Politics & Government

Leetsdale Officials Question Lingering Legal Fees from Previous Council

Council president says a $2,000 invoice for legal representation adds to more than $10,000 paid in legal fees in 2011 for a Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission investigation.

plans to get legal input from its solicitor about an invoice the borough received from a law firm that represented three councilmen in a state ethics investigation and is now seeking to collect unpaid fees. 

Councilwoman Melanie Dunn told the board Tuesday that Leetsdale received an invoice in December for $2,000 from Pittsburgh-based Fives & Associates for attorney’s fees not approved for payment by the previous council. 

She said the firm was retained to represent former councilmen Tom Brown and Ben Frederick and current Councilman Osman Awad, who could be reached for comment Tuesday night. Awad did not attend the meeting.

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Council President Joseph McGurk said the three were called to appear before the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission to answer questions in a commission investigation. The investigation was based on complaints raised from a citizens group that council members had misused credit cards and spent borough money irresponsibly.

McGurk said the state commission began conducting its investigation on Feb. 1, looking into unethical behavior in the borough. Prior to the investigation, the borough also commissioned that was completed in January 2011. 

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McGurk said the legal fees as part of the state commission's investigation were essentially paid for “by the taxpayers of Leetsdale.” He said in all more than $10,000 was charged in 2011 for legal representation -- $8,200 of which has been paid -- and that the board would like to get its own legal advice before paying the bill.

"We're not saying anybody is guilty of anything," McGurk said. 

Council decided to wait until tonight's regular meeting to get legal input from Solicitor Megan Ott on the invoice.

The board has also reopened the 2012 budget and the finance committee, which includes Dunn, McGurk and Linda Michael, plans to meet Monday with Borough Secretary Liz Petalino for a budget review. 

Dunn said the new budget should be updated, advertised and ready for approval at the Feb. 8 meeting. 

McGurk, Dunn, Michael and Jeffrey Weatherby on Leetsdale Council in the November general election, running on a slate promising transparency and to the borough. The four were sworn in during a on Jan. 3.


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