Departed PHA head was investigated for affair with staffer
Michael Kelly was presented here as a turn-around manager who would repair the damage at the Philadelphia Housing Authority by the scandal-scarred leadership of former executive director Carl Greene, including repeated claims of sexual harassment. But Kelly left PHA Friday with his own scandal in tow: An affair with a woman he appointed to head the agency's department of human resources.
Departed PHA head was investigated for affair with staffer
Chris Brennan & Barbara Laker
Michael Kelly was presented here as a turn-around manager who would repair the damage at the Philadelphia Housing Authority by the scandal-scarred leadership of former executive director Carl Greene, including secretly settled sexual harassment suits. But Kelly left PHA Friday with his own scandal in tow: An affair with a woman he appointed to head the agency's department of human resources.
Estelle Richman, a U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department senior staffer who is once again taking control of PHA, confirmed this afternoon that someone at the Philadelphia agency complained about the affair between Kelly and Audrey Lim. Richman said her predecessor, Karen Newton-Cole, appointed PHA staffer Kelvin Jeremiah to investigate. Jeremiah, who followed Kelly here from New York City's housing agency, confirmed the affair, Richman said.
"He felt that there had been no misuse of federal funds in any way and that it was a consensual affair," Richman said of Jeremiah's investigation, which wrapped up in May. Jeremiah is now acting executive director after Kelly's departure Friday.
A PHA spokeswoman today said Lim was hired on August 2009 as a Senior Advisor with a salary of $95,000. Kelly put her in charge of human resources. Her title when she resigned on May 31 was Director of Special Projects with a salary of $125,000.
Lim, a citizen of Singapore, was first hired by Greene. Richman said Lim returned to her country after he resignation. Richman also said Lim, who needed a job to remain in the United States, may plan to return to this country. Richman described Lim, who has two masters degrees and a doctorate, as being over-matched by her duties at PHA's human resources department.
Kelly was nominated Monday by Washington DC Mayor Vincent Gray to head that city's Department of Housing and Community Development. Gray spokeswoman Doxie McCoy today said Kelly, prior to his appointment "shared that he had had a consensual relationship" with a PHA staffer and that it had been investigated by HUD.
"He made a personal mistake," McCoy said via email. "Mr. Kelly is a talented and committed public servant who is dedicated to expanding affordable housing in the District, and we stand behind his nomination."
Kelly, who lives with his wife in Washington, has not responded to requests for comment.
The PHA should be renamed PSDA for "Philadelphia Sugar Daddy Authority."— DonQ
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- Me love you long time. More money, Joe.— franka
- What a shame the chiefs keep giving the indians a bad name. Hard to imagine what Kelly was thinking given the background and recent activities at PHA. The next question is just how long it will take someone to blame Obama.— speakfacts
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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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