Jeffrey Lindy, declined to comment.
SPARC, at 237 Tasker St., was formed to redevelop the neighborhood bounded by Sixth, Fourth, Mifflin, and Jackson Streets. Its plan was to replicate the success of Jefferson Square Homes, a 93-house development project in South Philadelphia.
SPARC has acquired or controls 95 properties, mostly vacant lots and structures, using almost $4 million in grants secured largely through Keller. But a $4 million verdict last year in a lawsuit brought by a Philadelphia police officer who was injured in a building owned by SPARC has pushed the organization close to financial collapse.
The other nonprofit under scrutiny, Friends of Dickinson Square Community Development Corp., is a community organization that maintains and improves the park.
The raids shook the South Philadelphia political world connected to electricians union chief John J. "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, a close ally of Keller and Mulgrew. Dougherty has not been linked to the case other than having personal and political ties to those involved.
[...] [then it gets into the union stuff, the connections, etc.]
The last group of people you want to upset is the IRS. Indeed, the reason why Ron Dellums isn’t running for Mayor of Oakland, CA again and why everyone wants Charles Rangel to retire from the House of Representatives is that both are in serious hot water with the IRS over back taxes.
Good point. They often ignore the IRS since they don’t want to show what’s really going on, but when it comes out, the IRS can often get something on them even if the other charges can’t stick.
More community organizer mis management?
Philly...where the Housing Chief has gone missing after it was found out that his $600,000 condo was being forclosed on, and his salary of $350,000 was more than the mayor’s.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/Philadelphia-Housing-Chief-Cant-Be-Found-100948589.html
I would love to find a preacher who took on issues like this, one who used God’s word to make his case against government.
I’m skeptical of any investigation of a democrat out of this administration. Unless it’s proven conclusively, assume these two were off the reservation and not towing the progressive line.
How does it benefit the Dems in Philly to go after these two?
ping
How about the controversy over eliminating the Philadelphia Sheriff’s office...?
Or the mayor trying to eliminate the Clerk of Quarter Sessions office after millions of dollars have disappeared...
etc.
Hands off the New Black Panther Party, hands off the unions, hands off illegal immigrants, hands off democrat politicians, leadership, operatives, organizations, etc.
ping
Follow the money.....
This administration, I believe, has two means of getting what they want, bribes or destruction. Nothing they do can be taken at face value and I think you’ve scratched the surface of why these three are being targeted.
Notice how race just keeps popping up?
The Democrats and unions just tried to place a tea party candidate on the ballot for gov.in Pennsylvania. They found a guy that would run and circulated his petitions for him. They want to confuse the voters by inserting someone to take away votes for the GOP candidate. The mission failed. The man was found to have too many petition signers that were bogus in some fashion. The unions are hell bent on messing with the election process and people involved should be arrested. Any chance of that? None. Watch for the same thing in other states. They are working hard to win at any cost.
My thought, too. These guys must have double crossed someone for the Obama administration to go after them.
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