Posted on Tue, Jun. 17, 2008

D.A. clears Phila. councilman of ‘illegal’ actions as head of a non-profit
By Jeff Shields and Marcia Gelbart

INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS

District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham cleared City Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. of any "illegal or unethical" activities in his former job as head of a non-profit agency, saying allegations by the city's former Inspector General were made "without any foundation in fact."

Abraham said she investigated accusations against Jones by former Inspector General Seth Williams, a political rival who challenged Abraham unsuccessfully in the 2005 Democratic primary,

In July 2007 Williams sent Abraham a report detailing "possible criminal conduct" by Jones during his 14-year tenure with Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation, a quasi-public agency focused on economic development.

Williams alleged that Jones mishandled a $700,000 contract for surveillance cameras, received an improper $31,000 severance package, and was improperly allowed use of his company car after leaving PCDC. Abraham said accusations were "without any foundation in fact" and suggested that Williams' very-public investigation of Jones would have been better done without leaks "and saved the reputation of Mr. Jones."

"Nowhere in (Inspector General's) report was there evidence of anything illegal or unethical," Abraham said. "The investigation was poorly done and ignored findings to the contrary by their own staff."

The IG's investigations was made public last year, shortly after Jones won a nasty three-way primary with incumbent Carol Ann Campbell and Center City lawyer Matt McClure.

At the time, Campbell was pushing a bill to increase the authority of the Inspector General's Office. Williams said his investigation of Jones was unrelated to Campbell's support.

Abraham said she ordinarily would not hold a press conference to announce a finding of innocence in a confidential investigation, but, because of the public nature of the allegations, "we thought it was incumbent to make the findings public."

Williams, who was not reappointed when Mayor Nutter took office in January,said he stood by his report and "the hard work of the men and women of the Inspector General's Office."

Williams has already declared his candidacy for District Attorney in 2009; Abraham is not running. "When I'm the D.A.," he said, "if the Inspector General gives me information, I'll take it very seriously."

Jones said he had been unaware of any ongoing investigation.

"I really want to cry, to tell you the truth," Jones said afterward. "I thank District Attorney Abraham for putting a period at the end of this sentence."