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.
Mr. Jones,
Leadership should be earned, sometimes "by example". This is not the example of leadership that I want.— thelarch- If the council, many of whom I know, respect and support... allows her to continue in her major leadership role it will be disgraceful and speak volumes about true ethical standards. Step down Blondell.— Sassman
- Has anyone asked if she'll be stepping down?— tr88
- So what if she resigns, another corrupt Democrat will take her place. It's Philly. Keep voting Democrat!!— LouDiamondPhillipsheadScrewdriver
- did brady,rendell, or nutter comment at all.....
go philly voters you deserve this treatment forever......— frank1121 .jpg)
I don't blame Blondell. I wouldn't want to say anything either. In fact, I'd blow town to Mexico.- This seems less an ethics violation and more of a fraudulent act. Lying on an official city document should have some consequences beyond political ones.— bobcitydoc
- Another reason rest of the state hates Philly. A corrupt official on city council admitting guilt and gets support from Philly officials. Amazing. Let's hope she is somehow forced to resign. Huge salary and she is about to lose her home because she is tens of thousands behind...what? Would you want this idiot managing your money? No much wonder Philly is a mess with people like this running the city. Holly Molly!— thepaguy
- “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.
Is that actually supposed to mean something?!?
— citizen k 
http://www.recallblondellreynoldsbrown.org/index.html- Where is the US attorney on this matter?— aguckin
- Why isn't her Democratic -ness mentioned. Anything to do with the happenings of a politician ALWAYS gets equal FRONT PAGE billing if he / she's REPUBLICAN. Yet all traffic court judges and related co-defendants ARE INDEED DEMOCRATS, but there is no mention in any of these shocking exposé articles.— zen
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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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