Councilwoman refuses to answer questions about campaign finance violations
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Councilwoman refuses to answer questions about campaign finance violations
Updated: To include statement from Council president
City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown dodged questions from reporters Tuesday morning about a report released by the Ethics Board which detailed a number of violations related to her campaign finances.
Reynolds Brown, who was attending Council’s Rules Committee hearing at 10 a.m. continued to refer and repeat excerpts from a statement she released Monday when the Ethics Board’s report was released. As part of an agreement reached with the Board Brown has to pay $48,834.
Brown an at-large Councilwoman was selected by her colleagues to serve in leadership as majority whip. Council members say despite the report they still support her being in that leadership post.
“I am glad Councilwoman Reynolds Brown is taking full responsibility for the conduct of her campaign," Council president Darrell Clarke said in a statement. "I have always had great confidence in her as a Council colleague, and I continue to have confidence in her abilities as a legislator and as Majority Whip.”
Majority leader Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. said the Board’s findings do concern him, but is unrelated to her position in Council leadership.
“I don’t see within her leadership, the body of Council as whip which is defined by being able to garner votes, being able to move legislation is impacted by the findings of the board,” Jones said.
Curtis Jones used a car from the Philadelphia Community Development Corp and money from PCDC to fund his campaign for city council, so it is no surprise he is defending Brown. This is absurd. Brown should resign. There is ZERO accountability in Philly. I hope the Inqy Editorial Board calls for her removal.— TR3- There ain't no question about it. Blondie must resign. We knew that she was dirty as they come...we could just smell it in her actions. Now that she has been exposed for this, one wonders... how much don't we know? Blondie gots to go.
— DarnelX - Please, can someone with a voice in this city demand some change?! Obviously people who follow the law are at a disadvantage here. This is disgusting, and her continued support by others in the face of this corruption, however not surprising, turns this city into a banana republic of the worst kind. Ms. Brown, you are a disgrace and embarassment to this city. You should resign immediately.— TheLowDown
- Have any of these articles indicated that she is a Democrat? Or is that understood?— Wiseman6
she can't survive making $125k/year and needed to steal $3,000 from her campaign account, yet thinks she can manage the city's finances? she is Exhibit A for why philadelphia is turning into detroit on the schuykill
if money is tight, maybe her daughter should withdraw from tony MMA on the main line. that way we taxpayers would save money on her use of a city-owned vehicle she uses to drive her daughter there— hannibal barca
Curtis Jones is a disgrace! How DARE he make such an ignorant statement with a straight face. This guy is a tool. City Council should be ashamed of itself for letting Brown continue in her position. Ethics? They don't need no stinkin' ethics...— The Monk- Where is CleanupPhilly now that we really need him?— Sanchez
- I agree. I think he finally gave up. These corrupt pols are too entrenched to be removed. These city democrats cannot be saved. They are the most corrupt city officials in the USA, up there with the Chicago thugs. The issue is there are too many uneducated and ignorant voters in Philly to ever change the political landscape for the better in this city. Provincial thinking at it's finest.
- I think CleanupPhilly may have had health issues. I haven't seen comments from him in a long while. Who knows. He might not be in this world anymore. No way he would just quit commenting if he was still around.
- More like he has MENTAL issues. — CommonSense in Philly
- I don't know where he is, but where ever he is, he should only stay there. — CommonSense in Philly
- you people of Philadelphia need to stop voting people in just because they are black. Vote for a personwho can actually run a business.— BYEPHILLY
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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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