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Clout: City's not hung up on punishing employees in 30G phone scam

A FORMER CITY Division of Technology employee is spending the next five years reimbursing the city $500 per month after pleading guilty three weeks ago to illegally renting 28 city-owned BlackBerries to eight City Council employees and their friends and families.

A FORMER CITY Division of Technology employee is spending the next five years reimbursing the city $500 per month after pleading guilty three weeks ago to illegally renting 28 city-owned BlackBerries to eight City Council employees and their friends and families.

The Council employees who participated in Mona Lamberson's scam won't be punished, according to Council President Anna Verna.

Lamberson, according to court records, used Colia Adams-Broaddus, a secretary in Verna's office since 2004, to help recruit co-workers, friends and families to pay $100 for a BlackBerry and $67 per month for service. Lamberson, who accepted only cash, claimed she was selling excess city cellular-service minutes.

The participants included another Verna secretary and members of the Sergeant-at-Arms staff, which reports to Verna.

They used the BlackBerries "voraciously and indiscriminately," according to court records. The scam cost the city $29,965

Lamberson, who learned in February 2008 that police were asking questions, told her customers to destroy the BlackBerries and deny all knowledge of the scam.

Tasha Jamerson, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office, said this week that the Council employees could not be charged.

"These people really didn't know what was going on was illegal," Jamerson said. "They were cooperative witnesses."

Verna's office issued a statement, saying the employees thought they were "participating in a legitimate program" and followed her instructions to cooperate with the investigation. "No disciplinary action against the Council employees is being contemplated," the statement concluded.

Help wanted: WMD planning

It's a tough job market so PhillyClout wants you to know that today is the last day to apply to be the city's Weapons of Mass Destruction planning coordinator.

The job, which pays $55,000 per year and is funded until June 2012 by a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant, involves preparing for and responding to "emergency incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive agents," according to the job posting on the city's Web site.

Want the job? Call the Office of Emergency Management in the Managing Director's Office.

Barbera bails from state board

In the grand scheme of things, we figure having to resign as chairman of the State Board of Vehicle Manufacturers, Dealers and Salespersons 18 months before his term expires is the least of Gary Barbera's worries.

Barbera was charged by the feds Wednesday with tax fraud in 2003 and 2004 for allegedly underreporting his income by $77,675.

Barbera was appointed by Gov. Rendell to four-year terms on the board in 2003 and 2007. He was elected chairman for a second time last year.

The board "serves to protect the public interest in the purchase and trade of vehicles so as to ensure protection against irresponsible vendors and dishonest or fraudulent sales practices," according to its state Web site.

"The governor thanked him for his excellent service on the board," Rendell spokesman Gary Tuma said after Barbera resigned.

"Notwithstanding this particular problem, the governor regards him as a terrific board member and board chairman."

Stack is ready for his close-up

Northeast Philly Democratic state Sen. Mike Stack showed up about an hour late for a joint state House-Senate legislative hearing in the Capitol this week on recent state beer raids in the city.

Stack took a seat at a table, was recognized and promptly pointed to a television cameraman focused on a hearing witness and said, "Have this guy turn the camera around" to focus on Stack.

The witness was Dominic Origlio of Origlio Beverage in Northeast Philly, a distributor raided along with three bars. Origlio clearly knows Stack.

He immediately said, "It's all about you, senator," to which Stack replied, "You have to let the folks know you're here."

He wasn't for long. Stack had no real questions for Origlio. He just thanked him for coming. A few minutes later Stack left.

By contrast, Sen. Larry Farnese, who is not a member of the committee holding the hearing, had asked in advance to take part, showed up early and stayed (asking multiple witnesses questions) for the entire event, which ran nearly three hours.

Quotable:

"I'm not running for governor because it's a lark or I'm frustrated or angry. I'm running for governor because I have ideas."

- State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams of Philadelphia, responding to questions about his late entry in the May 18 Democratic primary.

Staff writer John Baer contributed to this report.

Have tips or suggestions? Call Chris Brennan at 215-854-5973 or e-mail

brennac@phillynews.com.

Check out the Clout blog at:

www.phillyclout.com.