Councilman Kelly asks city to pay for media aide

After eight months in the media spotlight, City Councilman Jack Kelly is asking the city to pay $25,000 to a political operative to handle reporters for his office.

Kelly's chief of staff, Chris Wright, was indicted last month on federal charges of using his City Hall post to help the Councilman's campaign treasurer and two political contributors in return for bribes and favors.

Kelly, in a memo to City Council President Anna Verna last week, asked to hire Frank Keel.

Keel is best known for representing Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He represented that union's leader, John Dougherty, in a failed bid for the state Senate this year. Keel also worked on then-Mayor Street's 2003 re-election campaign and then held a city contract for communications work.

Verna's office has told Kelly that he has to put the media-consultant contract out for bid. Keel yesterday confirmed that he had been considered for the contract and is now planning on making a bid.

Keel was a paid consultant last year for Kelly's campaign.

With his home and business based in Montgomery County, Keel is ineligible to join Kelly's staff full-time due to the residency restriction for city employees.

Keel played a very public role in representing former Councilman Rick Mariano in 2005 while he was under federal investigation. Mariano, a one-time Local 98 political protege, is serving a six-year prison term on corruption charges.

John Cerrone, Kelly's acting chief of staff, said yesterday that the contract is still just an idea.

"I will say that the councilman is exploring the possibility of taking on some sort of consultant," Cerrone said.

Kelly's office had a city-paid $25,000 annual contract for a media consultant, Kevin Pasquay, from 2004 through June 30.

Pasquay leads the city's 45th Republican Ward and is a lobbyist for the parking authority and SEPTA.

Pasquay yesterday said that his role had been to provide behind-the-scenes advice to Kelly. He played no public role when Kelly's office was besieged by reporters asking about Wright, starting when a federal probe came to light in January. *