City Hall's worst-kept secret

PHILADELPHIA'S City Hall can be a tough place to keep a secret.

After 17 years in and around his local government, lobbyist John Hawkins must know that.

City Hall's plugged-in staffers and power brokers have been gossiping since late August about a Philadelphia magazine story detailing the life and death of a 26-year-old paralegal, Julia Papazian Law.

The story, which focused primarily on Law's relationship with prominent defense lawyer and bachelor A. Charles Peruto Jr. - in whose bathtub she was found dead - also covered her six-year affair with a married man identified only as "M.B.," a nod to a character known as Mr. Big on TV's "Sex and the City."

Peruto, 58, in interviews this week with the Daily News and "It's Your Call with Lynn Doyle" on the Comcast Network, said Hawkins is that man.

Hawkins, 42, declined to answer when the Daily News asked him recently in City Hall if he was the "M.B." in the magazine story.

His lawyer, Richard Sprague, yesterday declined to allow Hawkins to be interviewed. Sprague refused to say if Hawkins was "M.B." or to comment on the magazine story.

Law's body was found inside Peruto's Rittenhouse Square apartment May 25, triggering intense speculation in the media and among the city's power players about her demise - and about her love life.

She had dated Peruto - her boss - for nearly six weeks. Friends and family members said after her death that she previously had had a relationship with Mark Hinrichs, a lawyer who worked for Peruto.

Peruto told the Daily News on Monday that he was sickened to learn from the author of the magazine article, Lisa DePaulo, that Law had conducted a long-running affair with Hawkins.

Peruto, both in the Daily News interview and on the "It's Your Call" program, accused Hawkins of sharing scores of Law's intimate emails and text messages with the magazine in exchange for anonymity.

"Whoever 'M.B.' is, I made the decision to protect his identity because it was my understanding that his wife was unaware [of the relationship]," DePaulo said.

Peruto said he met twice with Hawkins after Law's death.

"On our first meeting, he told me that it was a nonsexual, platonic relationship," Peruto said. "Then, on our second meeting, he told me that it was sexual, but that it ended before I started dating her."

Peruto said he reached out to Hawkins after learning from DePaulo that Hawkins told her their sexual relationship had continued.

"I called him, and he said, 'Yeah, the relationship never stopped, even when you were dating,' " Peruto told the Daily News.

Peruto said he was upset by the messages that Hawkins allegedly shared, many of which painted Law in an unflattering light.

"After the article ran, I said, 'John, you claim that you love Julia, and you totally disgraced her. She's probably turning over in her grave,' " Peruto told the People Paper. "He said he was sorry that I felt that way. . . . I can tell you unequivocally that [Law's friends] hate John Hawkins. They hate the sound of his name because of what he did."

Peruto is furious that the District Attorney's Office has launched a grand-jury investigation into Law's death, claiming it is a "vendetta" against him because he is a veteran defense lawyer.

Police say Law was alone in Peruto's Philly apartment when she died; Peruto was in Avalon, N.J., at the time. No official autopsy results have been released, but several news organizations have reported that Law had a blood-alcohol level several times above the legal limit to drive.

Asked on "It's Your Call" if he was accusing District Attorney Seth Williams of misconduct, Peruto bellowed: "Absolutely!"

He also said Hawkins had taken Law to fundraisers for Williams.

"He's tight with Seth Williams," Peruto said of Hawkins. "He brags about his connections to the D.A."

District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Tasha Jamerson said her office could not comment beyond acknowledging that a grand jury is investigating Law's death.

"This office is doing the responsible thing," Jamerson said when told of Peruto's comments.

Hawkins, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government, previously worked as research director for the Committee of Seventy, a good-government group, and then as a legislative assistant to former state Sen. Vince Fumo and to City Councilman Jim Kenney.

Hawkins went to work in 2005 for S. R. Wojdak & Associates, a lobbying firm that recently ended a long-running contract serving the Mayor's Office.

His clients include the local chapter of the American Red Cross, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and three city universities.

Hawkins has taught classes on urban politics and government at Fels for 13 years. His name recently was removed from the faculty list on the Fels website.

"I can confirm that John is on leave to deal with some personal issues," Fels executive director David Thornburgh said Monday, when asked about Hawkins.

The Philadelphia magazine story describes "M.B." as "a very successful city professional with an Ivy League background and friends in high places." The story said Law was texting and emailing "M.B." and forwarding him texts and emails she received from Peruto and Hinrichs "right up until the very end of her life."

It also said "M.B." claimed he only wanted Law to be happy, describing himself as her "chief protector," now racked with guilt.