Former Brady opponent calls for answers on 2012 primary allegations

I was U.S. Rep. Bob Brady's Republican opponent in 2012. After Judge Jimmie Moore dropped out of the Democratic primary, I was Brady's only opponent.

After Brady's initial victory to become the congressman representing Philadelphia's First District in 1998, he never faced a primary opponent again — not until Moore came along 14 years later. Obviously Brady is in a powerful position. As both a congressman and chairman of the city Democratic Party, he holds the keys to a lot of endorsements — not only for Democrats but also for Republicans, particularly for judicial candidates seeking cross-ballot endorsements. And, like him or not, Brady is a survivor in a city in which too many Democratic office holders have gone to jail.

In the 2012 race, my campaign closely watched Brady's contested primary. A retired Municipal Court judge with high name recognition who was dubbed by some as "the great black hope," Moore was seen as a real threat to Brady's reelection in a district with more African Americans than whites.

Except that the redistricting that occurred right before the 2012 race had given Brady an edge. With help from the General Assembly Republicans, the district went from a black plurality (48 percent black vs. 31.8 percent white) to a white one (46.9 percent white vs. 35.5 percent black), according to voting registration records.

Moore was critical of this gerrymandering, but then suddenly withdrew before the primary election. My campaign couldn't help but wonder what had happened. The joint press release issued by Moore and Brady felt too cushy and warm for two warriors that had just battled it out.

At the time, Politics365.com's Bridgette Outten wrote, "The two men promised to work together for the future of the district and the Democratic Party. That meant Brady would be helping Moore mop up his debt."

Little did anyone know that five years later that primary would become news again.

Last week we learned from court filings that an aide to Moore in the 2012 has pleaded guilty to helping funnel $90,000 from Brady's political action committee to Moore's campaign after he dropped out of the primary. Neither Brady nor Moore has been charged with a crime, and the congressman's lawyer said he's done nothing wrong.

But the reports have had an impact, casting yet another cloud over Philadelphia politics and the people who step forward to run for office. Over the past few days, I've heard from reporters who haven't called me in years. Almost all of them asked me a variation of the same question: "Were you offered anything to drop out?"

Excuse me.

I'm a Republican in Philadelphia. Aren't I supposed to be offered some crumbs to get in and stay in the race? That's what I'm usually asked about by political friends. What did the GOP give me for being a sacrificial lamb in a contest against Bob Brady?

Sadly, I believe they ask that because they saw me — just as they see many Republican candidates in Philadelphia — as a propped-up candidate who was in the race to get something personally, rather than as someone who wanted to serve his city.

That's a problem. But it's a cynical view of city politics that is confirmed by reports coming out about the Moore-Brady primary race.

And that's precisely why we need to find out what happened in 2012, and why we need to hear from the congressman himself. This has to be put to bed. It's the only way that candidates like me will be taken seriously and not be viewed as token opposition that can be bought and sold.

Until we get a complete and candid explanation about whether campaign funds were used to get an opponent out of a race, those of us citizen-candidates who have the courage to put our name on the line, against incredible odds, will continue to be the victims of smear campaigns by the cynics.

John Featherman, a Realtor in Philadelphia, has run campaigns for Congress and mayor. john@featherman.com