Republican group complains to Ethics Board about Nutter's convention travel
A Republican group has filed a complaint with the city Board of Ethics over Mayor Nutter's use of taxpayer dollars to take five city workers to the Democratic National Convention.
Republican group complains to Ethics Board about Nutter's convention travel
Catherine Lucey
Note: This post has been updated with additional information.
A Republican group has filed a complaint with the city Board of Ethics over Mayor Nutter’s use of taxpayer dollars to take city workers to the Democratic National Convention.
Taxpayers paid $7,363.60 in travel costs to send five staffers -- two aides and three security officers -- with Nutter to the political event in Charlotte, NC, according to mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald. Nutter’s travel and expenses were paid for through his campaign and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, of which he is president.
Matt Wolfe, a ward leader and part of an insurgent group of city Republicans, filed the complaint, which requests an investigation into the use of city money to send the two aides -- Lauren Walker and Tumar Alexander -- to the DNC. Wolfe said the group is not complaining about the security detail.
"The city employees who attended the convention are not supposed to be active in politics," Wolfe said.
McDonald called the complaint "unwarranted," saying the staffers were not doing political work.
"The bottom line is that while the mayor was down in Charlotte for a political event, he also conducted mayoral business and it was appropriate those staffers be with him," McDonald said. "They weren't wearing campaign hats or campaign buttons or engaging in political activity."
Shane Creamer, executive director of the Board of Ethics, declined comment.
Why are they referred to as an "insurgent group?" Simply because they are tired of the way this City wastes taxpayer money.— discobiscuit- Since this was a political affair then Nutter should use his campaign fund war chest to pay for it otherwise show exactly how the city benefited from his attending this convention.— jonnycee
- ahhhhhhhhh does anyone know how much MIA cost the philly taxpayer yet???????????????— 420Phillie
- They are called an "insurgent group" since they don't lay down and play dead like the leadership of the city Republican party.— Jets
- TV News Clips. Check them. Nutter Said on TV (prior to his speech) he was there for Obamama to speak on his accomplshments. (redefining ethics doesn't make it ethical or consistent with rightful behavior)Political Business pure and simple.— Clark_Kent_SuperHero
- I actually thought that Mayor Nutter was beyond this sort of thing. I guess not.— Chief_Negotiator
Don't hold your breath thinking the Ethics Board will do anything. They are Nutter's personal henchmen. Just last year, no one said anything about Nutter using City workers and City property when he endorsed Kenyatta Johnson...in front of City Hall. I guess the Mayor is above it all.- I liked Mayour Nutter when he wasn't acting like John Street. But the longer he's in office, the more he has the John Street attitude of "let them eat cake."
- 420Phillie, we may never know the true costs of MIA but I'm sure at the first snowfall, Nutter will tell us he doesn't have the budget to plow all the streets.
- Whine, whine, whine. The poor GOP are always being bullied.— Irving99
- Use of "insurgent" here indicates yet another Inquirer reporter who doesn't understand English.— mmds
- Nutter ran as a reform mayor... can you define any reforms?
Sad... people get the government they deserve.— mmds - can take cronies to convention on city money but cannot pay firefighters their just wage awarded to them twice.
richwin— richwin - Insurgent Group..are you kidding? Tea party ..extremists..who writes this liberal bs. The war on women? david axelrod must be writing the column under a pen name— blombard
- Were all those complaining about this $7,000 also up in arms about the millions of dollars this Democratic city spent back in 2000 for Shrub's nomination?
Kind of doubt that.— JeffJenk
