Monday, February 4, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013

Clarke: Too premature to discuss Councilwoman's leadership post

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Clarke: Too premature to discuss Councilwoman's leadership post

POSTED: Thursday, January 31, 2013, 6:17 PM

At the moment, sources say City Council has no intention of dropping Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown from her leadership post just several days after a report released by the Ethics Board detailed a series of campaign finance violations.

PhillyClout posed the question earlier this week and still today sources say members are supportive of Reynolds Brown maintaining her leadership post, for now. Reynolds Brown an at-large Democratic Councilwoman was selected by her colleagues to serve in leadership as majority whip, with a salary of $126,366.

“At this point I think its way too premature to discuss anything related to Councilwoman Brown’s tenure as leadership,” said Council president Darrell Clarke. “Councilmember Brown has continued to carry-on her duties as a Council person as a majority whip. I don’t know at what point we need to have that level of discussion, but at this point I don’t think it’s time for that.”

Additionally Clarke said he had “no personal opinion” about Reynolds Brown keeping her leadership post.

Clarke also said he has no “personal opinion” as to whether Council’s Ethics Committee should review Reynolds Brown’s actions. The last time the Ethics Committee took any action was in 1982, according to Council’s Chief Clerk.

“I don’t have a personal opinion at this point,” Clarke said. “I don’t think there is a basis to move ahead with any other investigatory matters at this time based on the particular action taken by the Ethics Board.”

When asked if she feared members may angle for her leadership post Reynolds Brown said:

"I feel good in knowing that I will be measured in the totality of my work product. I feel good in knowing that consistently in my 13 years here I’ve made not good choices, but very good choices. I feel good in knowing that I’ve acknowledged, I’ve stepped forward, I was very honest I was very forthcoming in saying to the Ethics Board and to my colleagues, that the short list of them, that I made a mistake and poor judgment."

Jan Ransom @ 6:17 PM  Permalink | 7 comments
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Comments  (7)
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:54 PM, 01/31/2013
    hahahahaha!!! Another new low in Philly! Just for a second I thought that maybe someone would be held accountable (like any normal person) and be fired/fined/censored/etc... Silly me..
    rpr333
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:55 PM, 01/31/2013
    All of them are crooks
    an observer3
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:59 PM, 01/31/2013
    Leave her right where she is. She will then be the poster pole dancer that the rest of the state can point to when these crooked, sleazy Democrats demand the rest of the state send more of their hard-earned money here.
    b,ill at,kins
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:29 PM, 01/31/2013
    Ok she paid her mortgage.
    If that's all you got then you just made Ms Brown the poster child for
    being human.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:34 PM, 01/31/2013
    How can one have no opinion?
    Paul Deon
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:37 AM, 02/01/2013
    Have anybody noticed how much we tax payers are paying these people.also see gov.corbett son in law.
    raymond.e
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:11 PM, 02/02/2013
    This woman admits to breaking laws yet nobody on city council has the fortitude to tell her to resign. The head of the Council won't even discuss removing her from leadership positions. Remove the pond-scum to get freshwater! www.recallblondellreynoldsbrown.org
    SPENDSPEND


About this blog
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns. E-mail tips to brennac@phillynews.com
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics ­– which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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