PhillyClout just caught up with Mayor Nutter to get his take on Philadelphia Housing Authority Executive Director Carl R. Greene -- who is battling stories about his delinquent mortgage payments, a series of sexual harassment claims filed against him, as well as charges that staffers were expected to pay for parties and gifts in his honor.
Nutter, who is fresh back from his vacation in Mexico, acknowledged that "there are certainly many troubling issues here."
"Carl Greene has some very serious personal challenges he's trying to deal with," Nutter said. "The reports and a variety of allegations give me very serious concerns...what I'm most concerned about is the allegations with regard to workplace environment."
Today's Daily News reports that PHA's insurance carrier is set to pay $250,000 to settle a claim filed by former PHA architect Elizabeth Helm. Helm, 29, alleged that Greene dangled a promotion before her while making unwanted sexual advances, including "touching, grabbing and groping her."
But Nutter stopped short of calling for Greene's resignation, saying just that the public deserved some answers.
"The PHA board and Carl Greene need to answer those questions and give a full accounting," Nutter said. "Any issues involving the executive director or employees at the agency, the members of the board have to deal with."
Nutter has no direct oversight over PHA, a state agency which receives mostly federal funding. None of the five PHA commissioners was appointed by the current mayor.