Orchestra packed with Nutter backers

As The Inquirer reported last week, Mayor Nutter met privately with the chairman of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association before the city's budget crisis fully emerged and agreed to send the orchestra an unscheduled $250,000 grant. The unusual move appeared to subvert the typical rules governing equitable city funding of the arts.

Now, after a review of campaign-finance records from the 2007 mayoral race, it is also clear that Nutter's grant was directed to an institution packed with many of his supporters.

Harold Sorgenti, the Orchestra Association's chair, contributed $5,000 to Nutter's campaign, the maximum annual donation allowed by law. Vice chair Richard Worley also maxed out, giving Nutter $10,000 over two years. Fellow vice chairs Joseph Frick and Michael Zisman also contributed generously - Frick sending $4,500 and Zisman $4,000.

All told, senior members of the association board contributed about $33,000 to Nutter's campaign in 2007.

It is worth noting that in general the donors are wealthy and powerful people, and many habitually donate to political causes.

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